I'm blown away by this conversation. It's serious and respectful and it was given airtime for the entire country to see. It's hard to believe such mature and serious conversations used to be held on television. When did we lose our way?
I found this conversation, with the exception of the NAACP leader, extremely contemptuously hypocritical and biased to the point of utter cluelessness. Two of these people were part of the same government who were killing the “little” people of Vietnam. No wonder the grandchildren of these insufferably arrogant hypocrites are narcissists who are hypocrites.
I'm Gen X which means that the talk show discourse I grew up with was Geraldo Rivera and Donohue level. I wish we had a show like this today and throughout my maturity.
Same here, I was born in 1961 and agree with you. Dick Cavett’s old show video’s are golden gems of those times, so many interesting guest and interviews, he was good at what he did and very sincere.
@@thejosephchrist ugh. You can almost pinpoint when trash tv started, and guys like Geraldo are the ones who got the ball rolling. I grew up in the same era. After Rivera, there was Sally Jesse Raphael, Donahue, and Ricki Lake who further desensitized us. Along with the Howard Sterns, and Rush Limbaughs on the radio. Then came Jerry Springer, and Maury Povich who basically put the final nail in the coffin of quality, civil discourse on the airwaves. It’s actually pretty depressing to watch these old shows in a way, because there’s no way we could do something like Cavett today even if we wanted to. I’d even take a Firing Line with William F. Buckley jr., and I didn’t agree with hardly anything he believed, but at least he knew how to hold a civil/respectful debate. I truly hope that there will come a time when we can do that again as a society. 🙏🏼🤞
I really felt for Robert Vaughn. He looked completely shellshocked. Even in interviews he did before his death in 2016, he still seemingly struggled to talk about RFK, whom he was close with.
Thank you Lawrence for the mention of Robert Vaughn. I used to watch Man from Uncle, when I was a kid, and didn't now about his politics. I was wondering why he was so much more devastated and taken down than the rest of the panel.
Reagan f"""sick assh*le. No its sad but we need more guns to protect ourselves. Can no-one see the circle???? Not England... In Scotland who has very good problem. We had the Dunblane murders of many 5 year old and their teacher. We as a whole ended up in the UK banned all handguns. USA completely give a shite even now in in 2023... 60 years fron JFK...and kids dying, mass shootings... and yet no-one can do bugger all. 18 years old you can over there can get a uzzie or multi shotguns. Here in Scotland (and the rest of UK) we have to show Id just to get a knife.... erm, different? Guns are you guys in the US are mad about them!!! Obama tried to look at gun control but he got stopped at ever turn. "You cannot changed or take an amendment away from us!" Errr.. yea you can as an AMENDMANT means you can change something... Serious disgusting and really scary society over their.
Articulate, knowledgeable, and giving each other time to speak and politely agree or disagree, at such a charged moment in history. The problem has only gotten worse and the people have only gotten dumber.
The educational system was domestically and to an extent globally better after WW2 that's why the gentlemen on the show were so careful with what they said and calm they taught to think deeply before talking...things went downhill after 1980 just look at todays trash on TV and media.
@@hasselett Your statement only proves the point. The holocaust wasn't dumb. It was a remarkably efficient attempt to exterminate an entire culture. How can you reduce an act that is arguably one the most sickening and twisted crimes in human history to the word DUMB?
I saw my father cry twice in my life: the day his mother died, and the morning after Bobby was assassinated. I was 11 years old and I'll never forget that day. The world changed. Imagine if Bobby became president. . .
I was 11 too..i had just shook Bobbys hand 6 weeks earlier in the motorcave down 10th st in Indianapolis IN...he was a beautiful spirit..i could feel it whe he shook my hand♡
Once again, "talk shows" from pre-1980 show how far we have fallen in the level of public discourse. The medium now could never allow this level of calm, comradely discussion, allowing nuanced ideas the time/space to really be expounded and developed. Now, in the mainstream media at least, everything must be a soundbite, and blood in the water is not only encouraged, it's the raison d'etre. Podcasts, as a medium, offer hope, however.
@L D So do you diagree? And if so, why? Because right now you just sound like a fucking idiot with zero intellectual comeback to an extremely honest and apparent point of discussion.
Until we found out what a creep Charlie Rose was, his show was sort of the modern day, Dick Cavett. Now we have Christiane Amanpour and she is terrific. Cavett was unique: Soft spoken, intelligent, sensitive, a TRUE gentleman, witty, urbane, humble. Nobody will ever match his perfect pitch, imho. He was kind but not a pushover.
Corden, Seth Myers, Frog Face Fallon, and Colbert are all Mainstream Media talking heads. They dont do shows, they just repeat the garbage of the MSM. Talentless hacks
I'm 30, and I agree. I can only hope our society can find a way back to this type of social engagement. It seems people weren't so extreme in their views during this time. People could have disagreements and still respect each other. It was "civilized." If we are unable to get back to that then we are doomed.
It was 1968, I was seven years old. I don't remember these events because my parents tried to protect us kids from knowing about these assassinations. What I still remember is that I saw my Mama cry a lot that year. April 4th, 1968 MLK was murdered; June 6, 1968, it was Bobby Kennedy. She loved them both and it broke her heart.
I had just turned 16 when Bobby was shot... and almost 52 years later videos like this still cause tears to well up in my eyes. I tell younger friends that they should feel very lucky they didn't live through the experience, because for millions of us the painful memories and the horror have never gone away - a wound that has never healed. It remains the most profoundly shocking news I've ever heard.
I am not American and I was 2 when Mr. Robert Kennedy was murdered, but I am crying all night now for this huge loss. But... I was brought up to never lose hope and to never surrender. We are many and we won't give up the dream of a better world. Ever.
Damn I would have thought watch watching people jump from the twin towers and a 3000 people dying almost instantly would be more terrifying than a politician getting murdered, but hey different times I guess.
@@Chuncks01 Both were horrible. I was born in 80 on the day John Lennon was killed. 9/11 shaped my modern world, but I can empathize with these historic events.
Agree completely. The only ones who can bring us back to the way things were back then are the voters. Wake up, do your homework, stop listening to the talking heads, know the REAL facts, and go from there. Also, stop and take a deep breath. This country will survive no matter who wins an election. It may be unpleasant if the winner is not your candidate, but that’s the way life goes.
Remember that night clearly. I was listening to the dodger game on radio because don Drysdale was pitching against the giants going for the record of scoreless innings. Then the unthinkable happened at the ambassador hotel. I cried that night, the country I loved changed, one year later I was in southeast Asia as a member of the U S Navy
I was 9. Our mother had to wake her children, myself and my 11-year-old sister, to tell us that the pain we had lived through four and one-half years earlier when our president was killed was back. She told us directly. She knew it was the only way.
On this day Elvis was doing his 4th day of rehearsals for the '68 Comeback Special. He was devastated by the death of RFK, and 2 months prior, of MLK. And his closing number for that show --- "If I Can Dream" --- commemorated the values that both men represented.
@@bigpeeler in fact thats what i thought, as germany - the country i ive in - is being hit with a wave of right wing violence at this very moment. germany and the us are indeed hard to compare, but its clear to me, what is a big threat to violent movements and the only way to break them down - real leadership. the us gave light to many of them and many had to pay with there lifes. looking at germany, there havent been any since the 60s
Interesting to see the guests having their say , giving their thoughts and views without continually being interrupted by the host.Todays shows should take note.
People were shocked that the killings involved several public figures in a short time. Not like today where it's mostly random high schools, nowhere events, and blacks in the ghettos.
We need more of this now. The 24/7 news cycle, the constant influx of bad news from all over the world, it’s not good for people. We need to slow down and discuss with each other and try to understand.
@@johntomlinson6849 If you want to believe that Oswald assassinated JFK, but you are so right that nothing can change until the US citizens come together.
Robert Vaughn looks absolutely devastated. A time when people were fiercely more articulate and educated - or when the articulate and educated where given time on air and not just a sound grab. If you are interested in this type of commentary and discourse watch the James Balwin and William F Buckley debate on youtube. These were difficult times in America and they have certainly returned, sadly.
Vaughn was also full of crap. He blamed the political violence of the 60's as "rightwing" in origin. Oswald was a Marxist. Sirhan Sirhan was a Palestinian whacko with ABSOLUTELY NO TIES to Conservative or rightwing politics. Whoever killed MLK (and it was probably the nut James Earl Ray) succeeded only in making a martyr of him. There was no identifiable Conservative group or person involved with him or advocating King's assassination. Militants in the Black community had as much if not more of a motive to kill MLK. Furthermore, the violence of the Left (like today's Antifa and BLM ) dwarfed anything coming from "The Right". From people who get assaulted for wearing Trump hats to cities burning all over the US its the Left that is the predominant source of political violence. Don't even try to bring up the Jan 6 "riot". That was so overblown its absurd. The Communist Left is always committing the vast majority of political violence and justifying it by saying White people are racist and the Capitalism is unfair.
Robert Vaughn was a personal friend of Robert Kennedy. I've seen pictures of both of them and their families taking vacations together, I believe they were taken a few months before he RFK was killed.
@@GeeBee909 Thank you. That's very interesting and equally sad. Regarding Dick Cavetts show, I think the nature of discourse and the ability to truly articulate your beliefs started to shift when more and more adults started to use the word "scary" when describing trauma or a traumatic event. Scary is a cartoon. Scary is a Halloween party. Scary is not 9/11. Scary is not the attack on the Capitol. It is such an interesting clip to see the levels of discussion.
@TheClassicalSymphony I don’t think so. I am 15 now and 5 years ago was around the time my grandmother passed, I was well aware of what that meant and I was saddened by it myself.
I know Robert Vaughn from my childhood. Even so, I didn't know that he was so well-spoken. He seems to have been a particularly intelligent articulate actor.
Yes and no. He rehashes a lot of the bleeding heart leftist talking points you hear today, that are fundamentally incorrect. (Blamibg race for everything, all guns are bad, etc.) Still, I give him credit for being civil and at least trying to think up ways to stop wars and hatred.
@@PreferredCustomer This is and has always been a racist country. Laws have helped, and some hearts have been changed. But it’s still racist. Bleeding heart? You really are a stupid gun nut.
@@code-52 Since we were both quoting something that was said in the video I don't think it's amazing or even a coincidence, but what do I know about anything?
Over fifty years ago, yet the words sound eerily familiar to those of today, with references to a “sick” country and the mention of gun deaths in the U. S., relative to those in England. I’m not making a political statement here, I’m just pointing out the similarities.
I like the way these men on the panel are very honest, mature and no egos, and nobody is disrespecting one another by interrupting the person because of a disagreement, i miss intellectual shows like this
Always liked Robert Vaughn. He was a class guy who knew what he talked about and just said it like it was. I also miss quality talkshows like this, where each night was a 60-90min salon of ideas..
RFK I was ten years old that June night In the shadow of a dark April In the turmoil of 68. I was a child Looking, learning, Reaching and grasping In the chaotic confusion Of tumultuous times. Cronkite every night In black and white, Cities burning Angry streets And Vietnam violence. Daily doses Seeping in Flooding the safety Of my living room. Yet in the midst of uncertainty I saw the hope in his eyes Those blue blue eyes Gleaming brightly Like a lighthouse On a dark ocean night. I was a child He was my idol, A suit with unruly hair, A scrapper, a subtle rebel, A rich man with the guts To walk in the ghetto. A Senator with the strength To hold hands with migrants, A brother with the courage To face the danger He knew was there. It was too late for me To stay up that night (I was a child), But the next day as usual I went to the corner store To pick up the morning paper For my grandfather. I ran and skipped and jumped With youthful joy Running to get the news The magnificent news Of California, of great victory And greater to come Chanting a song for Bobby I'd heard the day before: "Nothing can stand in our way All the way with RFK." I walked home slowly Carrying the Boston Globe A dime's worth of print Puncturing my soul. I sat alone on the back doorsteps Sobbing, clutching for answers That can never be found. I prayed with a fervor But in two days he was gone. The pedestal of idealism Crashed all around me Slaughtering the innocence Of a childhood world Where righteous heroes rule, The resurrection of Camelot Stillborn and swallowed By the cold reality of a steel bullet.
What a consummate interviewer Dick Cavett is. He allows himself to fade into the background and lets his guests talk. And what calibre of guests too! I was too young to see this when it aired but I'm glad TH-cam gives me the chance to see it now.
I was a grade school student when President Kennedy was assassinated, and when Robert Kennedy and Dr. King were assassinated, I felt the world would never be a safe place to live in. This trauma still resides within me however the words and wisdom of these panelists remind me of the importance of hope and actions to fight hatred still.
Incredible, intelligent discussion that completely illuminated the despair, the anger and disgust. "I really think the time has come for every single American citizen to make sure that the assassin's bullet doesn't shoot down with the man the thing that the man stood for and that we all must stand for if our nation is going to survive." The constant conversation of a sick violent America being allowed to dominate over a healthy and just one. How horrific that all these years later and we are still having these debates - America gets older but rarely evolves or at least enough that she lives up to her ideals.
Im listening to this and cant help but close my eyes and hear these same words still being spoken today in 2021. It seems as if nothing in this country has really changed as I think of all thats going on now. Ppl really need to hear this and ask ourselves its time we rethink and finally change. There must be change and then start doing it so we can finally stop this replaying of these words and become a better future for all that follow us.
I used to believe there was a better America back in this time. I no longer believe it. We are seeing the beginning of our country’s end as we know it.
I came to this country in 1967 as an au pair from Denmark, to Westport Ct, where I was still living when RFK was shot, it was a shock, I was 18 and living in Denmark when JFK was shot, I admired them both. 1968 was a pivotal year, much happened, the assassinations, war in Vietnam, the democratic convention in Chicago.. I have seen mucb in all those years since. I do think it was a better time, we had hero's we could look up to, who inspired us, even if they kept getting assassinated, as Tom Hayden said "We became a generation of what might have been". The country was divided for certain, but you had show like Dick Cavett's that provided intelligent discussion, you had protest in the streets and protest music, thinks were happening. Now it seems like everyone just stick to their tribe and are not interested in hearing other opinions, and worst of all we have a President that is not in any way trying to bring the country together, in fact he is doing whatever he can to divide us, and that is just one of my complaint about him, but I won't go into that. RFK could talk in a compassionate way that made black and white listen to him, MLK gave speeches that both black and white listened to, and was moved by, I don't see this happening today. We need someone, who has courage who is not too tied to one ideology, who has compassion and charisma to get some of that back. I don't really care if he is liberal or conservative (for the record I mostly liberal, probably more to the center than left) as long as he has vision, I don't really see any public figure on the national scene that has that. That said I very much hope come 2020 Trump will be voted out of office. If not I will for the first time since I came here in 1967 be really afraid for my adopted country.
Dion DiMucc wrote this final verse: has anybody here seen my old friend Bobby? can you tell me where he's gone? I thought I saw him walking up over the hill? with Abraham, Martin, and John? Today is 2/13/21
Sadly, yes. And today under the Trump administration it's even worse. The money worshipping republicans just want $$$$ and the power they hold because of money. They buy our elections and the Supreme Court endorses by approving of Citizens United. Shame on all of them.
I was 26 years old, living in Manhattan when I heard the news of the death of RFK. The day of his memorial at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in NYC I walked to the church and stood outside with the crowd. Somber and tear filled we mourned the loss of a friend. A man who held a promise that things would get better, that we could look forward now and heal from the pain & loss of JFK and MLK. But no, one more assassination of a beloved leader...The continuation of the Vietnam war, then Nixon, then Watergate & Nixon's resignation. And now we have Trump, reviled, despised...adored & revered by the American people. And now we have a president Impeached for Life and a cowardly republican senate who will acquit Trump because they fear for their jobs and they fear the loss of contributions $$$$$ to their campaign for reelection. It's a sad day indeed.
ROBERT VAUGHN (THE "MAN FROM UNCLE") WAS A CLOSE FRIEND OF BOBBY KENNEDY. HE MADE THOSE WHO WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE IN HIS PRESENCE SOMEHOW BETTER. LOOK AT THE DISPAIR ON HIS FACE..ALL OF OUR HOPE THAT BOBBY WOULD BRING BACK THE IDEALISM OF HIS BROTHER JOHN VIA A NEW KENNEDY ADMINISTRATION WAS SNATCHED AWAY FROM US BY THE SAME POWER GROUP THAT KILLED HIS BROTHER.
It's amazing how this was broadcast almost sixty years ago. But still speaks to the malaise that is endemic in American society today. It's almost like it's holding up a mirror. But I still like to think like these fine gentlemen. That there is still hope for America.
"I really don't worry that much about it, if some nut job is going to knock me off like Kennedy what can i do about it? It doesn't bother me at all really"- John Lennon 1968
I've come to realize that America has only "progressed" technologically...in every other aspect, be it socially, culturally, politically and humanely, we are a regressive country.
That’s laughably wrong. While there are many further steps that our country needs to make, we are absolutely not regressing. The treatment of women, POC, LGBTQ+, etc., are dramatically better than they were in 1968. Yes, I understand your statement based on the current political climate, but progress is not linear. It has ebbs and flows, but even in our current ebb, it’s far superior than what was experienced in 1968.
@@revjim77 "The treatment of women, POC, LGBTQ+, etc., are dramatically better than they were in 1968." Ideas and beliefs precede treatment; in fact, treatment is an expression of ideas (from the crude to the sophisticated). On that score, the U.S. remains defiantly regressive: women can have real careers, but the drive to repeal Roe v. Wade has been unrelenting since 1973; African Americans today are thankfully spared the risk of public lynching, but racial profiling and abuse by law enforcement has become pernicious and ingrained in practice. It's the old story of the way prejudices survive by mutating and re-emerging in camouflaged form.
@@revjim77 I am not insane, I just have a working brain and a good working knowledge of U.S. history. I also watch the news, and a country that can elect (and consider re-electing Donald Trump as President) is both regressive AND insane.
completely disagree the "white" western world countries have developed and evolved remarkably, compare this to certain African or middle eastern countries who are still in the dark ages , no country or continent is perfect, ps. there is a reason why there is mass immigration to North America and Europe, because they have incredible standards of living
I was 14 when it happened and was watching it in real-time with my mom. I am also amazed at the "fallen level of public discourse" lamented upon by the previous poster. If only there was another Dick Cavett-type pundit around today that could make sense of all the chaos around us. The ones we have now are either stand-up comedians, liberal or right-wing journalists, or flat-out demagogues. Now as I recall, not many took Dick Cavett seriously back then, but time has borne out the worth of his voice to the national narrative. When I see credence lent to these voices from the past, I have hope for the present. Not a lot, but some. We have got to find some common ground soon, or...
Comedians like Jimmy Kimmel (who initially shunned politics in favour of lighthearted comedy) has found himself pushed in the direction of politics since his son's near-death experience - an experience that likely would have ended differently had Kimmel not been rich. Comedians such as Kimmel and Seth Meyers (and before them, Jon Stewart) seem to have felt a certain responsibility to use their platform to activate their audience rather than allowing their comedy to aneasthetise the masses to what's happening in the world.
This message is for the channel program director... Please change the celebratory “outro” for this video. It was solemn and poignant and then APPLAUSE/MUSIC! Check that just for this video. Thanks for posting. This is helpful today. We could use a Nixon impeachment/resignation one as well.
An intelligent discussion among intelligent people. It was interesting to hear the one gentleman saying "We are living in 1968.." suggesting that by now we should have learned that gun violence has become a significant problem. One can only imagine what this same gentleman would have thought of the mass shootings that have happened over the past twenty years, not the least of which were in Sandy Hook and in Las Vegas.
Back then it took guts to March up and attack a visible, protected figure like Robert Kennedy. Today's killers are gutless cowards. They go after the helpless and vulnerable like schools and churches. No Courage. No manhood.
@@PreferredCustomer I think I understand your point, at least to some extent. However, let's remember that the assassinations of the sixties were most often carried out from a distance with rifles, therefore there were few occasions (RFK being an exception) where the killer shot his victim at close range. My point was that by 1968, mass shootings of strangers were still incredibly rare.
..@3:08, and onward....’we’re in a climate of violence’, etc....wondering how long it’s going to ‘go on’...52 years and a few weeks later, nothing’s changed for the better....
Viewing this panel of decades ago, it is refreshing to listen to a small assembly of persons [sans any female representation], who are civil, multi-syllabic, and need not break chairs over each others' heads a la Springer/Povich style talk shows. At age twelve, I remember vividly the JFK assissination and what it did forever to change our country. But the subsequent muders made it feel as though nothing would ever be possible again, having fallen away from the potential of Hope.
teppolundgren , who are you calling YANK filth??? I was born and raised in the states, but all of my ancestors were from a England, Ireland, and Scotland....... btw, I happen to love America !!!
Robert Vaughn did an excellent special tv show entitled JFK's Lost Pathway to Peace. It us extremely hard to find. I taped it off of the History Channel in 1991 or so. It preserves an important part of the historical record. Vaughn was no just an actor.
I throughly enjoyed the concise explanation of America’s lack of “being” (as one will) described by/for within aprx. the 14:23 timecode). 🧿💌📺‼️ Great expectations was the DickCavett Show.
Though the level of discourse here is far beyond me, I did not fail to notice that each of the participants in this interview appears: 1) well-scrubbed; 2) combed; 3) shaven; 4) neatly attired; 5) free of tattoos, piercings, and other forms of self-mutilation; 6) polished; 7) well-mannered; 8) patient; 9) focused; 10) restrained; 11) well-composed; 12) dignified; 13) fluent in a well-enunciated, cadenced, and intelligible English - all of which observations lead to the conclusion that they must not ever have heard of ‘reality’ TV shows, ‘social media’, and ‘West Coast Rap’...
Dr Abrahams nailed it. His description of U.S. society and its stratification combined with guns is exactly why so many murders and assassinations occur. Still valid today.
I agree. I'll play devil's advocate and momentarily take both sides, for the sake of equality. Instead of gun control, we should have SELF control. However, that is not possible, with hot headed thugs who think that having an almighty gun is the cure to the ills of society. Bearing that, I happen to be against the public ownership of firearms. Why? I would rather have them in the hands of authorities. The NRA, which truly stands for No Rationalizing Allowed, is filled with the thugs I have mentioned. This segment of his program is well above the standard low key, often uninteresting, interviews for which Cavett is noted.
Such a good program. Intelligence, reasoned exchange of feelings and ideas. Our society has the ability to learn from history. I feel we have failed to do so. Just cast your mind to the present level of the "whatever" of our present Whitehouse. Good grief!
The mentality of Wild West thrills is something I have always believed is a great influence in present-day attitudes among many Americans, coupled with stalwart independence and lawlessness. It is reflected here beautifully and still holds today.
The late great Robert Vaughn looks crushed with utter grief, yet he is able to discuss the terrible events of Robert Kennedy's assassination with complete eloquence. The violence within American society hasn't changed in 52 years, since the original broadcast of this programme.
@@bigbrianusa Not all Palestinians are "lefties," they're just as likely to be nationalistic religious conservatives. If you know of any "leftist" sentiment ever expressed by Sirhan, furnish the quote rather than talking out your ass.
@@johndowns3839 Spot on. Btw, the assassin of MLK had links with the extreme far-right, so Robert Vaughn's observation was perfectly in tune with the mindset of that violent period in American history.
Talking about American gun violence in contrast to other European countries, the power of the NRA, and right wing extremists being a threat to society. Is this 1968 or 2020?
For most Americans, I consider that Dick Cavett was an odd choice for a talk show host; simply because those who came before were primarily comedians, but Mr. Cavett was more cerebral. One fact that I always found fascinating about his life was a chance meeting in 1951 with future talk show host Johnny Carson who was doing a magic act at a church in Lincoln, Nebraska, as both men were magicians and attending the International Brotherhood of Magicians and, met, by fate. I was born in 1961 and began watching Dick Cavett in the turbulent and confusing 1960s. I found his demeanor both welcoming and distinctive; compared to the other talk show hosts of the era, Mr. Cavett was in a league all his own. Thankfully, Mr. Cavett is still with us; I hope we don't take him for granted.
1968 was an absolutely insane year! I remember the cavalcade of madness that unfolded that year, as a 14-year-old growing up near DC. For a look at 1968 in review by Life Magazine, go to Google (in the Books search window) and key in Life magazine January 10, 1969. That issue lays it all out & it titled Life Magazine The Incredible Year 1968 Special Issue. Each month brought some new outrage, here & abroad. It's a wonder we survived it, but we did, though I'm not so sure we learned anything from the experience.
I was almost 14 when RFK was murdered, just finishing 8th grade in Western New York. I was an ardent newspaper reader and watched TV news each evening. I was very politically aware. Sitting here today, it's clear to me that 1968 was the worst year I have lived through. Not only were MLK and RFK assassinated, but the Vietnam War was raging and civil rights was still being fought out in the streets. The Democratic convention was yet to happen. And then Nixon was elected in a close popular vote. As divided as the nation is today, as bad as the current administration is, 1968 is far worse.
@@mikephalen3162 do you think 2020 passed 1968 on the bad year scale? I wasn’t around in ‘68, but from what I’ve read, I have thought it was the worst year in American history since the Civil War. But after 2020, I’m tempted to say that was worse, but again I wasn’t around in ‘68. What do you think?
@@624radicalham There is hope. The NRA is struggling, and presidential candidates like Bernie Sanders are not only planning to introduce the gun reforms that close to 90% of Americans support, but also to stop the lobbyists such as the NRA who effectively buy politicians.
@@katiep6752 The most basic reforms (universal background checks and closing the gun show loophole) are almost universally supported by Democrats and Republicans alike. The only people who, as a rule, donations support it, are the NRA, who've bought off the Republicans in the Senate (especially Mitch McConnell).
NewhamMatt universal background checks have been in place for years that includes the gun shows. What you need to understand is those who were assassinated were done so by their own government.
I'm blown away by this conversation. It's serious and respectful and it was given airtime for the entire country to see. It's hard to believe such mature and serious conversations used to be held on television. When did we lose our way?
The turning point actually happened right after this aired when Gore Vidal and William Buckley was aired during the Summer of 1968
Newt Gingrich
I found this conversation, with the exception of the NAACP leader, extremely contemptuously hypocritical and biased to the point of utter cluelessness. Two of these people were part of the same government who were killing the “little” people of Vietnam. No wonder the grandchildren of these insufferably arrogant hypocrites are narcissists who are hypocrites.
Too many channels. Too much emphasis on ratings, not enough on substance.
This is absolute gold. I was born in 1960 and I grew up watching the Cavett show. Nothing like it before or since. Dick Cavett is a national treasure.
I was born in '85 but I've watched a lot of Cavett on DVD and then TH-cam, you were very lucky to grow up with him on live tv.
I'm Gen X which means that the talk show discourse I grew up with was Geraldo Rivera and Donohue level. I wish we had a show like this today and throughout my maturity.
Here, here. 👏
Same here, I was born in 1961 and agree with you. Dick Cavett’s old show video’s are golden gems of those times, so many interesting guest and interviews, he was good at what he did and very sincere.
@@thejosephchrist ugh. You can almost pinpoint when trash tv started, and guys like Geraldo are the ones who got the ball rolling. I grew up in the same era. After Rivera, there was Sally Jesse Raphael, Donahue, and Ricki Lake who further desensitized us. Along with the Howard Sterns, and Rush Limbaughs on the radio. Then came Jerry Springer, and Maury Povich who basically put the final nail in the coffin of quality, civil discourse on the airwaves. It’s actually pretty depressing to watch these old shows in a way, because there’s no way we could do something like Cavett today even if we wanted to. I’d even take a Firing Line with William F. Buckley jr., and I didn’t agree with hardly anything he believed, but at least he knew how to hold a civil/respectful debate. I truly hope that there will come a time when we can do that again as a society. 🙏🏼🤞
Cavett's top notch. I'm from England and find his shows outstanding. Puts today's tv to shame, their lack of quality so evident.
oh their hasn't been a show like this in England for decades
I really felt for Robert Vaughn. He looked completely shellshocked. Even in interviews he did before his death in 2016, he still seemingly struggled to talk about RFK, whom he was close with.
@ Lawerence Watson, if you haven’t read Robert vaughans biography you should there is a great chapter on this subject
@@smithfield06 I need to find that to read thanks
Thank you Lawrence for the mention of Robert Vaughn. I used to watch Man from Uncle, when I was a kid, and didn't now about his politics. I was wondering why he was so much more devastated and taken down than the rest of the panel.
vaughn was a very bright and committed man
Reagan f"""sick assh*le. No its sad but we need more guns to protect ourselves.
Can no-one see the circle????
Not England... In Scotland who has very good problem. We had the Dunblane murders of many 5 year old and their teacher. We as a whole ended up in the UK banned all handguns. USA completely give a shite even now in in 2023... 60 years fron JFK...and kids dying, mass shootings... and yet no-one can do bugger all.
18 years old you can over there can get a uzzie or multi shotguns.
Here in Scotland (and the rest of UK) we have to show Id just to get a knife.... erm, different? Guns are you guys in the US are mad about them!!!
Obama tried to look at gun control but he got stopped at ever turn.
"You cannot changed or take an amendment away from us!"
Errr.. yea you can as an AMENDMANT means you can change something...
Serious disgusting and really scary society over their.
Articulate, knowledgeable, and giving each other time to speak and politely agree or disagree, at such a charged moment in history. The problem has only gotten worse and the people have only gotten dumber.
The holocaust took place only 23 years before this show took place. I'm not so sure people have gotten dumber.
@@hasselett yeah they have
They were talking about the out of control gun problem and culture of violence in America! Lol that's hilarious 😆😆🤣
The educational system was domestically and to an extent globally better after WW2 that's why the gentlemen on the show were so careful with what they said and calm they taught to think deeply before talking...things went downhill after 1980 just look at todays trash on TV and media.
@@hasselett Your statement only proves the point. The holocaust wasn't dumb. It was a remarkably efficient attempt to exterminate an entire culture. How can you reduce an act that is arguably one the most sickening and twisted crimes in human history to the word DUMB?
13:40
"May I please continue?"
When was the last time you heard that, in such a calm and respectful tone, in any recent debate or discussion?
Ha
They spoke better but they also had more political assassinations.
not a component of the trumpie beast's linguistic gifts.
Now the microphones have to be muted so presidential candiates don't interrupt each other.
I speak as a foreigner, but Bobby Kennedy and these gentlemen, to me, represent the old America; the America I truly love.
And then he apologized at the end for “taking too much time”. Wow. Actual human beings.
I saw my father cry twice in my life: the day his mother died, and the morning after Bobby was assassinated. I was 11 years old and I'll never forget that day. The world changed. Imagine if Bobby became president. . .
I was 11 too..i had just shook Bobbys hand 6 weeks earlier in the motorcave down 10th st in Indianapolis IN...he was a beautiful spirit..i could feel it whe he shook my hand♡
Sadly, we'll never know. We can only speculate what might have been.
Everything would have been different, the best president that we never had.
@J Stephen Straw men don't build strong arguments, or men.
The world changed on November 22. This horrific event was a continuation of the downward spiral leading to where we are today
Once again, "talk shows" from pre-1980 show how far we have fallen in the level of public discourse. The medium now could never allow this level of calm, comradely discussion, allowing nuanced ideas the time/space to really be expounded and developed. Now, in the mainstream media at least, everything must be a soundbite, and blood in the water is not only encouraged, it's the raison d'etre. Podcasts, as a medium, offer hope, however.
Richard Bateman very True. Now “talk shows” are all about bashing and name calling. It’s disgusting and I refuse to watch any of it!
@L D So do you diagree? And if so, why? Because right now you just sound like a fucking idiot with zero intellectual comeback to an extremely honest and apparent point of discussion.
@Polly Anderson and yet it never fails to make me smile
Until we found out what a creep Charlie Rose was, his show was sort of the modern day, Dick Cavett. Now we have Christiane Amanpour and she is terrific. Cavett was unique: Soft spoken, intelligent, sensitive, a TRUE gentleman, witty, urbane, humble. Nobody will ever match his perfect pitch, imho. He was kind but not a pushover.
@L D ok idiot
“What is wrong with our country is not its basic health, but its way of life"
What year are we discussing again?
The more things change...
What is your point?
The plutocracy within the united states of amnesia.
@@lemurianchick that the atmosphere of hate is still strong
1968 till now, shows that this country haven't changed at all
It used to be that our country was sick not in health, but in way of life. Now, we're sick in all ways.
Gee you have exactly the same comment verbatim as someone who commented on this video.
What a coincidence huh?
I am impressed to learn that Robert Vaughn was so against the Vietnam War, calling it a "monstrosity". Good man.
So was Dan Blocker.
Kennedy and Johnson got us into Vietnam.
@@65TossTrap Check your facts. Eisenhower sent the first military and CIA "advisors", Johnson was responsible for the first boots on the ground.
@@65TossTrapeven good Presidents make terrible mistakes.
Nowadays you would have James Corden saying something Sad for 3 minutes, and then on with the show.
One cannot compare Dick Cavett with James Corden. Cavett is all class whilst Corden has none.
Dick Cavett had a different type of talk show. Carson was seldom serious. And, even when it was it was for just a few mins.
@@taoman85 eh
This is more like Bill Maher's talk show- or the one he had few years ago. Not sure what he's doing now. Corden is an entirely different format
Corden, Seth Myers, Frog Face Fallon, and Colbert are all Mainstream Media talking heads. They dont do shows, they just repeat the garbage of the MSM. Talentless hacks
I'm 33 but I love watching these old real talk shows. Intellectual talk, stimulating and classy
I'm 30, and I agree. I can only hope our society can find a way back to this type of social engagement. It seems people weren't so extreme in their views during this time. People could have disagreements and still respect each other. It was "civilized." If we are unable to get back to that then we are doomed.
A very important discussion of the era. Dick Cavett my favorite talk show host.
One of the best interviews so civilised . This couldn't happen today. Dick Cavett on of the best interviewers of all time.
Back when talk shows had class
I agree
Back when Presidential candidates were assassinated.
@@truthseeker3129 Trump might have had a assassination threat.
To be more precise, back when talk show HOSTS had class. Why can't someone model their new show on this?
@@ferminmorales6564 I know, they are relevent.
Thank you TH-cam for continuing to make available such wonderful shows & debates as this. The youth of today can most certainly learn from this.
only Cavett could do a show like this after the tragedy, such an amazing group here to discuss the event
It was 1968, I was seven years old. I don't remember these events because my parents tried to protect us kids from knowing about these assassinations. What I still remember is that I saw my Mama cry a lot that year. April 4th, 1968 MLK was murdered; June 6, 1968, it was Bobby Kennedy. She loved them both and it broke her heart.
Lazy I Ranch I was in elementary school when he was murdered. I was 8
I was 10 & 1/2....I vividly remember these murders in 1968 as if yesterday. CIA did both of these political assassinations, in my humble opinion.
@@riccaruso7791 A lot of theories on how they were murdered. I believe the Mob got Kennedy.
@@riccaruso7791 Not your humble opinion, many many American humbled opinions.. I hope they leave their hands off Bernie.
@@riccaruso7791 what evidence are you basing your opinion on ?
I had just turned 16 when Bobby was shot... and almost 52 years later videos like this still cause tears to well up in my eyes. I tell younger friends that they should feel very lucky they didn't live through the experience, because for millions of us the painful memories and the horror have never gone away - a wound that has never healed. It remains the most profoundly shocking news I've ever heard.
Very well said. It was before my time, but I feel the pain of this decade. I also feel the peace that was born in music.
I am not American and I was 2 when Mr. Robert Kennedy was murdered, but I am crying all night now for this huge loss. But... I was brought up to never lose hope and to never surrender. We are many and we won't give up the dream of a better world. Ever.
Damn I would have thought watch watching people jump from the twin towers and a 3000 people dying almost instantly would be more terrifying than a politician getting murdered, but hey different times I guess.
I'm sorry edfou5. Take care and love from NYC in the USA. Be good to yourself.
@@Chuncks01 Both were horrible. I was born in 80 on the day John Lennon was killed. 9/11 shaped my modern world, but I can empathize with these historic events.
Remarkable contributions....nothing like this would get on the air today.
What a pleasure it is to hear intelligent conversation. Too bad you have to watch a ~50y old old show to hear it.
Sad but true.
Agree completely. The only ones who can bring us back to the way things were back then are the voters. Wake up, do your homework, stop listening to the talking heads, know the REAL facts, and go from there. Also, stop and take a deep breath. This country will survive no matter who wins an election. It may be unpleasant if the winner is not your candidate, but that’s the way life goes.
Oh, please.
Remember that night clearly. I was listening to the dodger game on radio because don Drysdale was pitching against the giants going for the record of scoreless innings. Then the unthinkable happened at the ambassador hotel. I cried that night, the country I loved changed, one year later I was in southeast Asia as a member of the U S Navy
bo brand Thank you for your post and your service.
Thank you for your service and sacrifice.
Gavin James
After watching such a sad upload, you made me smile. 🙂
I was 9. Our mother had to wake her children, myself and my 11-year-old sister, to tell us that the pain we had lived through four and one-half years earlier when our president was killed was back. She told us directly. She knew it was the only way.
Good for you, asshole. How many innocent people did you help kill?
On this day Elvis was doing his 4th day of rehearsals for the '68 Comeback Special. He was devastated by the death of RFK, and 2 months prior, of MLK. And his closing number for that show --- "If I Can Dream" --- commemorated the values that both men represented.
I cant think of a more important program to reveal itself on youtube. Time and generations can find commonality here.
J Paeno Very well said
@@bigpeeler in fact thats what i thought, as germany - the country i ive in - is being hit with a wave of right wing violence at this very moment. germany and the us are indeed hard to compare, but its clear to me, what is a big threat to violent movements and the only way to break them down - real leadership. the us gave light to many of them and many had to pay with there lifes. looking at germany, there havent been any since the 60s
I wholeheartedly agree.
Interesting to see the guests having their say , giving their thoughts and views without continually being interrupted by the host.Todays shows should take note.
People were shocked that the killings involved several public figures in a short time.
Not like today where it's mostly random high schools, nowhere events, and blacks in the ghettos.
PreferredCustomer Two days before RFK was hit in L.A, Warhol was shot in NYC.
@@PreferredCustomer Any kind of violence is shocking
Yes, I concur.
The definition of Quality.
We need more of this now. The 24/7 news cycle, the constant influx of bad news from all over the world, it’s not good for people. We need to slow down and discuss with each other and try to understand.
Robert Vaughn: I was impressed with his talk, somewhat eerie with today's politics of 2020
@A E And he was exactly right!
@@moow950 Whereas Oswald was on the extreme left. Neither side can claim any moral high ground.
@@johntomlinson6849 If you want to believe that Oswald assassinated JFK, but you are so right that nothing can change until the US citizens come together.
Dick Cavett is the epitome of class. Why can't we return to this this type of programming? America needs you Dick Cavett!!!
Robert Vaughn looks absolutely devastated. A time when people were fiercely more articulate and educated - or when the articulate and educated where given time on air and not just a sound grab. If you are interested in this type of commentary and discourse watch the James Balwin and William F Buckley debate on youtube. These were difficult times in America and they have certainly returned, sadly.
Vaughn was also full of crap. He blamed the political violence of the 60's as "rightwing" in origin. Oswald was a Marxist. Sirhan Sirhan was a Palestinian whacko with ABSOLUTELY NO TIES to Conservative or rightwing politics. Whoever killed MLK (and it was probably the nut James Earl Ray) succeeded only in making a martyr of him. There was no identifiable Conservative group or person involved with him or advocating King's assassination. Militants in the Black community had as much if not more of a motive to kill MLK. Furthermore, the violence of the Left (like today's Antifa and BLM ) dwarfed anything coming from "The Right". From people who get assaulted for wearing Trump hats to cities burning all over the US its the Left that is the predominant source of political violence. Don't even try to bring up the Jan 6 "riot". That was so overblown its absurd. The Communist Left is always committing the vast majority of political violence and justifying it by saying White people are racist and the Capitalism is unfair.
@@mikewynne7131 , uh, Mike, I'm Southern, white, remember segregation, and I am not a racist.
@@mikewynne7131 Your ignorance is staggering. You must be a fascist troll. Good for you. Your dear leader Drumph must be so proud of you.
Robert Vaughn was a personal friend of Robert Kennedy. I've seen pictures of both of them and their families taking vacations together, I believe they were taken a few months before he RFK was killed.
@@GeeBee909 Thank you. That's very interesting and equally sad. Regarding Dick Cavetts show, I think the nature of discourse and the ability to truly articulate your beliefs started to shift when more and more adults started to use the word "scary" when describing trauma or a traumatic event. Scary is a cartoon. Scary is a Halloween party. Scary is not 9/11. Scary is not the attack on the Capitol. It is such an interesting clip to see the levels of discussion.
Wish we had more talk shows like this on tv nowadays
The only thing I could think that comes even half way close to this is The Hill’s Rising.
You are not alone.
How deeply sad. I had forgotten how much this affected those who still had hope.
There is no hope. If humans arent the cause of what kills us, the Earth itself now will be.
Just get as much as you can while the getting is good.
It must have been a sickening feeling to have lived in the US in 1968.
@@Phineas1626 It was the first time that I seriously considered that there might be a conspiracy.
@@fazbell I hope it was the last.
Conspiracy theories have done nothing but help turn this nation back to the dark ages.
Sending love to you Fred. Take care. From NYC in the USA.
One of the only major differences between now and 1968: America's psychological corrosion has long since outweighed its health.
I was 10 at the time and remember feeling sick to my stomach about RFK’s assassination.
@TheClassicalSymphony I don’t think so. I am 15 now and 5 years ago was around the time my grandmother passed, I was well aware of what that meant and I was saddened by it myself.
I know Robert Vaughn from my childhood. Even so, I didn't know that he was so well-spoken. He seems to have been a particularly intelligent articulate actor.
Most actors were back then I've noticed
Yes and no. He rehashes a lot of the bleeding heart leftist talking points you hear today, that are fundamentally incorrect. (Blamibg race for everything, all guns are bad, etc.)
Still, I give him credit for being civil and at least trying to think up ways to stop wars and hatred.
@@PreferredCustomer This is and has always been a racist country. Laws have helped, and some hearts have been changed. But it’s still racist.
Bleeding heart? You really are a stupid gun nut.
Two years after this, he earned a doctorate in communications from Southern Cal.
Dr David Abrahamsen was way ahead of his time
He gave me the chills. Every word he said would be precise today!
“What is wrong with our country is not its basic health, but its way of life...”
Now is both
@@code-52 Since we were both quoting something that was said in the video I don't think it's amazing or even a coincidence, but what do I know about anything?
@@jamiej.tilleyphotographyar5177 No coincidence at all dear.
Unfortunately I didn't listen to the whole video so I didn't realize that was a quote.
@@code-52 No worries, I've been there too.
Over fifty years ago, yet the words sound eerily familiar to those of today, with references to a “sick” country and the mention of gun deaths in the U. S., relative to those in England.
I’m not making a political statement here, I’m just pointing out the similarities.
Political statement or otherwise, you raise an interesting point. We have failed to grow as a nation in many respects.
The same things have been wrong with this country for 50 years.
Only the numbers have increased.
Respect/Walk Yeah, sure. That’s what’s the problem
Much longer than 50 years
@@ClintScottFischer Indeed.
what's truly astonishing is this was taped the same day he was murdered.
no sorry
Robert F. Kennedy was shot but died the next day.
I like the way these men on the panel are very honest, mature and no egos, and nobody is disrespecting one another by interrupting the person because of a disagreement, i miss intellectual shows like this
These educated gentleman are speaking so clear that children can understand. Mr. Abrahamson hits the nail on the head. And this is 1968!
Always liked Robert Vaughn. He was a class guy who knew what he talked about and just said it like it was. I also miss quality talkshows like this, where each night was a 60-90min salon of ideas..
This was a very, very sad time in our household. The Kennedys were held in very high regard in our family.
RFK is my biggest hero outside of my own family... Then JFK
RFK
I was ten years old that June night
In the shadow of a dark April
In the turmoil of 68.
I was a child
Looking, learning,
Reaching and grasping
In the chaotic confusion
Of tumultuous times.
Cronkite every night
In black and white,
Cities burning
Angry streets
And Vietnam violence.
Daily doses
Seeping in
Flooding the safety
Of my living room.
Yet in the midst of uncertainty
I saw the hope in his eyes
Those blue blue eyes
Gleaming brightly
Like a lighthouse
On a dark ocean night.
I was a child
He was my idol,
A suit with unruly hair,
A scrapper, a subtle rebel,
A rich man with the guts
To walk in the ghetto.
A Senator with the strength
To hold hands with migrants,
A brother with the courage
To face the danger
He knew was there.
It was too late for me
To stay up that night
(I was a child),
But the next day as usual
I went to the corner store
To pick up the morning paper
For my grandfather.
I ran and skipped and jumped
With youthful joy
Running to get the news
The magnificent news
Of California, of great victory
And greater to come
Chanting a song for Bobby
I'd heard the day before:
"Nothing can stand in our way
All the way with RFK."
I walked home slowly
Carrying the Boston Globe
A dime's worth of print
Puncturing my soul.
I sat alone on the back doorsteps
Sobbing, clutching for answers
That can never be found.
I prayed with a fervor
But in two days he was gone.
The pedestal of idealism
Crashed all around me
Slaughtering the innocence
Of a childhood world
Where righteous heroes rule,
The resurrection of Camelot
Stillborn and swallowed
By the cold reality of a steel bullet.
I love how people used to discuss. So articulate, polite, respectful.
What a consummate interviewer Dick Cavett is. He allows himself to fade into the background and lets his guests talk. And what calibre of guests too! I was too young to see this when it aired but I'm glad TH-cam gives me the chance to see it now.
You can still get this level of conversation, intelligence and class - just not on TV.
I was a grade school student when President Kennedy was assassinated, and when Robert Kennedy and Dr. King were assassinated, I felt the world would never be a safe place to live in. This trauma still resides within me however the words and wisdom of these panelists remind me of the importance of hope and actions to fight hatred still.
Incredible, intelligent discussion that completely illuminated the despair, the anger and disgust. "I really think the time has come for every single American citizen to make sure that the assassin's bullet doesn't shoot down with the man the thing that the man stood for and that we all must stand for if our nation is going to survive." The constant conversation of a sick violent America being allowed to dominate over a healthy and just one. How horrific that all these years later and we are still having these debates - America gets older but rarely evolves or at least enough that she lives up to her ideals.
Excellent discussion. Thank you so much for featuring. Would love to see/hear the rest of it.
Byron Gordon - Cool image; I’m actually from the town in Greece where Byron died. Requiescat In Pace.
Im listening to this and cant help but close my eyes and hear these same words still being spoken today in 2021. It seems as if nothing in this country has really changed as I think of all thats going on now. Ppl really need to hear this and ask ourselves its time we rethink and finally change. There must be change and then start doing it so we can finally stop this replaying of these words and become a better future for all that follow us.
When they used to talk on talk shows.
Samuel Feynman Tribute page 👍
I used to believe there was a better America back in this time. I no longer believe it. We are seeing the beginning of our country’s end as we know it.
I came to this country in 1967 as an au pair from Denmark, to Westport Ct, where I was still living when RFK was shot, it was a shock, I was 18 and living in Denmark when JFK was shot, I admired them both. 1968 was a pivotal year, much happened, the assassinations, war in Vietnam, the democratic convention in Chicago.. I have seen mucb in all those years since. I do think it was a better time, we had hero's we could look up to, who inspired us, even if they kept getting assassinated, as Tom Hayden said "We became a generation of what might have been". The country was divided for certain, but you had show like Dick Cavett's that provided intelligent discussion, you had protest in the streets and protest music, thinks were happening. Now it seems like everyone just stick to their tribe and are not interested in hearing other opinions, and worst of all we have a President that is not in any way trying to bring the country together, in fact he is doing whatever he can to divide us, and that is just one of my complaint about him, but I won't go into that. RFK could talk in a compassionate way that made black and white listen to him, MLK gave speeches that both black and white listened to, and was moved by, I don't see this happening today. We need someone, who has courage who is not too tied to one ideology, who has compassion and charisma to get some of that back. I don't really care if he is liberal or conservative (for the record I mostly liberal, probably more to the center than left) as long as he has vision, I don't really see any public figure on the national scene that has that. That said I very much hope come 2020 Trump will be voted out of office. If not I will for the first time since I came here in 1967 be really afraid for my adopted country.
Dion DiMucc wrote this final verse:
has anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walking up over the hill?
with Abraham, Martin, and John?
Today is 2/13/21
"There is no tradition in the United States. Only money and power." It has always been this way.
Sadly, yes. And today under the Trump administration it's even worse. The money worshipping republicans just want $$$$ and the power they hold because of money. They buy our elections and the Supreme Court endorses by approving of Citizens United. Shame on all of them.
I was 26 years old, living in Manhattan when I heard the news of the death of RFK. The day of his memorial at
Saint Patrick's Cathedral in NYC I walked to the church and stood outside with the crowd. Somber and tear filled we mourned the loss of a friend. A man who held a promise that things would get better, that we could look forward now and heal from the pain & loss of JFK and MLK. But no, one more assassination of a beloved leader...The continuation of the Vietnam war, then Nixon, then Watergate & Nixon's resignation. And now we have Trump, reviled, despised...adored & revered by the American people. And now we have a president Impeached for Life and a cowardly republican senate who will acquit Trump because they fear for their jobs and they fear the loss of contributions $$$$$ to their campaign for reelection. It's a sad day indeed.
Name a country, time, and place where it hasn't?
@tinwoods I'm sorry you don't like his quote. But name a time when it hasn't been true.
If I was famous, Dick Cavett would be the man I would have loved to be interviewed by!
⭐
ROBERT VAUGHN (THE "MAN FROM UNCLE") WAS A CLOSE FRIEND OF BOBBY KENNEDY. HE MADE THOSE WHO WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE IN HIS PRESENCE SOMEHOW BETTER. LOOK AT THE DISPAIR ON HIS FACE..ALL OF OUR HOPE THAT BOBBY WOULD BRING BACK THE IDEALISM OF HIS BROTHER JOHN VIA A NEW KENNEDY ADMINISTRATION WAS SNATCHED AWAY FROM US BY THE SAME POWER GROUP THAT KILLED HIS BROTHER.
I could not have said it better !! You are absolutely correct. Best Robert NYC.
@@liammcgowan6651 Yep!
Fair enough, but why are you yelling?
@@fifthbusiness1678 Is this better?
All caps = screaming in online communication.
Back when decency, decorum and a collective sense of respect was still a part of American public discourse.
Well put.
How did we go from this to Don Lemon and Anderson Cooper ? Or Jimmy Kimmel
It's amazing how this was broadcast almost sixty years ago. But still speaks to the malaise that is endemic in American society today. It's almost like it's holding up a mirror. But I still like to think like these fine gentlemen. That there is still hope for America.
Thank you for posting this, ive been wanting to see this in its entirety for awhile. Can we get the sitdown debate with Bobby and McCarthy.
Everyone seems to be so intelligent
5 VERY VERY VERY COMPASSIONATE & VERY VERY VERY WISE MEN!!!
"I really don't worry that much about it, if some nut job is going to knock me off like Kennedy what can i do about it? It doesn't bother me at all really"- John Lennon 1968
Sad to be watching this show, and a third of the way in, comes a 5-second upcoming movie clip featuring people firing guns. Way to go, TH-cam...
I would like to see guns banned from all movies! The Hollywood elite are vehemently anti-gun so they should NEVER show them, PERIOD!
Commercials are catered to individuals. I didn't have that commercial myself but rather one for autoparts. Ya outed yourself.
I've come to realize that America has only "progressed" technologically...in every other aspect, be it socially, culturally, politically and humanely, we are a regressive country.
That’s laughably wrong. While there are many further steps that our country needs to make, we are absolutely not regressing. The treatment of women, POC, LGBTQ+, etc., are dramatically better than they were in 1968.
Yes, I understand your statement based on the current political climate, but progress is not linear. It has ebbs and flows, but even in our current ebb, it’s far superior than what was experienced in 1968.
@@revjim77 "The treatment of women, POC, LGBTQ+, etc., are dramatically better than they were in 1968." Ideas and beliefs precede treatment; in fact, treatment is an expression of ideas (from the crude to the sophisticated). On that score, the U.S. remains defiantly regressive: women can have real careers, but the drive to repeal Roe v. Wade has been unrelenting since 1973; African Americans today are thankfully spared the risk of public lynching, but racial profiling and abuse by law enforcement has become pernicious and ingrained in practice. It's the old story of the way prejudices survive by mutating and re-emerging in camouflaged form.
George deMan “definitely regressive...” compared to what? If you’re comparing it to 1973 you are insane.
@@revjim77 I am not insane, I just have a working brain and a good working knowledge of U.S. history. I also watch the news, and a country that can elect (and consider re-electing Donald Trump as President) is both regressive AND insane.
completely disagree the "white" western world countries have developed and evolved remarkably, compare this to certain African or middle eastern countries who are still in the dark ages , no country or continent is perfect,
ps. there is a reason why there is mass immigration to North America and Europe, because they have incredible standards of living
I was 14 when it happened and was watching it in real-time with my mom. I am also amazed at the "fallen level of public discourse" lamented upon by the previous poster. If only there was another Dick Cavett-type pundit around today that could make sense of all the chaos around us. The ones we have now are either stand-up comedians, liberal or right-wing journalists, or flat-out demagogues. Now as I recall, not many took Dick Cavett seriously back then, but time has borne out the worth of his voice to the national narrative. When I see credence lent to these voices from the past, I have hope for the present. Not a lot, but some. We have got to find some common ground soon, or...
Comedians like Jimmy Kimmel (who initially shunned politics in favour of lighthearted comedy) has found himself pushed in the direction of politics since his son's near-death experience - an experience that likely would have ended differently had Kimmel not been rich. Comedians such as Kimmel and Seth Meyers (and before them, Jon Stewart) seem to have felt a certain responsibility to use their platform to activate their audience rather than allowing their comedy to aneasthetise the masses to what's happening in the world.
@@TheHouseOfMahoe Joe's cool, but he doesn't let people talk without interrupting like you see here.
His kids watched it in real time too. It really messed some of them up. David overdosing comes to mind.
This message is for the channel program director...
Please change the celebratory “outro” for this video. It was solemn and poignant and then APPLAUSE/MUSIC! Check that just for this video.
Thanks for posting. This is helpful today. We could use a Nixon impeachment/resignation one as well.
Things have continued to slide in every direction for America and the World since1968.
An intelligent discussion among intelligent people.
It was interesting to hear the one gentleman saying "We are living in 1968.." suggesting that by now we should have learned that gun violence has become a significant problem. One can only imagine what this same gentleman would have thought of the mass shootings that have happened over the past twenty years, not the least of which were in Sandy Hook and in Las Vegas.
Back then it took guts to March up and attack a visible, protected figure like Robert Kennedy.
Today's killers are gutless cowards. They go after the helpless and vulnerable like schools and churches.
No Courage. No manhood.
@@PreferredCustomer
I think I understand your point, at least to some extent.
However, let's remember that the assassinations of the sixties were most often carried out from a distance with rifles, therefore there were few occasions (RFK being an exception) where the killer shot his victim at close range.
My point was that by 1968, mass shootings of strangers were still incredibly rare.
..@3:08, and onward....’we’re in a climate of violence’, etc....wondering how long it’s going to ‘go on’...52 years and a few weeks later, nothing’s changed for the better....
Viewing this panel of decades ago, it is refreshing to listen to a small assembly of persons [sans any female representation], who are civil, multi-syllabic, and need not break chairs over each others' heads a la Springer/Povich style talk shows. At age twelve, I remember vividly the JFK assissination and what it did forever to change our country. But the subsequent muders made it feel as though nothing would ever be possible again, having fallen away from the potential of Hope.
George Carlin was right: this country is finished.
We've been finished for decades now.
Which makes us...what?
Respect/Walk , Obama set our country back 50 years ....
teppolundgren , who are you calling YANK filth??? I was born and raised in the states, but all of my ancestors were from a England, Ireland, and Scotland....... btw, I happen to love America !!!
@@candicegerman9793 explain?
Robert Vaughn did an excellent special tv show entitled JFK's Lost Pathway to Peace. It us extremely hard to find. I taped it off of the History Channel in 1991 or so. It preserves an important part of the historical record. Vaughn was no just an actor.
I throughly enjoyed the concise explanation of America’s lack of “being” (as one will) described by/for within aprx. the 14:23 timecode).
🧿💌📺‼️
Great expectations was the DickCavett Show.
Dick Cavett was the best American talk show host
Though the level of discourse here is far beyond me, I did not fail to notice that each of the participants in this interview appears:
1) well-scrubbed; 2) combed; 3) shaven; 4) neatly attired; 5) free of tattoos, piercings, and other forms of self-mutilation; 6) polished; 7) well-mannered; 8) patient; 9) focused; 10) restrained; 11) well-composed; 12) dignified; 13) fluent in a well-enunciated, cadenced, and intelligible English - all of which observations lead to the conclusion that they must not ever have heard of ‘reality’ TV shows, ‘social media’, and ‘West Coast Rap’...
Integrity and class.
Dr Abrahams nailed it. His description of U.S. society and its stratification combined with guns is exactly why so many murders and assassinations occur. Still valid today.
I agree. I'll play devil's advocate and momentarily take both sides, for the sake of equality. Instead of gun control, we should have SELF control. However, that is not possible, with hot headed thugs who think that having an almighty gun is the cure to the ills of society. Bearing that, I happen to be against the public ownership of firearms. Why? I would rather have them in the hands of authorities. The NRA, which truly stands for No Rationalizing Allowed, is filled with the thugs I have mentioned. This segment of his program is well above the standard low key, often uninteresting, interviews for which Cavett is noted.
I remember seeing the interview done with Bobby Kennedy after John was gone
Such a good program. Intelligence, reasoned exchange of feelings and ideas. Our society has the ability to learn from history. I feel we have failed to do so. Just cast your mind to the present level of the "whatever" of our present Whitehouse. Good grief!
3:30 Thank heavens the guns and leadership issues have been sorted out.
I grew up watching Mr, Cavett, I miss his show....thank you TH-cam.
Incredible
The mentality of Wild West thrills is something I have always believed is a great influence in present-day attitudes among many Americans, coupled with stalwart independence and lawlessness. It is reflected here beautifully and still holds today.
Dr Abrahamsen could make that speech today and it would still be true.
It's only gotten worse.
100%!
four men of immense integrity
The late great Robert Vaughn looks crushed with utter grief, yet he is able to discuss the terrible
events of Robert Kennedy's assassination with complete eloquence.
The violence within American society hasn't changed in 52 years, since the original broadcast of this
programme.
Except he blamed it on the conservative right, he was a leftist palestinian and Lee Harvey Oswald was a Communist, another lefty
@@bigbrianusa Not all Palestinians are "lefties," they're just as likely to be nationalistic religious conservatives. If you know of any "leftist" sentiment ever expressed by Sirhan, furnish the quote rather than talking out your ass.
@@johndowns3839 Spot on.
Btw, the assassin of MLK had links with the
extreme far-right, so Robert Vaughn's observation was perfectly in tune with the mindset of that violent period in American history.
That's because He's an actor.
@@bigbrianusa if you believe Oswald was an actual communist and not an agent provocateur then you’ve missed 60 years of research
The best overall TV host ever
Fascinating! Is there a Part 2 to this discussion?
Talking about American gun violence in contrast to other European countries, the power of the NRA, and right wing extremists being a threat to society. Is this 1968 or 2020?
Robert Vaughn was hugely popular in the UK.
For most Americans, I consider that Dick Cavett was an odd choice for a talk show host; simply because those who came before were primarily comedians, but Mr. Cavett was more cerebral. One fact that I always found fascinating about his life was a chance meeting in 1951 with future talk show host Johnny Carson who was doing a magic act at a church in Lincoln, Nebraska, as both men were magicians and attending the International Brotherhood of Magicians and, met, by fate. I was born in 1961 and began watching Dick Cavett in the turbulent and confusing 1960s. I found his demeanor both welcoming and distinctive; compared to the other talk show hosts of the era, Mr. Cavett was in a league all his own. Thankfully, Mr. Cavett is still with us; I hope we don't take him for granted.
Todays talks shows in the US are more like propaganda shows then healthy discussion
1968 was an absolutely insane year! I remember the cavalcade of madness that unfolded that year, as a 14-year-old growing up near DC. For a look at 1968 in review by Life Magazine, go to Google (in the Books search window) and key in Life magazine January 10, 1969. That issue lays it all out & it titled Life Magazine The Incredible Year 1968 Special Issue. Each month brought some new outrage, here & abroad. It's a wonder we survived it, but we did, though I'm not so sure we learned anything from the experience.
I was almost 14 when RFK was murdered, just finishing 8th grade in Western New York. I was an ardent newspaper reader and watched TV news each evening. I was very politically aware. Sitting here today, it's clear to me that 1968 was the worst year I have lived through. Not only were MLK and RFK assassinated, but the Vietnam War was raging and civil rights was still being fought out in the streets. The Democratic convention was yet to happen. And then Nixon was elected in a close popular vote. As divided as the nation is today, as bad as the current administration is, 1968 is far worse.
@@mikephalen3162 do you think 2020 passed 1968 on the bad year scale? I wasn’t around in ‘68, but from what I’ve read, I have thought it was the worst year in American history since the Civil War. But after 2020, I’m tempted to say that was worse, but again I wasn’t around in ‘68. What do you think?
@@relievedbigfoot4640 Its been bad for sure, but there havent been political assassinations happening yet. So far so good...
Too bad current programming doesn't employ the sobriety of yesteryear. Much deeper conversations worth having. Today? blah blah blah
This is so relevant today
It is so sad to learn that affluent people were talking about the need for gun reform over 50 years ago and it still hasnt happened.
Same discussions when Lennon was shot. Same when the school shootings occurred. It will never happen in the lifetime of anyone alive today.
@@624radicalham There is hope. The NRA is struggling, and presidential candidates like Bernie Sanders are not only planning to introduce the gun reforms that close to 90% of Americans support, but also to stop the lobbyists such as the NRA who effectively buy politicians.
NewhamMatt 90%!? That’s delusional.
@@katiep6752 The most basic reforms (universal background checks and closing the gun show loophole) are almost universally supported by Democrats and Republicans alike. The only people who, as a rule, donations support it, are the NRA, who've bought off the Republicans in the Senate (especially Mitch McConnell).
NewhamMatt universal background checks have been in place for years that includes the gun shows. What you need to understand is those who were assassinated were done so by their own government.
I did not know that Mr Robert Vaughn was close with the Kennedys. You learn something every day.