In this powerful episode of Ciphered Past, we are joined by John and Libby, the creators of the groundbreaking documentary series Four Died Trying, for a deep and unflinching conversation about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy—and why it still matters today.This discussion moves far beyond surface-level narratives. We examine JFK as a president actively seeking peace, particularly his back-channel communications with Nikita Khrushchev, and how those efforts placed him at odds with entrenched power structures inside the national security state.We explore historical patterns of CIA behavior in the Cold War era, drawing direct comparisons between the Kennedy assassination and earlier covert operations, including:The overthrow and murder of Patrice LumumbaThe assassination of the Diem brothers in VietnamU.S.-backed regime change operations in GuatemalaThese cases reveal a consistent pattern of intervention, destabilization, and silence—raising unavoidable questions about Dallas in 1963.The conversation also examines Lyndon B. Johnson’s role and influence, both before and after the assassination, and how the rapid policy reversals following JFK’s death reshaped Vietnam, domestic surveillance, and the trajectory of American power.We discuss why JFK’s murder still matters today, not as a historical curiosity, but as a turning point that helped normalize secrecy, unaccountable intelligence operations, and the suppression of dissent.This episode also connects the assassination era to broader social consequences:Malcolm X’s challenge to the establishment, media control, and manufactured narrativesMartin Luther King Jr.’s historic speech condemning the Vietnam War, and the price of speaking against militarismThe role of the Vietnam War in opioid and heroin distribution, and how returning soldiers brought addiction homeHow entire American neighborhoods deteriorated into ghettos, fueled by war economics, drugs, and neglectWe ask uncomfortable questions:Are we conditioned not to care?Has critical thinking been deliberately suppressed?Why does overwhelming evidence challenging the lone-gunman narrative remain marginalized?The episode lays out the substantial evidence suggesting Lee Harvey Oswald did not kill President Kennedy, while also examining the psychological, political, and institutional mechanisms that locked the official story into place.We also discuss Robert F. Kennedy’s internal investigation into his brother’s death—why it was conducted quietly, what it suggests about RFK’s beliefs, and why it ended the way it did.Personal dimensions are not ignored. We talk about Robert and Marguerite Oswald, their lives, contradictions, and the human cost of turning one man into the permanent villain of American history.Finally, John and Libby break down the Four Died Trying documentary series itself—why they made it, what the title means, and why figures like John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy are bound together by a shared struggle against entrenched power and a shared fate.This is not conspiracy for entertainment.This is history, context, pattern recognition, and moral reckoning.Watch & Learn More: Four Died TryingOfficial Websitehttps://www.fourdiedtrying.com/Watch on Apple TVhttps://tv.apple.com/us/movie/four-di...Watch on Amazon Prime Videohttps://www.primevideo.com/detail/Fou...Official Trailer (YouTube) • Four Died Trying: Prologue DisclaimerThis episode is presented for educational and discussion purposes only.The views expressed by the hosts and guests are based on historical research, declassified records, documented testimony, and critical analysis. Some interpretations discussed remain disputed. This program does not assert legal conclusions or definitive findings. Viewers are encouraged to consult primary sources and engage in independent research.