Topic: Carl Oglesby

Carl Oglesby's framework of "Yankee" and "Cowboy" capitalism is used to explain the primary internal conflict within the American elite. The "Yankee" represents the Eastern establishment, multinational corporations, and a special relationship with Britain and Europe. In contrast, the "Cowboy" represents the entrepreneurial, frontier-oriented capitalism of the Sunbelt and the West, which often favors "America First" isolationism over globalism.

The American frontier served as a "social escape hatch" that allowed the United States to avoid the class conflicts seen in Europe by constantly expanding westward. This expansionist drive was fueled by the belief that land occupied by indigenous populations was "empty" and available for exploitation. The "Cowboy" capitalist thrives on this movement, requiring new territories or markets to maintain the social order.

Carl Oglesby theorizes that the assassinations of JFK, RFK, and MLK were "gunplay" resulting from the intense conflict between Yankee and Cowboy power factions. The 1960 election of Kennedy was viewed by the Cowboy/Nixonian faction as a "Yankee theft" involving the Chicago political machine. The subsequent violence of the decade is framed as a series of power moves and counter-moves to control the direction of the American government.