Wednesday, Aug. 06, 2003 - 1:21 p.m.

#1 Summer Jam

#1 Summer Jam

Anarchy Man showed me this really neat article about a fascinating character named Karl Hess.

So I've been reading a book on conspiracy theory. I normally avoid that kind of stuff because it might not be true, or if it is true, I'm too lazy to research the sources to determine if the cited facts are accurate. And then there's the fact that the currently public, out-in-the-open conspiracies are quite daunting enough without looking for secret conspiracies in addition. Most of all, I avoid conspriacy theories because it would probably be too depressing and make me believe I'm powerless against the great forces of evil.

But then, some conspiracy theories are pretty plausible. It seems to be generally accepted nowadays that there was a conspiracy behind the Kennedy assasination. And there are so many holes in the official story, so many incongruous facts, and so many unanswered questions about September 11, 2001, that it would now seem to me far more fantastical if there wasn't complicity within the U.S. government.

While I'm highly resistent to spending any of my precious life on conspiracy theories, I feel an opposite attraction to them because if they are true, oughtn't I inform myself? So the book I'm reading, The Naked Capitalist: A review and commentary on Dr. Carroll Quigley's book TRAGEDY AND HOPE by W. Cleon Skousen (1970), is, I think, among the more plausible conspiracy theories. The gist of it is that rich international banking dynasties are trying to take over the world, and they're succeeding rather well in that endeavor. How likely is that? I'd have a harder time believing that the ultra-rich aren't trying to do that. I mean, you don't get that rich unless you're a megalomaniac to begin with, and once you have that kind of power, how can you resist using it? And that's why I begrudgingly picked up this book. I figure that if such a scenario is pretty likely, it might help round out my sociopolitical analysis to check out some different views on what the cabal or cabals do, who the members are, what their aims are, and how to stop them.

The book's shocking premise is that this cabal of the ultra-rich has a program of supporting and underwriting Communism. Skousen actually makes a good case for this. I might even put some effort into researching his claims.

Here's a quote from page 1 that got my full attention:

"I think the Communist conspiracy is merely a branch of a much bigger conspiracy!"

The above statement was made to this reviewer several years ago by Dr. Bella Dodd, a former member of the National Committee of the U.S. Communist Party.

Perhaps this is an appropriate introduction to a review of Dr. Carroll Quigley's book Tragedy and Hope.

Dr. Dodd said she first became aware of some mysterious super-leadership right after World War II when the U.S. Communist Party had difficulty in getting instructions from Moscow on several vital matters requiring immediate attention. The American Communist hierarchy was told that any time they had an emergency of this kind they should contact any one of three designated persons at the Waldorf Towers. Dr. Dodd noted that whenever the Party obtained instructions from any of these three men, Moscow always ratified them.

What puzzled Dr. Dodd was the fact that not one of these three contacts was a Russian. Nor were any of them Communists. In fact, all three were extremely wealthy American capitalists!

Dr. Dodd said, "I would certainly like to find out who is really running things."

I don't feel like writing any more on this now. I'll probably add more later.

So here's another possible conspiracy: is there a connection between Bechdel and Bechtel?

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