Bohemian Club and the Power "Crisis"
by Don Eichelberger, Abalone Alliance Safe Energy Clearinghouse (July 2000)
In the midst of the California "power crisis" we are hearing alot of talk about taking another look at nuclear power as a solution to the "crisis". Let's take a look at what all of this could mean to the boys at Bohemian Grove.
When we look for power connections to Bohemian Grove all roads lead to the Bechtels. Stephen Bechtel Sr. joined the Bohemian Club in the company's early days. His son, Stephen Jr. continues to revel at the Groves summer encampments. Bechtel built the world's largest independently owned construction empire while hobnobbing with his pals at the exclusive Mandalay camp. Mandalay is the most prestigious camp in Bohemian Grove which is considered one of the most prestigious mens' gatherings on Earth. Mandalay includes many industrialists, including Henry Kaiser, builder of war ships, Leonard Firestone, Edmund W. Littlefield and many other corporate CEOs. It also includes ex CIA chief John McCone and major politicos such as Henry Kissinger, Gerald Ford and George Schultz and William French Smith.
Bechtel builds infrastructure such as roads, bridges and power plants including nuclear. No project is too big. After Bohemian George Bush (the senior) oversaw the destruction of Kuwait during the Gulf War it was Bechtel who won the contract to rebuild it. When Fellow Bohemian Frederick Mielke Jr., then CEO of PG&E Corporation ran into engineering problems in the final construction phase of Diable Canyon nuclear power plant, he ran to Bechtel to fix it and get it on line.
Bechtel will go anywhere to build anything for anyone. That is a company motto. With fellow Bohemian Donald Rumsfeld, now Secretary of Defense under George Bush the younger, pushing the old Star Wars missile defense (an idea originally floated at a Lakeside Talk at Bohemian Grove in the early 1980's) can Bechtel be far behind? They already have space experience having helped build part of the infrastructure for the space shuttle. Rumsfeld, by the way, is a campmate (Hillbillies) of George Sr. along with A.W. Clausen (past president of Bank of America and World Bank), William Buckley Jr. and sorry to say, America's most trusted man Walter Cronkite.
And given the current "energy crisis" Bechtel is cleaning up in the construction of new power generators all over the country as well as the world. With Bush the younger's administration pushing for more nuclear power, more pipelines and more oil refineries the Bechtel Corporation is situated to amass more billions for the family business.
Of course there are other Bohemians who cash in on bad ideas like space wars and nuclear power. Bankers and builders and bondsmen inhabit the redwood canopy of Bohemian Grove each summer. Despite the clubs admonition to the contrary, these men weave webs among themselves to keep the status quo in operation so they can make a bit more money while extending their economic stranglehold in a few more parts of the world.
Should we care that a few hundred of the most powerful men in the world get together every year in secret for a party in the redwoods? We think people should. We can look at the current globalization of corporations and homogenization of world cultures and wonder how it is all happening. But exposing the men personally who make the deals and build the mechanisms for holding onto their power is crucial to true understanding of how we can intercede on behalf of the common good to bring down that power structure.
Be realistic! Demand the impossible!!
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