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"The only agenda of Skull and Bones is to get its members into positions of power and then to have those members hire others to positions of prominence. The organization has an enormous superiority complex that partly fuels their secrecy," said Alexandra Robbins, author of "Secrets of the Tomb: Skull and Bones, the Ivy League, and the Hidden Paths of Power." [Bob Dart, "Bonesman vs. Bonesman Yalies Bush, Kerry share secrets" - The Atlanta Journal and Constitution - 03-07-2004]
When I was an undergrad at Yale in the 1950s I lived and worked (as editor of the student paper) a few hundred feet from both Skull and Bones and DKE (the notorious frat of which the current Bush was president). The Yale (secretive) senior societies are (because of their secretiveness) probably taken far too seriously as a source of political dominance in this country. It is true that a number of their graduates go into government and other positions of power. This should not be surprising, as the 15 that each selects each year are taken because of their particular positions as campus activists of one sort or another.
I was, as editor of the student paper, an automatic candidates for S&B and turned them down -- for me that was William Buckley country. He was known to haunt the place, trying to enlist undergrads to his right wing causes.
The present Bush would have made it only because he was the son of an alum of the outfit and because, despite his meager talents for anything but cheer leading (which he did), he was a past master at learning names and shaking hands -- you will note his buddy/buddy approach to foreign policy.
The frat that Bush II chose to court was the most notorious gang rape hang out of jocks on campus. I editorialized in my day against one of their horrendous traditions called "Pig Night" in which they would send pledges out to find the ugliest New Haven high school girls they could find to invite to a big Yale party -- at midnight amidst the flowing booze these poor kids would be informed why they had really been invited to a big Yale party. It was one of the cruelest things that I saw there -- and there were some pretty bad things in those days -- a campus divided between the wealthy and those of us on scholarships. I hated the frats and editorialized against them and was threatened by the president of the university with being expelled for doing so -- I was blowing the cover on their illegal drinks for minors and that was considered, as well as blowing the cover on the anti-Semitic admissions quotas, to be a 'betrayal' of Yale. Happily my blowing some of these lids away made a difference and Yale ended its biased admissions -- except for the dumb sons of wealthy alums -- and actually led the Ivies and Seven Sisters in opening the doors to minority students. David Gonzalez of the NY Times would presumably be one of those. My own roommate from Nigeria who went on to become a brilliant doctor and reseacher in his field was one of 3 of African roots in my class of 1,000. And he made it undoubtedly because he was the son of a Nigerian 'king'.
But don't worry too much about Kerry having been a member of the 'tomb' as these things were called (no windows, only a front door and delivery entrance in back). It probably steered him into military service, but his opposition to the war thereafter probably more accurately represents the real person.
And remember, Colin Powell, who could have been president, had he so chosen, was a grad of CCNY (CUNY).
P.S. While at Yale I edited a volume entitled "Wall Street '55" designed to draw grads there -- most were not interested -- wanted to do more constructive things. I also editorialized against the pursuit of wealth there. Most -- not all of my Yale friends -- ended up doing good things. Our class poet, now running as a right-wing conservative for a small political office near Harvard, ended his class poem, "Yale men do well. May some do good." He has published now 54 or more books of poetry and did a hatchet job novel on Jane Fonda. Yes, the Ivies do draw talented people. Some are nice and some are horrid. But that is scarcely the only or even best place to get an education. Brooklyn College, CUNY, where I teach was rated by Princeton Review this year as the 3rd best bargain for an education of 500 examine after U. of No. Car. (Chapel Hill) and Amherst). My recent students have included a Rhodes Scholar, one of the Beincke fellowship winners this past year (20 awarded nationally) -- the very best. As my field is philosophy of law, I am sending them off to the best law schools. We have a national reputation for excellence in teaching and as a port of entry college get extraordinarily talented kids whose parents have brought them to this country, often at great sacrifice of previous professional careers. -- "A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy) -- Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CollegeConversation http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PeaceEfforts http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EndingPoverty
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