conspiracies

There's talk on the internets about E. Howard Hunt's new book, where he apparently tries to link LBJ with the assassination of JFK. Reading the comments, it's clear that, even after over 40 years, folks are still trying to draw connections contrary to the 'official' story.

This is proper, any time the Official Story contains elements that call for a leap of faith (the resurrection of Jesus comes to mind).

In that light, I am currently reading the granddaddy of all 9/11 Conspiracy books, Mike Ruppert's "Crossing the Rubicon." Dismissed as a kook by respected folks on the Left (like The Nation's David Corn), I am finding it hard to shrug off the main assertions:

1) The CIA and Wall Street are run by the same people, who have been operating drug-smuggling and money-laundering for years, to supplement their 'legitimate' businesses.

2) The Mafia has infiltrated the CIA (or is it the other way around)?

3) The Petroleum monopolies are running everything in the world, are totally aware of Peak Oil, and all US foreign policy can be understood from this perspective.

4) The People-In-Charge (hint: not Bush, although the Bush and BinLaden families are both totally enmeshed in the Power Elite) are aware that, in order for humans to continue to inhabit the Earth, 4 billion out of the current 6 billion of us must die.

5) Osama Bin Ladin is a CIA operative, and is carrying out his assignments perfectly.

6) The Brown and Root/Halliburton/Cheney/Texas-oil/LBJ/Bush/BinLadin/CIA/Mafia Axis of Evil has looted TRILLIONS of our dollars, and they want the rest, too.

7) The inevitable conclusion: 9/11 happened with the total collusion of the CIA (i.e. Cheney), and all the Insider trading in airline options immediately before the events shows that there was widespread foreknowledge of the attacks.

8) The Official 9/11 Commission report ranks with the Warren Commission in its degree of evidence suppression, distortion, and outright deception.


There's much, much more, of course - this is a very thick book, and I'm only half-way thru.

What to think? I've always believed that you judge the validity of any theory based on the number of previously-unexplained 'oddities' that it clearly explains.

From the perspective offered in this book, stuff that the Bush Administration does that makes you normally say "it doesn't make any sense" makes perfect sense.

From the perspective offered in this book, the Bush Administration is the MOST SUCCESSFUL in US history, in pursuing its goals. The problem, of course, is that its goals appear to be permanent war, permanent profits, permanent chaos, and lots and lots (billions would be great) of Dead People.

God Bless America.