Conspiracy Theories: Bohemian Grove

The Bohemian Club was formed by bored San Francisco journalists in 1872 or 1873 (depending on the source) but soon became the preserve of the rich elite when they purchased a redwood forest in Northern California known as Bohemian Grove. This was the site of an annual camping get-together, where 2,000 exclusively male business, political and media leaders came to relax, let their hair down and forget about their worries. ‘Camp’ is something of a euphemism as ‘Grovers’ hardly roughed it and the campsites were equipped with bars, hot tubs and the like. The club’s motto was ‘weaving spiders come not here’ (talking shop is banned).

What the Theorists Say:

Bohemian Grove attendees have included all the major Republican politicians of the last 80 years (including all US Presidents since 1923), together with Fortune’s top 500 business leaders, heads of global financial bodies, such as the World Bank, select foreign leaders and arch-conspiracy figures, such as Henry Kissinger. They urinate in the open, dress up in drag, fornicate with prostitutes and stage a pagan ritual where an effigy is sacrificed to a giant stone owl (Moloch); more extreme conspiracy theorists claim that the effigy is sometimes replaced by a real person. An article in a local community newspaper, Santa Rosa Sun, reported on human sacrifices of the Moloch Cult being practised at the Grove and in the mid 1980s there were rumours of murders in remote parts of the property. According to one witness who claims to have been an observer and near victim, the inner sanctum of the Grove contains an Underground Lounge, a Leather Room, a Dark Room and a Necrophilia Room.

More importantly, attendees lobby furiously, peddle influence, choose presidents and Supreme Court judges, decide where to launch wars and generally carve up the world. It was here that the Manhattan Project, which led to the development of the atom bomb, was conceived and it is here that big business cozies up to politics to arrange lucrative government contracts and determine spending priorities – for instance, starting wars from which the military-industrial complex can profit.

The Official Story?

The rituals are simply sub-Masonic play-acting. The effigy represents ‘Dull Care’, which is symbolically burned so a lot of stressed out men can enjoy a fortnight’s break with a bit of amateur dramatics. There are speeches on current topics of interest and there may be some networking but it is entirely harmless fun.

Should you be paranoid?

The weird antics at Bohemian Grove probably represent nothing more a chance for America’s elite to relive the summer camp frolics of their youth. But it is inherently undemocratic for the (exclusively male) American ruling class and the world to hobnob in secrecy with each other. For instance, George W Bush regularly hung out here with John O’Connor, husband of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who, as a woman, was not allowed attend the Grove but whose crucial vote won him the 2000 election. Other attendees have included most members of George W’s White House staff, including Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfield and Colin Powell. Equally suspicious is the remarkable reluctance of mainstream media to report on this bizarre convocation.