WiNK

Secret Within a Secret

The Brotherhood of Death, more commonly known as the Skull and Bones Society, is one of the oldest and most powerful secret societies in the US. Founded at Yale University in 1832 by Alphonso Taft (father of future US President and Bones member William Huntington Russell Taft), the Skull and Bones society has been embedded at Yale ever since, and is known to have power and influence in the US. Multiple politicians and acclaimed specialists have come from this society. In the late '60s, both 2004 presidential candidates George W Bush and John Kerry were admitted to the secret society. So, is it just a coincidence that all these powerful people are members of this society, or is there a deeper plot within the US behind this club, one that has the elements of a conspiracy?

From the beginning, the Skull and Bones secret society has been very exclusive, only admitting 15 undergraduates per year, all of who must be the highest pedigree of students. Admits must swear lifelong allegiance, and part of their fortunes, to the club. In return, the club supposedly guarantees lifelong wealth and prosperity. One reporter who attended Yale and researched the club commented on the club's mission: "the real purpose of which was, from its missionary beginnings, devoted to converting the idle progeny of the ruling class into morally serious leaders of the establishment."" The mission of the club seems linked to maintaining the ruling class as the establishment, at least if one believes the rumors about why the logo of Skull and Crossbones contains the number 322; it refers to 322 BCE, "...when Athens lost the Lamian War and had to dissolve its democracy. A new, plutocratic government allowed only wealthy Athenians to remain citizens." Plutocracy is defined as government by the wealthy; thus, the 322 suggests that the Order's mission was to maintain the white, male wealthy establishment in high governmental and financial positions, including many Supreme Court Justices and leaders in the CIA.

Some younger members have attested that nothing nefarious happens during meetings, and minority, female and LGBTQ+ members are among the initiates these days. However, all the members of the society are sworn to secrecy, so it is possible that anything they say could be utter lies. And what is it that they are sworn to hide? Either they are a society that insures the wealth and power of their members in unfair ways, or, oppositely, they are not involved in anything powerful--they just hide their particular rituals and hazing methods. It is like Trump with his taxes--if he had openly revealed them, he could have proven that he has nothing to hide, but in keeping them secret, he built suspicion of illegal activity. So is it a club enjoying simple frat boy rituals, or one which wields world domination? Apparently, we'll never know.