Wake Up Sheeple!

[Henry]

Ordinary people can only guess at the goings-on at the meetings of the secretive Bilderberg Group, which is bringing together the world's financial and political elite this week. Conspiracy theories abound as to what is discussed and who is there. Why, asks Tom de Castella?

 

The belief in secret cabals running the world is a hardy perennial. And on Thursday perhaps the most controversial clandestine organisation of our times - the Bilderberg Group - is meeting behind closed doors.

 

In the manner of a James Bond plot, up to 150 leading politicians and business people are to gather in a ski resort in Switzerland for four days of discussion about the future of the world.

 

Previous attendees of the group, which meets once a year in a five-star hotel, are said to have included Bill Clinton, Prince Charles and Peter Mandelson, as well as dozens of company CEOs.

 

First meeting in 1954, the aim was to shore up US-European relations and prevent another world war. Now under the group's leadership of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and one-time EU vice president, Viscount Davignon, the aim is purportedly to allow Western elites to share ideas.

 

But conspiracy theorists have accused it of everything from deliberately engineering the credit crunch to planning to kill 80% of the world population. Longtime opponent and US radio host Alex Jones, heckled one meeting through a megaphone: "We know you are ruthless. We know you are evil. We respect your dark power."

 

Part of the reason for alarm is the group's secretive working methods. Names of attendees are not usually released before the conference, meetings are closed to the public and the media, and no press releases are issued.

 

The gnashing of teeth over Bilderberg is ridiculous, says Times columnist David Aaronovitch. "It's really an occasional supper club for the rich and powerful," he argues.

 

Denis Healey, co-founder of the group, told the journalist Jon Ronson in his book Them that people overlook the practical benefits of informal networking. "Bilderberg is the most useful international group I ever attended," he told him. "The confidentiality enabled people to speak honestly without fear of repercussions."

 

So why do groups like this cause so much alarm? Aaronovitch, who wrote the 2009 book Voodoo Histories, says plots to install a new world order have traditionally been a conspiracy fantasy. "They tend to believe that everything true, local and national is under threat from cosmopolitan, international forces often linked to financial capitalism and therefore, also often, to Jewish interests."

 

 

Former European Commissioner Viscount Davignon heads the Bilderberg Group Secret cabals extend beyond the Bilderberg Group. The Illuminati, which derives from a 16th Century Bavarian secret society, is alleged to be an all powerful secret society, including US presidents, that has controlled major world events. The Freemasons - famous for their peculiar handshakes - is a secret fraternity society that has become more open in recent years after extensive criticism.

 

The charter of Hamas - the Islamist party governing Gaza - asserts that the Freemasons are in league with the Jews and those unlikely bully boys - the Rotary Club - to undermine Palestine.

 

John Hamill, spokesman for freemasonry's governing body in England and Wales says the organisation is aware of Hamas's allegation.

 

"There's no truth in it, freemasonry is apolitical. It probably arises because one of our ceremonies is about the story of King Solomon's Temple. For some reason Islamic governments translate that into Zionism."

 

In fact, many conspiracy theories surrounding cabals hint at an anti-Semitic worldview. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion was a forged document, probably created by agents of Tsarist Russia, which appeared to show a Jewish plot to take over the world.

 

Despite being proved to be a fraud, the idea has been kept alive by anti-Semites and has spawned later versions. One of those, the Zionist Occupational Government, argues that countries have puppet governments but that the real power is held by Jewish interests.

 

More recently, former sports journalist David Icke has proclaimed that the world is governed by alien, reptilian shape shifters. In other words, giant lizards.

 

There is obviously no right-wing monopoly on conspiracy theories. During the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Hilary Clinton blamed a "vast right-wing conspiracy" for her husband's predicament. And more recently, some on the left have argued that the 9/11 attacks were organised by President Bush's inner circle in order to invade Afghanistan and Iraq.

 

The politics of cabals has always been pretty muddled, says James McConnachie, co-author of the Rough Guide to Conspiracy Theories. These groups allow protesters to project their own fears onto them.

 

In the US, the most extreme fear over Bilderberg is of a hidden cabal run by the European Union and threatening American freedoms. In Europe, the view is often of a free market elite trying to push through a right-wing agenda.

 

"Conspiracy theories are quite blind to conventional notions of left and right," says McConnachie. "The left is organising an international government. Meanwhile, global capitalism on the right may be doing the same thing by different means."

 

For Aaronovitch what often triggers widespread cabal theories are moments of great upheaval.

 

"It happens a lot when times are changing significantly. Whether, oddly, they are changing for better as well as for the worse. Why did McCarthyism happen at the time when US economy was growing faster than at any time in history?"

 

Society was in flux, the economy expanding rapidly and millions of servicemen were coming back from the war.

 

It's not just the about social context. Some people are more susceptible than others to believing in wacky cabals, says Prof Chris French, of Goldsmith College's psychology department. "It's people who tend to be alienated by the mainstream, who feel powerless. They have a need to have a sense of control."

 

Not only do they not trust the government, they tend not to trust their neighbours either. And in the need for control, there may be links to the roots of religious belief, he says.

 

The conspiracy theorists may get overexcited but they have a point, says Prof Andrew Kakabadse, co-author of new book Bilderberg People.

 

The group has genuine power that far outranks the World Economic Forum, which meets in Davos, he argues. And with no transparency, it is easy to see why people are worried about its influence.

 

"It's much smarter than conspiracy," says Prof Kakabadse. "This is moulding the way people think so that it seems like there's no alternative to what is happening."

 

The agenda the group has is to bring together the political elites on both right and left, let them mix in relaxed, luxurious surroundings with business leaders, and let the ideas fizz.

 

It may seem like a glorified dinner party but that is to miss the point. "When you've been to enough dinner parties you see a theme emerging," he says. The theme at Bilderberg is to bolster a consensus around free market Western capitalism and its interests around the globe, he says.

 

"Is this all leading to the start of the ruling the world idea? In one sense yes. There's a very strong move to have a One World government in the mould of free market Western capitalism."

 

Degree of nefariousness

 

Conventional critiques of alienated people seeking order in a chaotic world may well be true. But there's more to it than that, McConnachie argues.

 

"The other explanation is more dangerous. That they are precisely right - they just over-egg the way they articulate it."

 

The Bilderberg Group matches up to how a global conspiracy would work - a secretive body attempting to shape the direction of the world, he suggests.

 

"The only difference is the degree of nefariousness," he says. "They tend to see this cabal as outright evil. When things are more nuanced than that."

 

For all the tales of lizards running the world, we all owe a debt to conspiracy theorists, McConnachie argues.

 

"Occasionally you have to give credit to conspiracy theorists who raise issues that the mainstream press has ignored. It's only recently that the media has picked up on the Bilderbergers. Would the media be running stories if there weren't these wild allegations flying around?"

 

But Aaronovitch disagrees. Believing in cabals leads to certain groups being victimised and obstructs a rational view of the world.

 

"To have a strong belief in the Bilderberg Group means believing in a fantasy," he says. "It suggests that there are people - like God - acting as a higher power. And it replaces the intolerable thought that there's nothing at work at all, that the world is chaotic. It may be a form of therapy but it has people believing in an anti-scientific message."

[Scarface]

tl;dr

[brownie]

Jon Ronson in his book Them

 

Great book.

 

The Bohemian Grove episode is interesting.

[tup]

The Men who Stare at Goats is also a good Ronson book.

 

The Philadelphia Experiment. Two big, f**koff electromagnetic coils on either side of a navy ship, to create a massive magnetic field, which apparently moved the ship some 12 miles up the coast to New York, after which some of the crew were fused to the side of the boat in horrific, never to be repeated scenes of scientific carnage.

 

Magic.

[Terrorfex]

The Men who Stare at Goats is also a good Ronson book.

 

The Philadelphia Experiment. Two big, f**koff electromagnetic coils on either side of a navy ship, to create a massive magnetic field, which apparently moved the ship some 12 miles up the coast to New York, after which some of the crew were fused to the side of the boat in horrific, never to be repeated scenes of scientific carnage.

 

Magic.

 

Which, patently, did not happen if one considers that such technology would have allowed the United States to utterly crush the Soviet Union and decisively win not only the Cold War that followed, but grant them the power to eliminate walking to the fridge as a prerequisite for obtaining food and or drink.

[tup]

Which, patently, did not happen if one considers that such technology would have allowed the United States to utterly crush the Soviet Union and decisively win not only the Cold War that followed, but grant them the power to eliminate walking to the fridge as a prerequisite for obtaining food and or drink.

 

Mebbes aye, mebbes naw.

 

Apparently, not all of the navy personnel were fused to the side of the boat. Some simply disappeared.

 

This was in 1943, USS Eldridge. The soldiers then reappeared in an office block in New Jersey in the early 80's, still in their gear from the 40's.

 

This inspired the smash hit movie 'Back to the Future' starring manchild Michael J Fox ( :tup: )

[Terrorfex]

Mebbes aye, mebbes naw.

 

Apparently, not all of the navy personnel were fused to the side of the boat. Some simply disappeared.

 

This was in 1943, USS Eldridge. The soldiers then reappeared in an office block in New Jersey in the early 80's, still in their gear from the 40's.

 

This inspired the smash hit movie 'Back to the Future' starring manchild Michael J Fox ( :tup: )

 

 

Frankly, that's a better take on the legend that most of the versions of the myth out there tell.

[tup]

Frankly, that's a better take on the legend that most of the versions of the myth out there tell.

 

It's based on a true story.

 

I read excerpts of it from a book entitled 'MASSIVE CONSPIRACIES!!!' that I bought for 20p in a charity shop, I coupled this with some stuff I made up on the spot ten minutes ago, and the legend was born.

[NorthernLights24]

Harcus, what was the point in posting the article? Do you believe that the Bilderberg Group control everything? I read it on the BBC website and hardly found it to be compelling evidence for the Bilderberg Group being some kind of one world government. I'm sure if you did a quick search you'd be able to find a large amount of wackos making that particular argument.

 

A few years ago I loved this kind of stuff and happily accepted what the conspiracy sites spouted. However the very last quote in your article probably best sums up what I think about it now...

 

"To have a strong belief in the Bilderberg Group means believing in a fantasy," he says. "It suggests that there are people - like God - acting as a higher power. And it replaces the intolerable thought that there's nothing at work at all, that the world is chaotic. It may be a form of therapy but it has people believing in an anti-scientific message."

[BrianFaePerth]

Whether the Bildeberger group is a bunch of lizardy alien types or jist an old-boys club, one thing is for sure, the US economy is utterly shagged, and we're all gonna feel the effects of it soon enough.

[tup]

Without too much recourse to Bilberberg, I'll say one thing.

 

Anyone who believes the world is genuinely governed by the smooth talking puppets we call our Prime Minister, and America call their President, needs their head examined.

 

Key decisions are made way outwith their jurisdiction, and they do as they're told, not as they or their peoples decide.

[BrianFaePerth]

Without too much recourse to Bilberberg, I'll say one thing.

 

Anyone who believes the world is genuinely governed by the smooth talking puppets we call our Prime Minister, and America call their President, needs their head examined.

 

Key decisions are made way outwith their jurisdiction, and they do as they're told, not as they or their peoples decide.

 

In addition, wi the world being as small as it is, who we vote for is not that important. Eh canna vote in China, but the chinks are having a huge influence on the krone in my pocket, more so than whatever half-erse coalition is voted in here.

[Henry]

Harcus, what was the point in posting the article?

 

No, I found it quite interesting. It was a gentle dig at rocket and tup, and their love of a conspiracy.

[tup]

The government used to call their pre-arranged stories, spoon fed to compliant media, 'spin'.

 

This is a posh way of saying 'lies'.

 

They had 'spin doctors'.

 

These folk could, in a more straight talking world, have been called 'lying c**ts'.

[Jonty]

No, I found it quite interesting. It was a gentle dig at rocket and tup, and their love of a conspiracy.

Haha, yup everything is a conspiracy, and those that can't see it are too blind or too stupid to realise.

[tup]

Haha, yup everything is a conspiracy, and those that can't see it are too blind or too stupid to realise.

 

Everything should be questioned.

 

Conspiracies happen, in micro, in workplaces up and down the country. Hence seemingly thick c**ts with no qualifications whatsoever land top paying posts. Why? Because their faither puts a word in.

 

Extrapolate that to a global scale, and it's fairly obvious that self interest rules the roost at the very highest levels, and philanthropy and global policing is a total myth, still perpetuated.

[tightbreeks]

I like the idea of the philadelphia experiment, i reckon it could be a goer. One of my favourite scary films, event horizon, is loosely based on all this.

[tup]

I like the idea of the philadelphia experiment, i reckon it could be a goer. One of my favourite scary films, event horizon, is loosely based on all this.

 

Contrary to their proclamations on the matter, the Yankee-doodle-dandies did indeed continue with such experiments after the horror show of the Eldridge.

 

So they may well have perfected 'cloaking' already.

[Terrorfex]

Surely though, if conspiracies are so well known of, and so widespread, they've long since ceased to be conspiracies and become "Worst-kept secrets". I thought the principle point of a conspiracy was that at all times it should remain absolutely secret ...

[Terrorfex]

Contrary to their proclamations on the matter, the Yankee-doodle-dandies did indeed continue with such experiments after the horror show of the Eldridge.

 

So they may well have perfected 'cloaking' already.

 

 

'Cept by all conventional thinking and science, any operational cloaking device would blind the "projecting" object every bit as much as any viewing object. In other words, while no-one else indeed might be able to see the 21st Century Klingon Bird of Prey, it wouldn't be able to see anyone else.

[tup]

Surely though, if conspiracies are so well known of, and so widespread, they've long since ceased to be conspiracies and become "Worst-kept secrets". I thought the principle point of a conspiracy was that at all times it should remain absolutely secret ...

 

Hence 'theory'.

 

However, the more furiously denied the so-called conspiracy, and the more senior the official in denial, the more chance it has of being very close to the truth.

 

We don't know the truth about anything that ever happened. Every story is 'sold' so to speak. Couched in terms.

 

Some are so obvious there's no room for argument, one thing is for sure, the true story is always buried if there are any unpalatable elements to it, which inevitably there will be.

[tup]

'Cept by all conventional thinking and science, any operational cloaking device would blind the "projecting" object every bit as much as any viewing object. In other words, while no-one else indeed might be able to see the 21st Century Klingon Bird of Prey, it wouldn't be able to see anyone else.

 

Understood.

 

However, if they were to blindside someone, and make a big f**koff warship appear right in the middle of the straits off Iran for instance, fire off an almighty salvo, then disappear again, and reappear back in Hawaii or some place, that would serve as a fairly handy outlet for settling disputes.

 

The only time they would need to 'see' is when they're letting rip.

[Terrorfex]

Hence 'theory'.

 

However, the more furiously denied the so-called conspiracy, and the more senior the official in denial, the more chance it has of being very close to the truth.

 

We don't know the truth about anything that ever happened. Every story is 'sold' so to speak. Couched in terms.

 

Some are so obvious there's no room for argument, one thing is for sure, the true story is always buried if there are any unpalatable elements to it, which inevitably there will be.

 

 

That's fair enough, but at some point the "facts" (Or leading theories) have to be accepted, for the good of us, as the bedrock of the system if anything's going to be achieved. I can throw a ball up in the air 10, 100, 100,000,000 times and while it lands in my hand 10, 100, 100,000,000 times without exception one could easily argue the very next throw might see the ball continue up and never come back. Some "theories" whether it's gravity or the legal concept of "Innocent before proven Guilty" have to be treated as "fact", if only because that's about the only way imperfect, upright-walking monkeys like us can get by without murdering each other.

 

But aye, clearly (as history's shown) there's a long tradition of telling truths, half-truths and outright falsehoods. No reason to expect it'll ever change.

[Terrorfex]

Understood.

 

However, if they were to blindside someone, and make a big f**koff warship appear right in the middle of the straits off Iran for instance, fire off an almighty salvo, then disappear again, and reappear back in Hawaii or some place, that would serve as a fairly handy outlet for settling disputes.

 

The only time they would need to 'see' is when they're letting rip.

 

If matter transportation were possible then, aye, it'd be a weapon of incalculable military power and probably relegate splitting the atom to a footnote in the annals of war.

[tightbreeks]

I time travel sometimes, on the way home from the pub!!

[tup]

No doubt if we attempted this on a Sunday, the plumbers and joiners on board would be looking for 'double time' travel, or 'time and a half' travel at the very least.

[spamspamspam]

If matter transportation were possible then, aye, it'd be a weapon of incalculable military power and probably relegate splitting the atom to a footnote in the annals of war.

 

There is no if about it

 

Scientist can now teleport matter from one atom to another over a distance of around 1 meter, tested, documented, proven. That matter isnt transferred like all other matter and energy under our influence is at present, it disappears and reappears. This is being research at the moment as this is how a quantum computer would have to operate and a quantum computer could in theory be the most powerful computer we could build using our current knowledge and technology.

 

Granted that isnt quite at the level of dropping a bomb into a country without that country ever knowing it was coming in the first place or where it came from BUT (and its a big but thats why its in capitals) German scientists were around 30-50 years ahead of their counterparts in the US and UK, thats why the yanks rounded them all up and shipped them off to an air force base that has never and still doesnt exist. It wouldnt be too much of a stretch to think that the same bases in the US are a good 20 years ahead of conventional science especially in fields like quantum mechanics.

 

Oh and cloaking devices, we can and have made them as well.

[tup]

There is no if about it

 

Scientist can now teleport matter from one atom to another over a distance of around 1 meter, tested, documented, proven. That matter isnt transferred like all other matter and energy under our influence is at present, it disappears and reappears. This is being research at the moment as this is how a quantum computer would have to operate and a quantum computer could in theory be the most powerful computer we could build using our current knowledge and technology.

 

Granted that isnt quite at the level of dropping a bomb into a country without that country ever knowing it was coming in the first place or where it came from BUT (and its a big but thats why its in capitals) German scientists were around 30-50 years ahead of their counterparts in the US and UK, thats why the yanks rounded them all up and shipped them off to an air force base that has never and still doesnt exist. It wouldnt be too much of a stretch to think that the same bases in the US are a good 20 years ahead of conventional science especially in fields like quantum mechanics.

 

Oh and cloaking devices, we can and have made them as well.

 

Yep the Nazis were indeed at the forefront of technology, and were rumoured to have been able to build a craft which could travel 'pole to pole' at a blinding velocity.

 

Now they all live 4000 feet underground in the comfort of Lake Vostok. Hitler ( :tup: ), the lot.

[Terrorfex]

There is no if about it

 

Scientist can now teleport matter from one atom to another over a distance of around 1 meter, tested, documented, proven. That matter isnt transferred like all other matter and energy under our influence is at present, it disappears and reappears. This is being research at the moment as this is how a quantum computer would have to operate and a quantum computer could in theory be the most powerful computer we could build using our current knowledge and technology.

 

Granted that isnt quite at the level of dropping a bomb into a country without that country ever knowing it was coming in the first place or where it came from BUT (and its a big but thats why its in capitals) German scientists were around 30-50 years ahead of their counterparts in the US and UK, thats why the yanks rounded them all up and shipped them off to an air force base that has never and still doesnt exist. It wouldnt be too much of a stretch to think that the same bases in the US are a good 20 years ahead of conventional science especially in fields like quantum mechanics.

 

Oh and cloaking devices, we can and have made them as well.

 

 

 

With the greatest of due respect, I think you're referring to Quantum Teleportation ... That's not the same thing; it doesn't copy physical matter or move it across space. It's an experimental procedure for copying the state of information and sending it across without a physical connection, not anything like duplicating particles (let alone atoms, molecules or anything bigger).

 

EDIT : This?