I saw that a few other people have been mentioning conspiracies. And I know that one of the reasons I used to read Boo back 184 years ago on Kos was some of his forays into these subjects. So this morning I thought it might be interesting to talk about this stuff a bit.
Before I begin though let me just add a word of caution. Knowing some of this stuff can be really scary. I know it used to scare me quite a lot. I also know those feelings of being afraid can be very overwhelming. So if you think that might be the case for you, please don’t read any further. This isn’t a horror movie where the fear is real but the cause for it is just imaginary threats and once the lights go on the fear disappears. This stuff is real so we all need to take our mental health seriously and not overindulge in scaring ourselves. Ok? Super.
Now, back to my fear. It seems like a million years ago but I’m thinking it was actually about 10. The internet existed but it was a small and growing phenomenon and certainly not what it is today. I mostly remember using it for trading music (in that “new” format MP3 back when it was still copyrighted) and reading overseas newspapers. A lot of information that’s online didn’t exist then too much and one was “alternative” news sources or, in the current parlance, “conspiracy” websites.
So one day I was perusing through a very large university library when I saw a small newspaper lying next to a chair. The name of that newspaper was the “Spotlight” which is no longer being printed these days but they do have a website. It was full of a lot of really scary information (and some of it utter b-s) but I was completely shocked at what I read there. I remember actually looking around to see if anyone was watching me read that thing. I actually felt like a KGB spy or something and I felt more guilty than if I was reading a pornographic magazine.
One subject that I had never heard of was the meeting of the Bilderberg Group. The story sounded so fantastic I assumed it belonged in newspapers which covered alien surgeries and Elvis sightings but alas this one is real.
There’s not a whole lot that’s known about the Bilderberg Group but here is what is known factually. Every year at a very posh and exclusive resort or hotel, a lot of world leaders and powerful business chiefs get together for a meeting. What is discussed there is unknown because it is never publicized. Not even the topics discussed are ever released.
The original purpose of the meetings (first held in 1954) seems fairly innocuous. It was a way for western leaders (political and business) to get together just to create ties and get some face time and get to know one another to promote better communication, especially between Canada/USA and Europe. Since it was held behind closed doors, all the politicians wouldn’t have to pose for the cameras and have to report on what was said.
Now here is where it starts to get a little weird. I can conceivably see current and former political leaders and business people getting together to hang out and talk about stuff without the media being present and reporting on every word. Except that the media IS in attendance. I know for a fact Peter Jennings was a regular attendee. Other high-level reporters (and owners of media companies) regularly attend.
The location and dates of the meetings are not kept secret. The list of those attending is usually either released or discovered by people who watch the front gates of whatever the resort is that year and reporting it. What makes the whole thing odd is that the fact that this meeting being held at all is almost never reported in the “mainstream” media.
I am willing to bet a few BooTribbers have never even heard of this meeting. I didn’t even believe it could be true until I started looking and found tiny little blurbs buried in the back pages of “real” newspapers about it.
Now if you’ve got a meeting where Richard Perle, Donald Rumsfeld and Henry Kissinger are all getting together behind closed doors, I think that’s something people might want to know about. Add in there several British Prime Ministers (both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, likely to be the next PM), cabinet members and European leaders including the King of Spain, the Italian Prime Minister, leaders of Canada including both Stephen Harper (current PM) and Paul Martin (PM until 2006) it gets even more newsworthy. Then throw into the mix a lot of CEOs and chairmen of big banking and oil companies. Then add in there both high-status journalists as well as guys like Andrew Knight, who is the director of a major media group (News Corp) and it becomes positively absolutely newsworthy.
But it isn’t newsworthy. It isn’t reported on in any big way. George Bush or Tony Blair going on vacation is regularly reported on. Almost everything these high profile people do is at least mentioned, especially those who are ostensibly “public servants”.
At the 2006 meeting, Vernon Jordan was there. A lot of people know him for his role in the Clinton administration. He is current a member of the board for a lot of corporations including American Express, Xerox and JC Penney. He was also one of the people in the “Iraq Study Group” who came up with the “wise old men” advice that Bush is currently ignoring.
At the 2006 meeting, George Pataki was there and there is (or was) talk of him being the favorite for the 2008 Republican nomination. Richard Perle was there at the 2006 meeting. So was Dennis Ross a guy who has had and still has a lot of influence on American policy towards Israel. He’s also a regular guest on the Fox News channel and on the advisory committee for Scooter Libby’s defense.
Guys who are less known like Paul Desmarais were there too. Desmarais is a businessman and not a politician but he openly counts a number of politicians as his close friends including the current Bush. Desmarais also owns a large stake in the oil company Total which had extensive oil dealings with Saddam Hussein. And Desmarais is on the advisory board for the Carlyle Group.
A leading Iranian-born guy who publishes books and gives lectures on the Middle East was there (this guy). He also writes a lot of stuff about Iran including about Iran’s nuclear program. His main theory is that the nuclear enrichment program is solely a project of the ruling “elite” and not supported by the masses.
Phillip Zelikow was there too. Not only is he Condi Rice’s right-hand man but he also was the executive director of the 9/11 Commission.
And on and on. Are you getting the picture yet? A lot of very influential and powerful people are meeting behind closed doors. The media is invited but only the media which absolutely promises not to report on the event. The media that doesn’t attend barely mentions it. And yet by anyone’s account this is totally a newsworthy event.
Do I know that these people are discussing? I have no idea. Do I think they are the secret world government that coordinates their domination of the world? Again I don’t have any idea what they talk about because I don’t get invited and transcripts do not exist. But I do have to wonder why the very subject of the meeting behind held is given such a scant amount of attention.
The full list of the 2006 attendees is here (about 130 people). Google those you don’t know and please tell me what you think.
Pax
