This most recently passed semester in my political science class on voters, interest groups, and political parties, an interesting conversation broke out. A kid raised his hand and says something to the effect of: ”I heard that Obama and Hillary met in secret to determine who was gonna be the Democratic party’s nominee”, and went on to bring up secret societies in a round-about fashion. The professor went on to summarily dismiss a handful of groups. ”Yeah, people talk about the Bilderberg Group, the Bavarian Illuminatti, and the Council of Foreign Relations, ruling the world. I don’t believe it.”
What is interesting to me is that earlier in this same class, when learning about interest groups in general, the professor explained how interest groups only exist as long as they are capable of exerting influence. As their capacity to exert influence wanes, they wither away till the cease to exist.
There is zero doubt that the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) exists, and has for decades now. The Bilderberg Group exists as well. Don’t believe it? Here let good ol’ Bill Clinton tell you:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jmzWi_nhQg
Not only does Bill Clinton admit to attending a Bilderberg meeting, he admits that the Bilderberg Group had already “negotiated” aspects of NAFTA prior to his arrival. The professor did well to couple the CFR and the Bilderberg Group with the Illuminatti, seeking to discredit the entire lot. Why not toss reptilian shape-shifters in there too, just for good measure? Be sure to associate the “tin-foil hat wearing” crowd with those that are concerned with parties from outside the United States directly influencing domestic and foreign policy behind closed doors.
So, if “interest groups” are only around so long as they are exerting influence, wouldn’t the same hold true for these interest groups? Doubt the influence the have? Well, Bill Clinton spoke to the influence the Bilderberg Group has in the video clip above. Certain aspects of NAFTA was were hammered out well before he arrived. Hillary Clinton, in a recent speech not given at the “mothership” their NYC offices, but rather the new Council on Foreign Relations headquarters in Washington DC, explains:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6TXcQpgC9Q
“…we get a lot of advice from the Council, so this means I won’t have as far to go to be told what we should be doing and how we should think about the future.” When the sitting Secretary of State makes a statement like that, do you think she just happened to misspeak?
Fact of the matter is, these two groups exist and exert great influence on US domestic and foreign policy, and neither group would still be around if they were not successful in doing so.
Very recent article out of the UK about the Bilderberg meeting this weekend.