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Your crash course in... The secretive meeting where the world's elite hobnob each year

The Bilderberg conference will be attended by 130 world leaders in finance, academia, industry, politics and media.

THE INFAMOUS BILDERBERG Group meeting is back on the agenda this week as the world’s elite gather for an event most famous for its secrecy.

This year the conference is being held in Dresden, Germany and will be attended by 130 of the world’s leaders in finance, academia, industry, politics and media from 20 countries.

However, little is known about what takes place behind closed doors at the annual meeting, a trait that has spawned numerous conspiracy theories about the get-together.

2814307 Police patrol the grounds of the Grove Hotel, in Watford ahead of the Bilderberg meeting in 2013 Nick Ansell Nick Ansell

What’s it all about?

Bilderberg was created in 1954 in an attempt to foster dialogue between Europe and the US as anti-American sentiment rose in parts of the continent.

The whole event runs in strict accordance with the Chatham House Rule, which in everyday English means that those in attendance are free to use the information shared by other attendees, but the identity and the affiliation of those who said it cannot be revealed.

As everyone is bound to this agreement, no minutes or notes are taken at the meeting – and the very few members of the media who are let into the inner circle can’t report on the event.

This means little is known about exactly what is said, beyond the broad discussion topics released to the public. Over the years, however, a few tidbits have trickled out.

In 2012, documents released to TheJournal.ie under the Freedom of Information Act shone a light on the event after details relating to Finance Minister Michael Noonan’s attendance were made public.

2814313 PA WIRE PA WIRE

Besides insights into the strict security measures put in place to ensure the event remained private, the files revealed that some high-profile people who weren’t included in the official guest list may also have been in attendance – adding yet another veil of secrecy to the affair.

What we do know is that each year there is an agenda set for the conference, with some key areas of focus for 2016 including China, migration in Europe, the US political landscape, cyber security and technological innovation.

In 2014, RT disputed the legitimacy of the officially released Bilderberg agenda when one of the news station’s presenters claimed he had got his hands on a copy of the real topics up for discussion at the event.

It was reported that the main items up for discussion were the nuclear deal being cut with Iran, the rising tide of nationalist groups in Europe and Edward Snowden’s exposure of the US National Security Agency’s activity.

Who attends?

The whole conference is chaired by outgoing Axa chief executive and French count Henri de Castries, while the Bilderberg steering committee contains notable business figures like Peter Thiel, who recently backed Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker, and Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt.

This year, only two Irish names feature on the list of attendees. Noonan, a frequent visitor, will return to the event, while Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary, who is also a member of the conference’s steering committee, is the second inclusion.

Other big names at the event this year are former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble.

In previous years, a number of Irish politicians and business figures have attended, including former tánaiste Michael McDowell, former attorney general Dermot Gleeson and ex-taoiseach Garret FitzGerald.

2814316 Henry Kissinger (left) and Tony Blair Associated Press Associated Press

Conspiracy theories

Due to all the secrecy surrounding Bilderberg, conspiracy theories abound about the inner workings of the elite club and the power it wields.

It has been suggested that the whole group is a precursor to a one-world government, but this has been strongly denied by previous chairs of the organisation – who have played down the group’s importance during rare interviews on the subject.

Nevertheless, the meeting has invited further suspicion with the attendance of several political leaders, such as Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, before they rose to power. Among the many far-fetched claims levelled at the group is that it was responsible for rigging the 2008 Democratic nomination for US President.

One of the more interesting conspiracy theories about Bilderberg came courtesy of David Icke, a former BBC sports presenter who in 1991 proclaimed himself to be the son of God.

He has claimed a lot of those in attendance at the event are descendants of lizards that have used their shape-shifting skills to make their way into the upper echelons of power.

Written by Killian Woods and posted on Fora.ie

Read: Dublin firm that’s expanded X 100 since 2004 is bringing loads of jobs to Tallaght >

Read: Can Hillary Clinton smash the biggest glass ceiling in November? >

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    Mute NO 2 FF/FG/LAB
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:10 PM

    Churnalism – you could have written this 5 years ago. Why is it that every single year every media outlet in the world drools over the secrecy for clickbait but never bothers to actually send investigative journalists to the meetings to ask some questions. Only the loons at info wars ever turn up.

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    Mute Old Gabby Johnson
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    Jun 11th 2016, 2:24 PM

    I think David Icke is right – they’re all lizards a bit like the crab people – who taste like crab but look like people.

    33
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jun 11th 2016, 11:30 PM

    https://adventistbiblicalresearch.org/materials/bible-interpretation-hermeneutics/serpents-and-seraphim
    http://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Seraphim.html#.V1yPqjYUXIU
    David Icke learned a few things and then began weaving all his believes together in order to prove how smart he is, trying to give the impression that he has divine knowledge. So people will listen and pay attention to him…
    I believe Lucifer / Sammael was a Seraphim, so he would be snake like anyways? Nothing is ever new, just recycled?

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jun 11th 2016, 11:45 PM

    No2ff/fg/lab, Bilderberg has security officers that has more power to them than any state office, if they shot you then they would not be done for that. The group is called Bilderberg after a meeting it had in a Dutch hotel called the Bilderberg, no one knows their real name as the group even keeps that a secret. The group is split into 2 groups, those who control the group and those who go to it.
    In theory they probably want an economic community of North America and the E.U. as well as Christianity, Islam and other faiths to be joined together under a same god, also a social unification of a Westernised cultural based system. They probably want no one to own anything by turning assets into a form of taxation but who knows, they might want to get rid of cash, change the economic system and turn debt in a way to control governments to individuals.
    If they were up to any good then they wouldn’t be so secretative but all this does is creates conspiracy theories?

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    Mute Joe Murphy
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:06 PM

    Ah look, all the important people getting together to decide the fates of the rest of us plebs..

    134
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    Mute Good Early
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    Jun 11th 2016, 3:24 PM

    Group of powerful sociopathic industrialists hold secret meeting in Germany..
    What could possibly go wrong?

    49
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    Mute Jarrett moon
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    Jun 11th 2016, 4:01 PM

    Good for them. Rather them than the socialist scu m we have in this country.

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    Mute Marg murphy
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:21 PM

    This typifies all that is wrong with the world today. The disconnect between the ordinary people of the western world and our elected representatives. These representatives are cahoots with the worlds financial elite, having secret meetings where the agenda is not published, minutes not taken and the only thing we can be sure of is these bigwigs Domnot have the best interests of the people of Europe at heart. One of the items up for the discussion is “the rise of nationalism and right wing groups” in Europe. They discuss the problem without taking ANY responsibility for the cause. What part of cause and effect do they not get. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. They have caused this this with their one world agenda. Their promotion of open borders. It’s actually frightening that this elite control the elected representatives who make the rules. Merkels unhinged call to the refugees at the gates to come was no doubt done at the behest of the likes of Peter Sutherland, soros, and the other vultures at the top table the Vampire Squid undermining European civilisation against all sense and an utter contempt for the indigenous people of Europe.

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    Mute Tariq ibn Ziyad
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:28 PM

    Case closed! Looks like marg got his hands on the actual minutes and agenda!

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    Mute Marg murphy
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:33 PM

    It’s says it in the article. But of course you don’t read the articles do you. Just the comment section lest you miss an opportunity to scream “raaaaacist”.

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    Mute Eucrid
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    Jun 11th 2016, 1:07 PM

    Even when I thought it was millionaires I knew it was the immigrants.

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    Mute Vladimir Vasyectomy
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:28 PM

    I have the strangest feeling, that if the building that the greedy pigs were in was ‘accidentally’ blown to bits, The world would be a much better, happier & safer place.

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    Mute Old Gabby Johnson
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    Jun 11th 2016, 2:26 PM

    Not for you “Vladimir”- if that is in fact your real name – we’ll expose you as the leader of the conspiracy if it transpires I predict troubling times in the Vasyectomy household.

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    Mute The Girl
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:07 PM

    That’s where they decide the affairs of the world and manipulate events and us

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    Mute NO 2 FF/FG/LAB
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:11 PM

    No that would be cabinet meetings & the ECB/ EU commission

    55
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jun 11th 2016, 11:54 PM

    G8, DAVOS, U.N. etc etc… So many meeting and opportunities for meeting, makes you wonder what the hell do they do at any of them except enjoy good food and wine and an excuse to travel???

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    Mute Rosie Murray
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:08 PM

    Sounds like a sleepover that only the cool and popular kids get to go to… And make it sound really top secret so everyone who doesn’t get to go is super jealous..

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    Mute Paul Mc
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:29 PM

    ONE thing that is known ,is that under the watchful eyes of Noonan Ireland Inc.has being offloading state assets to large scale vulture funds.I suppose it could just be coincidental.

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    Mute Old Gabby Johnson
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    Jun 11th 2016, 2:27 PM

    NO PAUL ITS NOT “CO-INCIDENTAL”..FFS JESUS CHRIST.

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    Mute 3monkey
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:47 PM

    The Grand Gathering of Paedos

    64
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    Mute HOTBank
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    Jun 11th 2016, 2:37 PM

    That is some allegation 3monkey

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    Mute 3monkey
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    Jun 11th 2016, 2:39 PM

    Sue me

    28
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    Mute Carlo Lodola
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:11 PM

    http://youtu.be/_ZI_aEalijE

    Stonecutters comes to mind

    58
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    Mute Rosie Murray
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    Jun 11th 2016, 5:17 PM

    We do..

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    Mute arnie
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:08 PM

    Back slapping morons,business and governments

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    Mute Patrick Gough
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:30 PM

    hardly moans arne. They are super rich and powerful

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jun 11th 2016, 11:46 PM

    This government was brought to you by Chevron, Monsanto and Goldman Sachs lol.

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    Mute Dave cullen
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    Jun 11th 2016, 1:06 PM

    Bond holders bonding.Rte will no doubt grill our own noonan when he returns with a few more investments for his portfolio.

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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Jun 11th 2016, 2:28 PM

    If you have a pension you are a bond holder

    9
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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Jun 11th 2016, 3:00 PM

    Don’t be upsetting people with facts Rod….

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    Mute Paul Mc
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    Jun 11th 2016, 3:35 PM

    To be fair Not Rod there are not many countries in the Western world that would allow a Minister of Finance who puts his own shareholdings in front of his countries interests.Its all there on the Dail website for all to see.The man has overseeing the selling of state assets at below market rates.The man has served himself well.

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jun 12th 2016, 2:59 PM

    Rod, the lotto here looks after Canadian pensioners, so your wrong there… Not all pensions belong to bond holders. Bond holders are normally millionaires or even billionaires really.

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:09 PM

    In an elaborate plan author and journalist Jon Ronson managed to bypass security and ‘gatecrash’ one Bilderberg, but he reckoned it was mainly an excuse for a private piss-up!

    37
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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:38 PM

    David Icke has become extremely wealthy peddling his garbage – I still can’t decide whether he’s a genuine nutter or a shrewd scammer.

    35
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    Mute John Ward
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:57 PM

    @Avina Laaf: If the menu consists of crickets, mice, insects and fruit; Icke may well be right!

    21
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jun 11th 2016, 11:48 PM

    Cooked foetal remains, would be more apt I think?

    1
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    Mute Jessica Fuller
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:13 PM

    Like a boys day at the golf course – where are the wimmin???

    33
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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Jun 11th 2016, 12:07 PM

    Al those conspiracy theories are nothing to what we see everyday in the journal comments section.

    Come commenters im sure we can do better!!!!!!

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    Mute B-bob
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    Jun 11th 2016, 4:02 PM

    Maybe it’s just all a cover for an in-breed Swingers party ???

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jun 11th 2016, 11:49 PM

    Maggy Thatcher use to go to them, now that is a thought before bed lol.

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    Mute Adrian
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    Jun 11th 2016, 5:12 PM

    Some people have earned the right to be in such exalted company but it really irks me when spoofer, teacher come politicians like noonan, who have absolutely no business acumen, get to go to these things.

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    Mute Adrian
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    Jun 11th 2016, 5:15 PM

    He’ll get his comeuppance though when Britain leaves, and the dysfunctional EU will be exposed as deeply flawed, and financially screwed citizens in other country’s decide to leave.

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jun 12th 2016, 2:56 PM

    So it goes as in that photo…
    Kissinger is beside A liar post and Tony is beside the B liar post lol.

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jun 12th 2016, 3:00 PM

    Sorry it says Blair, same letters lol.

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