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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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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?
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.
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”.
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.
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.
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???
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..
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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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