Unexplained Mysteries - The Bilderberg Group

Of all the New World Order conspiracy theories, this one sounds the most plausible. They are a real organization that meets once or, at most, twice a year, renting out entire floors of remote and expensive hotels. No one knows who the members are, except other members, of which there may be 20, or several hundred. They are thought to be powerful financiers, businessmen, politicians, and generals, whose sole intent is to control the world’s economies, wars, politics, anything that helps them make money. Henry Kissinger is known to have been a member at one time. Tony Blair is rumored to be one. Both Bushes are rumored to be members, as is Vladimir Putin.

The original conference was held at the Hotel de Bilderberg, near Arnhem in the Netherlands, from 29 to 31 May 1954. It was initiated by several people, including Polish politicians Józef Retinger and Andrew Nielsen, concerned about the growth of anti-Americanism in Western Europe, who proposed an international conference at which leaders from European countries and the United States would be brought together with the aim of promoting Atlanticism – better understanding between the cultures of the United States and Western Europe to foster cooperation on political, economic, and defense issues. Retinger approached Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands who agreed to promote the idea, together with former Belgian Prime Minister Paul Van Zeeland, and the head of Unilever at that time, Dutchman Paul Rijkens. Bernhard in turn contacted Walter Bedell Smith, then head of the CIA, who asked Eisenhower adviser Charles Douglas Jackson to deal with the suggestion. The guest list was to be drawn up by inviting two attendees from each nation, one of each to represent conservative and liberal points of view. Fifty delegates from 11 countries in Western Europe attended the first conference, along with 11 Americans.

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