Say, What?

I've long heard rumors of shadowy international organizations being behind major world events. Early in my adult lifetime the Trilateral Commission was supposedly running things, and my mother has long been suspicious of the United Nations. These days, names like Skull and Bones and Opus Dei tend to be tossed into conversation with knowing winks and nods. I wasn't too surprised, then, to read about another secretive group with powers to affect the planet in all sorts of nefarious way. From CTV on June 9, 2006.

A shadowy group of world leaders and decision makers are meeting in Ottawa this weekend, cloaked in a blanket of security and secrecy that has conspiracy theorists' websites working overtime.

Considered one of the world's most powerful and secret societies, the Bilderberg group's annual meeting was scheduled to be attended by about 130 people at the Brook Street Resort.

The guest list, according to an unsigned press release obtained by The Canadian Press, includes the likes of David Rockefeller, Henry Kissinger, Holland's Queen Beatrix, and New York Gov. George Pataki.

And the Canadian complement includes Indigo books CEO Heather Reisman and former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna.

...Conspiracy theorists maintain the group has played a key role in world events, allegedly orchestrating the move to a common European currency and getting Bill Clinton elected after he agreed to sign onto NAFTA. And in Yugoslavia, Serbs have blamed Bilderberg for starting the war that led to the downfall of former dictator Slobodan Milosevic.

And according to the release, this year's group will discuss high oil prices and the best way to deal with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

But beyond the press release -- which was tantamount to transparency by Bilderberg standards -- there is little indication about what will take place within the hotel.

Canadian writer Daniel Estulin, who has been following Bilderberg for years, describes it as a "powerful" group of politicians and business people with one objective: "To create a one-world government where you don't have individual nations -- you have one region, one religion, one constitution, one church, one currency and one country."

I had no idea!

Actually, I did. My take on the group is that it is composed of people with extensive international connections and too much time on their hands. I'm not too worried, because if these 'powerful movers and shakers' come up with a bullet-proof plan to calm down the Iran situation and if they can get the principles in the matter to listen, well, then we've avoided another unnecessary war.

Besides, one of the central tenets in my life is that I don't do hats, tin foil or otherwise.