Julie Tibbott - Members Only. Secret Societies, Sects, and Cults Exposed!

FOUNDED:1954

STATUS:Meets once a year.

EXCLUSIVITY FACTOR:Very, very, very high only oligarchs, heads of state, and other ultra-powerful people are allowed access.

SECRECY FACTOR:The discussion at their meetings is strictly off the record.

THREAT FACTOR:High its said that this group is a shadow government that runs the world.

QUIRK FACTOR:Bilderberg is a magnet for tinfoil hat level conspiracy theorists, who can be found vigorously protesting outside of the conference.

We peons often feel like we arent getting straight talk from the honchos in chargebut there is at least one place where those fat cats can speak frankly about issues that have worldwide repercussions. Bilderberg is an annual conference for about one hundred and forty of the worlds most powerful people. The group first met in 1954, with the purpose of shoring up US-European relations and preventing another world war. Now the aim of their annual get-together is to provide a venue for global elites to share ideas about the future of the world. What makes it a little sketchy is that the Bilderbergers dont share the content of their discussions with the people who are affected by their outcomes. What happens at Bilderberg stays at Bilderberg.

So, who are the high rollers in the Bilderberg Group? Its an international crew of royals, presidents, prime ministers, parliamentarians, cabinet members, media magnates, and CEOs of many banks and massive corporations. And while Bilderbergers say that these off-the-record rap sessions simply allow them to deliberate openly on matters of importance, some outsiders suspect that the members are part of something much more sinister than the worlds most exclusive debate club.

Conspiracy theorists believe the group is a threat to democracy, bent on organizing an international governmenta New World Order. They accuse Bilderbergers of everything from engineering the credit crunch to planning to kill 80 percent of the world population. Conspiracy theorists also think that Bilderbergers representing corporate interests rubbing shoulders with politicians at the conference reeks of lobbying. Members insist that what happens at Bilderberg doesnt affect policy, but we may never know the truth.

You have to be pretty darn influential to be asked to join the Bilderberg Group. If you arent an aristocrat, a powerful politician, the CEO of a major corporation, or some other global leader, youve got no chance of getting in. The gathering is invite-only, and the guest list changes from year to year. Past attendees include former US president Bill Clinton, founder and CEO of Amazon.com Jeff Bezos, and ex-CIA director David Petraeus.

The groups first meeting took place at the Hotel de Bilderberg, located in Oosterbeek in the Netherlands. Since then, the annual gathering has been held at luxury hotels all over the world. The conference lasts four days, and attendees are required to stay for the entire duration. As they arrive in their private helicopters and chauffeured limos, they are greeted by protesters bearing signs that say things like: STOP NEW WORLD ORDER and OLIGARCHS, THE SPAWN OF SATAN. The location, guest list, and agenda for the meeting used to be totally classified. That information is released to the public now, but its still a far cry from transparency. Inside their highly secured location, Bilderbergers discuss topics such as nuclear power, cyber warfare, job creation, and the US presidency (which theyve been accused of fixing). The minutes of the meeting are never released. After the secret summit, the Bilderbergers return to their lairs, leaving the rest of us to wonder how the decisions made at Bilderberg might affect our world.