PF's Take on Bilderberg Group: Impact on World Events

  • News
  • Thread starter Zubin
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Group
In summary, the Bilderberg Group is a private meeting of various world leaders and does have an effect on world events. PF thinks it's likely just a group of powerful people doing typical guy stuff and there is no one in charge.
  • #1
Zubin
12
0
I personally don't know much about the Bilderberg group or to what extent they affect world events but I'm curious what PF thinks about this group.

Here's a link for those unfamiliar with this topic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilderberg_Group

Does the Bilderberg Group really have control over world events or are they just an exclusive society like any other that we shouldn't be alarmed over? What are PF's thoughts on this?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
It's a private meeting of various world leaders. You present a false dichotomy. The members of the group, by being invited, are by definition the most powerful and influential people in the world. Surely, things that get discussed in meetings have some effect on these people, which effects how the world is "controlled." Deals are probably made where common interests ally for common purposes.

But to say they have control over world events implies some sort of unity, or secret society aspect that just doesn't have much basis in reality. Even if they all had secret new world order membership rings, the idea that a small group of individuals could really control the world is ludicrous on the face of it.

Is there a "conspiracy"? In the sense that big banks, big business, and government conspires for power and profit, yes. Are they sacrificing virgins to Pan the goat God and planning the genocide of everyone who won't wear their RFID tags? No.

From wiki:


Before the 2001 meeting, a report in the Guardian stated:

“ ...the press have never been allowed access and all discussions are under Chatham House rules (no quoting). Not surprisingly, such ground rules, while attracting publicity-shy financiers, have also fuelled the fantasies of conspiracy theorists. The truth is probably more mundane: powerful people like meeting each other, but they argue that they need privacy if there is to be serious, honest discussions: the G8 summits are a graphic example of how all the meaningful exchanges are kept well away from the pre-prepared final communiques drawn up by civil servants.[28
 
Last edited:
  • #3
A slight caveat: I would say that the group likely has a strong pro-globalization, pro-international government (in the sense of stronger international governing structure, not necessarily a unified world government type deal) agenda, or perhaps more fairly, philosophical viewpoint.
 
  • #4
Galteeth said:
It's a private meeting of various world leaders. You present a false dichotomy. The members of the group, by being invited, are by definition the most powerful and influential people in the world.
I did that intentionally to get a response.
Surely, things that get discussed in meetings have some effect on these people, which effects how the world is "controlled." Deals are probably made where common interests ally for common purposes.
I told the same thing to my friend(who brought up the discussion in the first place) but he seems to follow all the ridiculous conspiracy theories.
 
  • #5
Zubin said:
I did that intentionally to get a response.

I told the same thing to my friend(who brought up the discussion in the first place) but he seems to follow all the ridiculous conspiracy theories.

I have had much contact with people who believe in those theories. While there is a grain of truth to them, a flower of nonsense has grown up around them. I was interested in this for a time, and I could give you in my opinion what is true, what is likely, and what is ridiculous in greater detail if you are interested.
 
  • #6
Galteeth said:
I have had much contact with people who believe in those theories. While there is a grain of truth to them, a flower of nonsense has grown up around them. I was interested in this for a time, and I could give you in my opinion what is true, what is likely, and what is ridiculous in greater detail if you are interested.
It's sort of why I made this thread. I'm someone who thinks the Bilderberg group isn't even worth giving notice to but I don't actually know much about it so I can't really formulate a legitimate explanation for why I think my friend(the conspiracy theorist) is completely wrong.
 
  • #7
Zubin said:
It's sort of why I made this thread. I'm someone who thinks the Bilderberg group isn't even worth giving notice to but I don't actually know much about it so I can't really formulate a legitimate explanation for why I think my friend(the conspiracy theorist) is completely wrong.

They probably just sit around and do the stereotypical guy stuff--drink, play poker, discuss sports, etc. and only hold the conference to throw the world off. :-)
 
  • #8
Several years ago my niece, who is very dear to me, brought up this idea...not the Bilderberg Group but some vague, shadowy group of powerful people who rule the world. I playfully said, "No, it's scarier than that - there's no one in charge!"

She looked truly shocked!
 
  • #9
lisab said:
Several years ago my niece, who is very dear to me, brought up this idea...not the Bilderberg Group but some vague, shadowy group of powerful people who rule the world. I playfully said, "No, it's scarier than that - there's no one in charge!"

She looked truly shocked!
Too cute.
 
  • #10
TheStatutoryApe said:
Too cute.

See, why would that be scary?
 
  • #11
Zubin said:
It's sort of why I made this thread. I'm someone who thinks the Bilderberg group isn't even worth giving notice to but I don't actually know much about it so I can't really formulate a legitimate explanation for why I think my friend(the conspiracy theorist) is completely wrong.

It depends what his claims are.

In general, the body of theories associated with the bilderberg group (new world order) are based on something real, which gets warped into this giant monolith its not.

Financial interests do have a great deal of influence on government, which is of a more subtle form then the obvious political parties, and to some extent, a bit more divorced from partisan politics.

It is also true that there are some influential people who have a very specific agenda regarding centralization of power and the creation of international government superstructures, such as David Rockefeller (or had, in his case he's pretty old, just the most obvious example.) These people work towards their goals, and often exert influence through various ways.

To illustrate what I'm talking about, let's take a group that is associated with these theories, the council on foreign relations. Was it originally established as a think tank to push the international policies favorable to the bankers? Yes, probably. Are they influential? Definetly. Do they tend to have a specific vision for the world? Yes.

But to say they rule the world is to say that the Project for a New American Century runs the world. (The CFR is a bit different as they invite most major political figures to be members so as to establish a networking thing for foreign policy.) While people with specific agendas can have a major impact, the fundamental nature of the thing is different then conspiracy theorists imagine.


If you oppose global government and the fabian socialist ideology, it's natural you would find such people as Rockefeller and their success at getting their goals accomplished as insidious. Just as if you oppossed US military intervention in the middle east, you would find PNAC and it's success insidious.

So, the whole new world order thing isn't based on pure fantasy, it's real political phenomenon that is vilified to an extent where any claim is taken by conspiracy theorists at face value.

“For more than a century ideological extremists at either end of the political spectrum have seized upon well-publicized incidents such as my encounter with Castro to attack the Rockefeller family for the inordinate influence they claim we wield over American political and economic institutions. Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as "internationalists" and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure - one world, if you will. If that's the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it."
-David Rockefeller

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_on_foreign_relations

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Rockefeller
 
Last edited:
  • #12
lisab said:
several years ago my niece, who is very dear to me, brought up this idea...not the bilderberg group but some vague, shadowy group of powerful people who rule the world. I playfully said, "no, it's scarier than that - there's no one in charge!"

Ha ha ha ha
 
  • #13
Of course there are groups devoted to playing a long game (multiple centuries time scale). Who are they and what do they do? I can not say I am not in the loop.

The Bilderberg group was founded after the end of world war two. It is pro-west, pro-business. It did receive funding from the CIA, may still I do not know. They are not hidden and their world views are not hidden. You may or may not like their world view.
 
  • #14
lisab said:
Several years ago my niece, who is very dear to me, brought up this idea...not the Bilderberg Group but some vague, shadowy group of powerful people who rule the world. I playfully said, "No, it's scarier than that - there's no one in charge!"

She looked truly shocked!


Who organizes these gatherings?
 
  • #15
From wikipedia:

Organizational structure

Meetings are organized by a steering committee with two members from each of around eighteen nations. Official posts, in addition to a chairman, include an Honorary Secretary General.

...

Chairmen

* Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (1954–1975)
* Alec Douglas-Home (1977–1980)
* Walter Scheel
* Eric Roll (1986–1989)
* Lord Carrington (1990–1998)
* Étienne Davignon
 
  • #16
edpell said:
From wikipedia:

Organizational structure

Meetings are organized by a steering committee with two members from each of around eighteen nations. Official posts, in addition to a chairman, include an Honorary Secretary General.

...

Chairmen

* Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (1954–1975)
* Alec Douglas-Home (1977–1980)
* Walter Scheel
* Eric Roll (1986–1989)
* Lord Carrington (1990–1998)
* Étienne Davignon

Thanks. I'd forgotten the Bilderberger's origins in old world royalty and bankers. Is Walter Scheel their coffee boy?
 
Last edited:
  • #17
edpell said:
Of course there are groups devoted to playing a long game (multiple centuries time scale). Who are they and what do they do? I can not say I am not in the loop.

The Bilderberg group was founded after the end of world war two. It is pro-west, pro-business. It did receive funding from the CIA, may still I do not know. They are not hidden and their world views are not hidden. You may or may not like their world view.

How much funding did the CIA provide to the Bilderberg group - and when?
 
  • #18
WhoWee said:
How much funding did the CIA provide to the Bilderberg group - and when?

It seems unlikely that this would be the case. Why would the richest people in the world need money from the CIA? There have probably been ties between its members, meetings, and intelligence organizations, especially in the early days when its main purpose seems to have been about anti-americanism in europe (which was heavily related to the cold war.)

On a more general point, intelligence agencies tend not to produce line item budgets for the clandestine operations they fund.
 
  • #19
from wikipedia

Origin

The original Bilderberg conference was held at the Hotel de Bilderberg, near Arnhem in The Netherlands, from 29 May to 31 May 1954. It was initiated by several people, including Józef Retinger, 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 understanding between the cultures of the United States and Western Europe.[1] Retinger approached Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, who agreed to promote the idea, together with Belgian Prime Minister Paul Van Zeeland, and the head of Unilever at that time, the 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.[2] 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.[1] Fifty delegates from 11 countries in Western Europe attended the first conference along with 11 Americans.[3]

The success of the meeting led the organizers to arrange an annual conference. A permanent Steering Committee was established, with Retinger appointed as permanent secretary. As well as organizing the conference, the steering committee also maintained a register of attendee names and contact details, with the aim of creating an informal network of individuals who could call upon one another in a private capacity. Conferences were held in France, Germany, and Denmark over the following three years. In 1957, the first US conference was held in St. Simons, Georgia, with $30,000 from the Ford Foundation. The foundation supplied further funding for the 1959 and 1963 conferences.[2]
 
  • #20
lisab said:
Several years ago my niece, who is very dear to me, brought up this idea...not the Bilderberg Group but some vague, shadowy group of powerful people who rule the world. I playfully said, "No, it's scarier than that - there's no one in charge!"

In fact, it is much scarier than that. Evil forces invaded Wall Street last December,2001.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbngdR_ieWI
 
Last edited:

1. What is the Bilderberg Group?

The Bilderberg Group is an annual private conference attended by approximately 130 political leaders, experts from industry, finance, academia, and the media. It was first established in 1954 and is known for its high-level discussions and secrecy surrounding its agenda.

2. How does the Bilderberg Group impact world events?

The Bilderberg Group is known for its influential members and discussions on global issues such as politics, economics, and international relations. Many believe that decisions made at the conference can have a significant impact on world events, as attendees often hold positions of power and influence.

3. Is the Bilderberg Group a conspiracy?

No, the Bilderberg Group is not a conspiracy. While some may view the conference as secretive and exclusive, it is a legitimate forum for high-level discussions and has been recognized as such by government officials and media outlets.

4. Who attends the Bilderberg Group conference?

The conference is attended by a diverse group of individuals including political leaders, experts from various industries, academics, and members of the media. Attendees are invited based on their expertise and influence in their respective fields.

5. What are some recent topics discussed at the Bilderberg Group conference?

Some recent topics discussed at the conference include the rise of populism, the future of work, the impact of technology on society, climate change, and geopolitical issues such as the US-China trade war. However, the exact agenda of the conference is not publicly disclosed.

Similar threads

  • Linear and Abstract Algebra
Replies
3
Views
688
  • General Discussion
Replies
13
Views
4K
Replies
35
Views
2K
Replies
19
Views
1K
Replies
18
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
658
  • General Discussion
Replies
13
Views
1K
  • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
21
Views
617
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
725
Back
Top