Cospiracy Theories: Do the Illuminati, or anything resembling them, still exist? Of course they do.

In the 1960s, the British prime minister Harold Wilson was able to fight many opponents, but against the 'Gnomes of Zurich' he had no defences. This was his phrase for the international bankers and financiers who, he believed, really ran things. They were shadowy figures; often they could not actually be identified at all. Behind those who were known by name seemed to lurk others. A handful of people in Switzerland, in Germany, in France, in Italy, held the strings which made all of Europe dance.

It has been suggested by conspiracy theorists that these people, Harold Wilson's Gnomes of Zurich, were the mid-20th century equivalent of the Illuminati. They were powerful; they controlled money, banks, financial institutions, business, industry - and ultimately, because it cannot be separated from all of these, politics.

Some take the theory a step further. The original Illuminati wanted what was effectively a United States of Europe. It has always been historically inevitable that the Common Market, the European Economic Community, would move towards the European Union - a complete political union -whatever the wishes of the people.

Joining the Common Market in 1973 meant that Britain had to leave EFTA, the European Free Trade Association, which was the rival trading bloc; EFTA, without its strongest member, crumbled. It meant throwing away trading agreements with, in particular, Australia and New Zealand, which turned those countries economically towards the Pacific Rim countries, and politically against Britain. Britain lost both power and respect in her own Commonwealth.

With these consequences, why did successive British governments of both major parties feel they had to join? What clout did the EU have that was greater than the very powerful trading links Britain already possessed? Who was really pushing for Britain's entry? And who is now pushing for a single European currency?

The answer, of course, is the bankers, the financiers... Harold Wilson's Gnomes of Zurich. In other words, the successors to the Illuminati. 

Perhaps they are P2. Perhaps they are the Prieure de Sion. Perhaps they are some other, even more shadowy group. But it is they, and not our elected governments, who are the ones with real power. Even if they are illuminated with secret wisdom, few would believe that such a benevolent dictatorship, ruling from behind the scenes, could be a good thing.

Such a conspiracy theory is not in any way being seriously proposed here; it is merely being given as an example of how far such theories can be taken. Whether it has any validity whatsoever, who can say? There is absolutely no real evidence to support it - but neither, of course, can it be disproved.

Although a present-day Illuminati conspiracy theory can be treated lightly, it should be emphasized that there is a darker side to be considered. There are numerous small secret societies in Europe, North and South America, and elsewhere, which have powerful and influential people among their members. Some have Masonic connections, though Freemasonry would disown them. The Italian-based Masonic offshoot P2, is probably the best-known, but it is not alone. What is particularly disturbing for anyone living in one form or another of a liberal democracy, is that many of these groups are extremely right-wing; some are white-supremacist and anti-Semitic.

There are, beyond any doubt, 'odd intrigues between secret services, more or less "deviant" clandestine Lodges and Templar organizations in recent neo-templar history.' Skeptics are probably right to scoff at the more inventive conspiracy theories; but the reason people believe in them is that they often have at least some basis in fact.

The Democratically voted leaders of our world, whether in power or in opposition, have taken their powers as quasi Heirs apparent in a modern day "secret" group. The name of that group is "Bilderberg" , started in 1954. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU LOOK UP EVERYTHING YOU CAN ON BILDERBERG even though there are heirs and successors to Bilderberg that we don't need to go into here.

More