h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Anyone heard of the Bilderberg Group? If so, what is your understanding of what the group is, or what they do?

I've read "Them" by Jon Ronson. It made me laugh. I doubt any of thse conspiracy theorists have worked in a big hotel - I don't see how the plans would hang tegther.

If the BG are so clever, can't they come up with a more efficient way of arranging meetings?

I thought Ronson wrote the book extremely well, building it up to get me thinking - 'my God, there's something in this!' - before exploding the myths with his meeting with Dennis Healey!! An extremely ammusing book that had me wondering if all these crackpots really are dangerous after all!!

Reading around the subject though, there are some matters of concern about the group I feel...

I've worked in National Governance (careful wording there ) and it just doesn't sit right with reality...

...worth a giggle though, and fun dealing with all the crackpot letters!

From what I understand of the Bildeburg group is that they are a group of influential people (businessmen, politicians) who come together to discuss world policy. I also read Jon Ronsons book and in it he met and interviewed Edward Heath (I think) who is in the bildeburg group, and he pretty much said thats why they met up. The purpose of the secrecy was because it is such a large gathering of very influential people that (were it public knowledge) just about everybody with an agenda (press, terrorists, conspiracy theorists, wackos), would flock to the area.

Edward Heath!! No

Dennis Healy!! Yes

I think I fully understand and accept the reasons for the secerecy regarding time and location/ security etc... but nothing discussed is ever made public, by anyone.... ever (well, apart from the few anecdotes Healy provided to Ronson).

The former Gaurdian editor, Will Hutton, is campaigning for this to change so the public can be assured any discussions are in the publics interest and not members of the group.

It is, after all, a global capitalist organisation... and the aims of global capitalists do not always sit well with the public...

This is something far aside from the beliefs of wierdo conspiracy theorists and 12 foot giant lizards!!

Them was one of the most hilarious books i've read in a long time. It's especially funny when you see that the owl ritual thing is just a stupid booze-up for rich people, but the extremist people think it's a satanist cult.
Wooo. But anyway, no, I think it's worrying how little we know about the Bilderburg Group. Their secret ruling of the world would be pretty shoddy if they are allowing all this publicity, so they're hardly massively scary or some worldwide conspiracy. But still, I don't like the idea that some politicians secretly go to their meetings. Oh yeah, but Peter Mandelson being seen by Jon Ronson is so utterly bizarre that I really can't be bothered to care.

I go with DNA's ridicule of conspiracy theories with his philosopher ruler of the universe. We are free humans, and so who cares about who is in power. Sure, we may be fed propaganda, but then it's unlikely we'd have seen the truth anyway; we've just gotta accept the absurdity of our position.

To tell they truth I think it would be a good idea for the bildegburgs to releash the info to demystify what goes on there. That said I don't think that too many people would be bothered reading the what went on there apart from a few people(press, those few people with an active interest in politics, and the conspiracy nuts). I myself think globalisation is a good thing, if done properly.

Hmmm, wise words there.

I was pondering this at dinner time... not being in a potential target group (English, white, male) I guess I don't really have anything to worry about if the group has any sinister plans... unless their decisions affect the global climate of course... but this, surely, is a selfish attitude to take?

Still, many have grown old and died without falling foul of any large, spurious organisation and I see no reason yet why I won't also!

Anyone else got the David Icke book? It's hilarious. Not to mention as dull as ditchwater...

(We should refrain from name calling though, it's a trifle rude...)

I haven't read it! Is it the big yellow one currently sitting on a table in Waterstones in the galleries... I saw it whilst picking up my copy of 'Them'... didn't realise at the time that David would also feature heavily in my book...

How many times does he mention 12 foot giant lizards then?

Blue and Yellow.

Don't buy it unless you really really want it. It's a tad expensive, and I am regretting it now...I am going to buy "Them" sometime soon though...

He mentions them quite a lot. 500+ pages, and 21 chapters.

He's a bit of a fool really. Hasn't done his research properly. Collected a bunch of half-facts and drew squiggly lines between them all. Some conspiracy theories are at least somewhat functional. But David Icke... He just hasn't done his research.

"Secret Rulers of the World" was a fascinating and commendably balanced programme. The bilderberg group programme was the most interesting, it is hard to accept that a secretive group of self-appointed "big wigs" is all above board as Healey claimed. Having said that, the media being what it is I understand why the group exists.

And what's a bet on the members of the group being of an, ahem, select few ethnicities

The other fascinating one was on the "Pagan" festival in the woods attended by America's rich elite. The conspiracy guy, inevitably, thought it meant they were all pagans. Although it looked like panto when we got to see the (still extraordinary) secret film footage, it got me wondering - America has been racked with cults from the start and (taking the scientologists in mind) it's not impossible that there exists a loose, "masonic" cult of the nation's elite (even if they don't all take it seriously). Fascinating, and confirmation of what I've always believed - the world isn't "sensible" or "rational" and there's no point in carrying on like it is.

Anyone read Iain Banks' "The Business"? Scarily believable!