Is there a grand conspiracy at work to move the world toward global government?

It started in 1952.

Nearly every person elected as president of the United States since then – and nearly every opponent – has belonged to one of three secretive, globalism-oriented organizations known as the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), The Bilderberg Group or the Trilateral Commission, or all three.

If they didn’t belong to one of these groups, presidents, their running mates and their challengers more often than not have at least had ties to these clubs of internationalists.

That the groups exert enormous influence on public policy is indisputable. What is disputed is whether such groups are, as adherents and members argue, just discussion forums for movers and shakers, or, as critics have long alleged, secret societies shaping a new world order from behind the scenes. On that last point at least, no one could challenge the critics: all these groups operate in considerable secrecy, away from the scrutiny of the American public.

Regardless of how one characterizes them, the fact that virtually all presidents belonged to the same secret clubs prompts the author of a new book to expect the 2008 election will also be a contest between globalist insiders. In fact, it has been reported that "according to a variety of sources"; Barack Obama and John McCain are members of one or the other of such groups.

Many have wondered what is behind Barack Obama’s rise to fame and, prospectively, the presidency; the answer may be, in part, these three elitists’ organizations. In the list of the Bilderberg attendees at their last meeting, the name of James A. Johnson was included. He is the lead person Obama appointed to the group vetting possible Obama running mates. Johnson was recently fired by Obama from the vetting group when his ties to unsavory characters were revealed. There is speculation by many in the blogosphere that a recent meeting with Obama was arranged to discuss who would be Obama’s running mate and whether Hillary Clinton should be considered for Obama's vice-presidential candidate.

This is but one example of the power organizations largely unknown to the public have. Although it is likely Obama has other "angels" responsible for his rocket-like rise, it is reasonable to assume George Soros is in the mix somewhere. Obama may have started out as a Chicago Mayor Daley protégé for his own purposes, but after attaining the job of Illinois senator, it is highly likely that groups such as discussed here played a major role in the successful Obama run for the Democrat Party presidential nomination and will play a mighty role in events leading up to the elections in November.

However, as has been historically the case, these private, secret organizations win regardless which candidate succeeds in November.

What is the agenda behind these groups, which Estulin says are comprised of "self-interested elitists protecting their wealth and the investments of multinational banks and corporations in the growing world economy at the expense of developing nations and Third World countries"?

"The policies they develop," he writes, "benefit them as well as move us towards a one-world government."

Those questioning Estulin's conclusion as mere speculation should recall one of the founder’s organizational financer David Rockefeller's own words as recorded in his "Memoirs."

"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 conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure – one world, if you will," he wrote. "If that's the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it."

Daniel Estulin cited two presidential elections as of particular interest in revealing the role these organizations play in high politics.

"In the spring of 1972, a high-profile group of men gathered for dinner with W. Averell Harriman, the grand old man of the Democratic Party, a Bilderberger and a member of the CFR. Also present were Milton Katz, a CFR member and director of international studies at Harvard, Robert Bowie, who would later become deputy director of the CIA, George Franklin, David Rockefeller's coordinator for the Trilateral Commission, and Gerald Smith, U.S. ambassador-at-large for non-proliferation matters. The focus of their discussion was the not-too-distant 1976 presidential elections. Harriman suggested that if the Democrats wanted to recapture the White House, "we had better get off our high horses and look at some of those southern governors." Several names cropped up. Among them were Ruben Askew, governor of Florida, and Terry Sanford, former governor of North Carolina and, at the time, president of Duke University."

"Katz reportedly informed David Rockefeller of the viability of Jimmy Carter, then governor of Georgia. According to the author, he could be sold politically to the American people. At a dinner in London, recorded by the London Times, Rockefeller got acquainted with Carter and became convinced he could become the next U.S. president. Carter was invited to join the Trilateral Commission and quickly accepted."

The U.S. News and World Report commented about the Carter administration:

"The Trilateralists have taken charge of foreign policy-making in the Carter administration, and already the immense power they wield is sparking some controversy. Active or former members of the Trilateral Commission now head every key agency involved in mapping U.S. strategy for dealing with the rest of the world."

Ted Flynn wrote a book entitled "Hope of the Wicked: The Master Plan to Rule the World". In it he explores the convergence on a global basis of multinational corporations, foundations and the political and sociological instruments of a one-world government to bring about a New World Order. His book is 550 pages with 82 photographs and 1,200 footnotes; showing a strong historical basis that there is a global elite working to end the sovereignty of nations, to place all under the United Nations.

There is a history of presidential candidates of both parties being in races for the presidency and vice presidency; this way regardless, who wins, the global elite also win.

"In 1976, it was CFR Republican Gerald Ford losing to CFR Democrat Jimmy Carter.

In 1980, Ronald Reagan was not a member, but his running mate, George H.W. Bush, was. So were both of his opponents – Carter and independent John Anderson. Once in office, however, Reagan named 313 CFR members to his team.

In 1984, another CFR member, Walter Mondale, was nominated by the Democratic Party to challenge Reagan.

In 1988, CFR member Bush took on CFR member Michael Dukakis.

In 1992, Bush was challenged by a then obscure governor from Arkansas, Bill Clinton, who was a member of all three: CFR, Trlateral Commission and Bilderberg Group.

In 1996, Clinton was challenged by CFR member Bob Dole.

In 2000, CFR member Al Gore ran against non-member George W. Bush, but his running mate, Dick Cheney, was a member.

In 2004, Bush was challenged by CFR member John Kerry."

Do you see a pattern beginning to emerge?

These are the people also behind the construction of the North American Union.

Daniel Estulin writes in his book the next giant step toward world government will be integration of the U.S., Canada and Mexico in European Union-style merger in the next few years. "I would say [it's just] a couple of years away."

He says the original plans for a North American Union involved the U.S. and Canada as the prime participants. It was motivated primarily by the desire to harvest Canada's abundant natural resources.

According to Estulin: (in an interview with WorldNet Daily) "Actually, the North American Union, or rather a Canada-U.S. merger, was initially discussed shortly after the Reagan-Bush candidacy won the White House. Upon taking over the reins of the country, George Bush and Ronald Reagan called in the presidents of the key trans-national companies and asked them for the real picture. The money people told them that if the United States were a corporation it would have to be shut down immediately. It was bankrupt.

"The solution proposed at that time, according to Estulin, was merger between the U.S. and Canada." Canada is virgin country with a multitude of natural resources, water, mines, oil, gas, etc.," he explains.

"They decided that it was going to take 14 or 15 years to put the whole project together. In the interval, the economies, social programs and laws of the two countries would be quietly harmonized as much as possible."

"Actually, when all is said and done, it all comes down to money," Estulin says. "Money makes its own rules. If your goal is to make the most money possible using Canada's natural resources, what would you ask for? Number one; give me control over the sun. Number two; give me control over the air. Number three, give me control over water. Now, we know we cannot control the sun, nor can we control the air. But we can control water. Water, after all, is the most important element that can be controlled." (He might have added – "oil.")

But the plot for a North American Union, as exposed in detail in Jerome Corsi's bestselling book, "The Late Great USA," is but a prelude, Estulin says, to the ultimate merger – one-world government."

"Everything is in place," he says. "Europe is now one country, one currency and one constitution. North America is about to become one. The African Union has had its working model going for over a decade. Asia is openly discussing the near-future Asian Union, being sold as an economic inevitability beneficial to all its citizens."

Estulin sees the current focus in the U.S. on the presidential election of 2008 as something of a farce in light of this trend.

"Does it really matter who wins?" he asks. "As I make very clear in 'The True Story of the Bilderberg Group,' every politician of note and promise belongs to the Bilderbergers, CFR (Council on Foreign Relations) or the Trilateral Commission. Unless you are one of them, you can hardly hope to win the presidency. If we vote for the lesser evil, forced upon us by the secret oligarchies and the powerful men behind the curtain, we end up playing the game imposed upon us by them. Democracy, I guess what I really want to say, is a fallacy, an unattainable dream, a useless label trotted out and dusted off by the rulers every four years for the benefit of the great unwashed – us. There are two sides in this equation – the powerful elite who control the world's wealth and the rest of humanity."

Estulin's book was first written in 2005 in Spain. He has covered the Bilderberg Group as a journalist for more than 15 years.

He explains why he has devoted so much time exposing their activities.

"They cannot survive the light, and they know it," he says. "This is why the powerful people have long insulated themselves from that possibility. You see, the greatest form of control is when you think you are free while you are being manipulated and dictated to. People have been disarmed through the greatest hypnotist the world has ever known – the oblong box almost everyone has in the corner of their living rooms known as the television. By persuading ordinary people that what they can see with their eyes is what is there to see, the men behind the curtain have ensured their own survival, because people will laugh in your face when you explain to them that there is a bigger picture they are not seeing."

What can we as individuals do to fight back?

Estulin offers a five-point program:

"1. Understanding that governments do not represent the people nor have their best interests at heart.

2. Understanding that corporate media's main job is to hide the transgressions of the most powerful people in the world not shine the light of truth on it.

3. Understanding that the corporate media forms part of the world's elite societies such as the Bilderbergers, the CFR and the Trilateral Commission.

4. Understanding how money works and how through intelligent use of money we can destroy the Bilderbergers of this world.

5. Getting out of debt now."

When you vote in November you may believe you have a "choice" of between worse and "less bad", but in reality you will be just selecting one of two candidates already approved by the secret cabal of one-world government missionaries.