It was 40 years ago today in a restaurant kitchen beneath the Ambassador Hotel in LA that Robert F Kennedy's life was cut short by a bullet... or two... or more. He was seeking the Democratic nomination to run against Richard Nixon. His death and his brother's death 5 years earlier were bookends to the presidency of Lyndon Johnson.

It was also the third high-profile assassination (including MLK Jr 2 months earlier) of a popular leader of the people during that turbulent decade. Years later in 1981 there was the attempt on Ronald Reagan's life. It seems that popular leaders that challenge the status quo find themselves the targets of unstable loners with guns, acting alone.

Okay, maybe not so alone. Time to strap on your tinfoil hats...

Nearly 100 years ago during the first World War, a group of business leaders formed what was known as the Council on Foreign Relations. The goal was to destroy barriers to business between nations, so that business would be border-neutral. Since they are somewhat secretive, it's impossible to say how much influence they've haved on public policy and legislation. However, among its members have been numerous key figures in American politics, including Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Alan Greenspan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Warren Christopher, and Dick Cheney.

In the 70's David Rockefeller (of the Standard Oil Rockefeller fortune family) and Zbigniew Brzezinski created the Trilateral Commission, a kind of "off-shoot" of the CFR. It too has been secretive, although not so much as the CFR. It's members have included Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Paul Volcker, Alan Greenspan, Lloyd Bentsen, Warren Christopher, Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney, and John McCain. It's goals are the same as the CFR though, promoting business over borders, so it should be no surprise that Bill Clinton supported NAFTA.

There are other groups who's names get tossed around, like the Bilderberg Group (of which Clinton is also a member), the Masons, the Illuminati, etc., but that's a whole 'nuther can of beans. In some circles, they are thought to be promoting a "new world order" where there is one world government without borders, with them in charge, apparently.

We all know there's been huge speculation about whether the assassination of JFK was a conspiracy or a lone gunman. We may never know the truth, but Howard Hunt claims it was the CIA. Hunt worked for George H.W. Bush at the time. There's a video by Alex Jones here that pushes the theory that Bush was actually the one that arranged it. Bush was still in the CIA when RFK was shot, and once again there is some evidence that the CIA was involved. Of interest and possibly related, it was some years later that Ford appointed him as head of the CIA.

Quick quiz - Which was the only president that was NOT a member of the Trilateral Commission since it was formed?

The answer has already been given by listing the members...

The answer: Ronald Reagan :shocked:

In fact, Ronald Reagan had a lot of nasty things to say about them. He thought that they wielded too much power for a non-government organization. Considering Rockefeller's close ties to the World Bank and the IMF, there's certainly some truth to that. After securing his party's nomination, he was strong-armed to take George H. W. Bush as his running mate, someone he did not want, but did so anyway to create a "dream ticket" for "party unity".

Only a few months later Reagan was shot by John Hinkely Jr., whose family - strangely - was good friends with the Bush family. :foil:

It's an interesting yet incomplete picture. Lot's of powerful men who've built large fortunes around oil and other commerce tweaking the strings of American politics and politically motivated assassinations targeting those that threaten the power of these groups.

At this point I should point out the McCain is a member of these groups, Senator Clinton's husband is a member of these groups. Barack Obama is not. In fact - his message and vision fly in the face of what these groups want. These groups do NOT want an empowered people.

Considering what happened to the Kennedys, considering Reagan's running mate and what happened to him, considering Clinton's assassination comment, it would behoove Obama to very carefully consider whom he chooses as his running mate. I would suggest it NOT be someone belonging to or supported by these groups...