by Jeremy Begin

Throughout the centuries there have been rumors of a secret elite manipulating world events for various nefarious purposes. Theories about groups like the Masons, the Illuminati, the Elders of Zion, and others have ranged from the ridiculous and racist to eerily accurate. Today we live in a world where an openly acknowledged elite wields vast and often unquestioned power. For example, the economic activities of many transnational corporations dwarf the gross domestic product of most nations, and the richest three men in the world control more wealth than the 47 poorest countries combined. The shadowy ritual chambers of 19th century secret societies seem an impossible distance from the gleaming board rooms where CEOs and bankers meet today, and yet a fusion of the two continues, albeit far away from the glaring lights of modern news media.