Conspiracy? I think one should read the definition of "Conspiracy" first prior to making any comments. One of the best "Conspiracies" in US history took place in 1931 by Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The brains of Meyer Lansky united New Yorks Five Families under: Lucky Luciano, Joseph Bonanno, Joe Profaci, Vincent Mangano, and Tommy Gagliano to control the entire American underworld. Was it a "Conspiracy"; of course. A conspiracy so big that it boasted the comment by Lansky
"We are bigger than U.S. Steel.": a multi-billion dollar company in those days....
So anyone who says "conspiracies" don't happen or state any that place forward some theory is a "nut job", might take a second look at their "politically incorrect" history texts.
For a good example research the historical specificities of The British Fabian Socialist Society:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabian_Society Please make sure you notice the names boasted within their roster. Than there is their ideological cohorts within the ADL, CFR, UN and even the american Skull and Bones which I believe has connections via John Ruskin and Bertrand Russell. Hellfire Clubs were very popular in Europe and probably still are...
This is just the establishments we haven't even delved into the "New Age" or "Age of Enlightenment", Theosophy, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, neo-Platonism, Mithraism, Luciferianism, Thelema, and Neopaganism which seems to be sprouting up today. There's the Rosicrucianism, Alchemists, Esoteric Christianity, Magi, Mantra, Tantra, Tantrics, Zoastarism, Nazism, Satanism...
All sound rediculous but they do exist and many of their practicioners are members or affilliates to the highest of the elite. One would be a fool to think otherwise. Read about Manley P. Hall, Madam Blavatsky, Alice/Foster Bailey, Alister Crowley, Anton LeVay...
There was a fabulous link I posted here a year or so ago which was an e-copy of Hanah Newman's "The Rainbow Swastika" which delves into the "Age of Aquarius/Enlightenment"- New Age/Theosophy and gives very good connections between it and many of the most "prestegious" organizations and people in the West: United Nations and American Academia. Now this is only one read but combine this with the history of the Educational system by John T. Gatto or Charlotte Thompson Iserbyte one will see a slew of common names and information relating them all together without question and with publically recorded documents/knowledge. Margrette Meade is a good name to toss out as is John Dewey, H.G.Wells, Bertrand Russell, Alger Hiss, Owen Lattimore.....E.M. House ....
Sorry to digress... I was trying to paint a picture...