Bilderberg, Elite Consensus and the Media
Posted: 13/7/11 12:28 GMT
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ian-richardson/bilderberg-elite-membersh_b_894025.html?ir=UK
In case you hadn't noticed, the annual gathering of the transatlantic
power elite took place in St. Moritz in June and passed by without
too much fuss. Sure, awareness of Bilderberg is increasing, and the
crowds outside the event grow each year, but as the glare of
publicity shines with increasing intensity on this bastion of elite
networking and exclusivity, a number of important things become clear.
First, mainstream media coverage of the conference is increasing - at
least in Europe - but the focus remains almost exclusively on the
nature, and claims, of the conspiracy theory community. Reporting of
Bilderberg has become a pretext for discussion of the weird and
paranoid rather than any real attempt to engage with the question of
what function transnational elite networks perform in world affairs.
The reasons for this today are rather more prosaic than members of
the conspiracy theory community believe (although, in fairness, their
claim of media suppression of the story does have historical merit).
The idea, for instance, that a secret global cabal is pulling strings
and influencing world events is considered, frankly, laughable by
many in the media and the subject is, unsurprisingly, given a wide
berth by credible journalists. For others, i.e. those who participate
in the event, informal non-disclosure arrangements ensure privacy but
this doesn't really explain the continuing mystery surrounding the
group. Look at the headlines of journals such as The Economist around
the time of any Bilderberg conference, for example, and you'll get a
sense of the discussions that have taken place. No, the absence of
the real Bilderberg story has more to do with a fundamental failure,
on the part of journalists, to understand that there is a story to
report. Added to which, of course, the rather complicated realities
of world politics fade into insignificance when compared with the
entertainment value of patronizing conspiracy theorists.
Second, Bilderberg - and other exclusive policy networks such as the
World Economic Forum - are significant events in the transnational
elite calendar. While their effects are very subtle, it's quite wrong
to assume they do nothing. They perform a considerable function in
the development of narratives that provide legitimacy, as a basis for
action, in world affairs. It's in forums like this that policy
consensuses are formed, shaped and disseminated - and although the
process is often unconscious, the outcomes are in no way random or
accidental. Elite consensus is not some kind of natural or
transcendental consequence of elite interaction - it is the product
of discreet forces within the elite community. These forces
consistently emphasize favorable free trade and globalization agendas
and do so, despite conflicting evidence, on the pretext of delivering
greater degrees of global social and political harmony. While this
description is admittedly less sexy than that of a sinister cadre
plotting world domination, make no mistake: the consequences of these
discreet, and largely unquestioned, forms of elite consensus have far
reaching implications for all of us.
Third, the dependency relationship between media and policy elites is
central to our understanding of events and political realities.
There's nothing new here, of course, but what may surprise some
people is the extent to which the media has become an integral part
of the consensus formation process. It isn't, as some suggest, simply
invited in, or co-opted, for the purposes of spreading elite
worldviews. It is a willing and enthusiastic participant in the
formation, as well as dispersal, of such ideas. The presence of media
participants in elite policy networks is not evidence of a conspiracy
- it is a demonstration of the extent to which public, policy and
media agendas are interrelated in our liberal societies. And,
importantly, it signals a blurring of the lines between events and
the reporting of them. Because of its role in shaping consensus, both
within the elite community and beyond it, it's fair to suggest that
the media is no longer distinguishable from the subject of its own analysis.
Finally, elite networks are not consciously directing members to
think certain things and spread the word accordingly. The processes
of consensus formation at work in elite networks are far more
discreet than this and, bizarrely, have as much to do with personal
motivation and the lure of elite membership than many would care to
believe. Most people invited into these networks are unaware of any
kind of meaningful agenda - in fact, like organizers, they believe
this activity is non-partisan and discussion based. They don't see
the selection processes, the informal acknowledgements of club
membership, or the reassuring affirmation that only comes with being
seen to think the right thing.
Members of elite groups uniformly deny that their opinions are shaped
in any way but, ask them what they have learned or taken away, and
discover a significant consequence of the impact of elite networks.
Desperate to ingratiate themselves aspiring members of elite policy
groups - among them many representatives of the media - defer to the
dominant logic and personalities of the network. And, equally keen to
impress upon others what they've learned, and who they've been
fraternizing with, they unconsciously dispense this wisdom within
their own networks and constituencies.
There are, of course, many journalists who consciously and diligently
attempt to retain a sense of detachment but, the higher one ascends,
the more seductive the lure of elite membership becomes. The central
question, for those with an interest in democratic fundamentals, is
in figuring out exactly how detached our informed - and elite -
journalists really are.
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"Capitalism is institutionalised bribery."
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"The maintenance of secrets acts like a psychic poison which
alienates the possessor from the community" Carl Jung
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--
Please consider seriously the reason why these elite institutions are not discussed in the mainstream press despite the immense financial and political power they wield?
There are sick and evil occultists running the Western World. They are power mad lunatics like something from a kids cartoon with their fingers on the nuclear button! Armageddon is closer than you thought. Only God can save our souls from their clutches, at least that's my considered opinion - Tony
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