Round Up the Usual Suspects

At the end of Casablanca (1942), Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) famously orders his men too, “round up the usual suspects.” He knows they will not find the man who murdered an important Nazi officer, but he needs someone to pin the crime on and act like he is doing his job. A similar attitude exists among Conspiracy Theorists (CTers), who immediately go to their favorite boogiemen organizations, their usual suspects, anytime something bad happens. Unlike Captain Renault, however, CTers believe their actions constitute a real investigation.

While not comprehensive, the following list gives an overview of several groups alleged to be running, or part of, a global conspiracy, along with some reasons why these accusations do not hold up to scrutiny.

The Freemasons, originating from medieval stonemasons’ guilds, have evolved into the world’s largest fraternal organization, with an estimated six million members globally. Despite their charitable work and community service, they’ve been accused of everything from controlling governments to harboring Satanic beliefs. Notably, the Nazis banned Freemasonry, viewing it as a threat to their ideology, which underscores the absurdity of claims that Freemasons control global politics. The logistical impossibility of a loosely organized, diverse group like the Freemasons orchestrating global events is evident when considering the independence of each lodge and the varied interests of its members.

The Bavarian Illuminati, founded in 1776 and disbanded by 1785, aimed at promoting Enlightenment ideals such as reason and secularism. Despite its short existence, conspiracy theories have inflated its influence to ludicrous proportions. The Illuminati’s real history shows a group struggling with internal dissent and external suppression, hardly the omnipotent force conspiracy theorists imagine. The group’s disbandment by the Bavarian government and the subsequent persecution of its members, along with their open society aspirations, highlight the impracticality of this defunct organization controlling modern global affairs.

Bohemian Grove, a private retreat for influential men, has been operational since 1872. The sensationalism around its activities, like the “Cremation of Care” ceremony, is a gross misinterpretation of what is essentially a gathering for relaxation and informal talks. The diverse backgrounds of its members, from politics to entertainment, make the notion of a unified agenda for global control far-fetched. The infiltration by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, which did more to mythologize than to reveal any sinister plots, underscores the tendency of conspiracy theories to distort rather than uncover truth.

The CFR, established in 1921, is a think tank that fosters discussion on foreign policy and international relations. Conspiracy theories alleging its involvement in a globalist plot ignore the public nature of its research and the diversity of opinions within its ranks. The CFR’s role in policy debate is far from the clandestine manipulation of global affairs as conspiracy theorists claim. The complexity of international relations cannot be boiled down to the influence of a single organization.

Since its inception in 1954, the Bilderberg Group has been a forum for informal discussions among North American and European political leaders, business executives, and other influencers. The idea that such a diverse group could form a unified “shadow world government” ignores the complexity of global politics and the often conflicting interests of its attendees. The group’s meetings, while private, are hardly the setting for the nefarious plotting of global domination as imagined by conspiracy theorists.

Founded in 1968, the Club of Rome is an organization that focuses on global challenges. Its publication, “The Limits to Growth,” sparked controversy for its dire predictions about the consequences of unchecked growth. Conspiracy theories misinterpret the Club’s intentions, suggesting a nefarious plot to de-industrialize nations and control population growth. The scientific basis of their work and the real, pressing issues they address, such as climate change and resource depletion, are often overlooked by those peddling baseless theories.

The Lizard People conspiracy, which claims that shape-shifting reptilian humanoids control the world by assuming human form to gain political power, is a bizarre blend of science fiction and age-old prejudices. Tracing its roots back to the pulp fiction era and significantly popularized by British CTer David Icke in the 1990s, this theory suggests that these beings, part of the so-called “Babylonian Brotherhood,” include many of the world’s leaders and are responsible for significant global events. Despite its outlandish premise, the theory has found a surprisingly large following, with as many as 12 million Americans reportedly believing in it, according to a 2013 survey. The theory’s persistence highlights a deep-seated human tendency to find fantastical explanations for complex societal issues, often intertwining with anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant sentiments. Unfortunately, its lack of any credible evidence and its roots in speculative fiction do not seem to deter its adherents.

QAnon, a relatively recent addition to the pantheon of conspiracy theories, stands out for its complete detachment from reality, while still seeming to be slightly more reasonable than something like the Lizard People. It amalgamates various unfounded allegations, from political sabotage to child trafficking rings, without a shred of evidence and borrows heavily from long-popular Jew-hating tropes. The danger of QAnon lies not in its basis in fact but in its ability to spread misinformation and foster distrust in institutions. The theory’s lack of a coherent structure or real organization behind it further illustrates the baselessness of its claims, but like so many conspiracy stories, true believers take comfort in the idea that a lack of evidence is evidence of a massive cover-up. A particularly unique aspect of the QAnon conspiracy is that this story not only has villains but it also has a savior, a messiah. And his name is, Donald Trump.

The antisemitic conspiracy theory alleging a global Jewish cabal has been a harmful and baseless myth with a long and dark history, going all the way back to the Middle Ages. Its persistence — despite being thoroughly debunked over and over again, and despite the horrors of the Holocaust — is a testament to the dangerous power of conspiracist thinking to fuel prejudice and violence. The adaptability of this theory to nearly any societal anxieties has unfortunately contributed to its longevity, making it both the oldest and most pernicious fake conspiracy organization the world has ever seen.

This brief overview of vilified and fabricated organizations demonstrates why we should not delve into the complexities of global events with a simplistic mindset. Every time a new generation of conspiracy theorists goes looking for who really runs the world, they find an answer, despite the fact that these answers are absurd and contradictory. Only by acknowledging the fact that the world is too chaotic and complicated for anyone to control can we begin to assess what is actually happening. It is crucial to approach history with critical thinking skills and a commitment to factual accuracy, rather than indulging in imaginative storytelling and a relentless pursuit of The Conspiracy.