3. "Jimmy Carter and the Trilateral Commission"

The Trilateral Commission (TLC), though last year's number one choice for the "Ten Best Censored Stories of 1976," has been renominated, as this monumentous story still has had very limited press coverage.

The idea for the Commission came from David Rockefeller, of Chase Manhattan Bank, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the late 60's, with his fears that the "excess of democracy" was curbing both the power and flexibility of the U.S. government's world interventions which would minimize chances for situations favorable to U.S. capital and the multinational corporations. The purpose of the group is to bring together multinational business executives, politicians, and a few union leaders, from Western Europe, the United States, and Japan -- the world's industrial giants -- into a policymaking alliance designed to dictate world policies and exploit citizens for economic gains.

The first step in the plan was to gain control of the legislative branch of the U.S. government by selecting, in 1973, an ambitious and capable presidential candidate, an unknown peanut farmer from Georgia, with no political base, to be a founding member of the Trilateral Commission and then providing his education in international politics. Jimmy Carter was elected with the help of the 200 odd Commissioners, including the heads of CBS and Time. This was followed by the new President's appointment of TLC members to all the policy making roles in the U.S. government. A few examples of Trilateral Commission members, other than Carter himself, are, Zbigniew Brzezinski, National Security Advisor to the President; Walter Mondale, Vice President; Cyrus Vance, Secretary of State; Harold Brown, Secretary of Defense; and W. Michael Blumenthal, Secretary of the Treasury.

Every one of Carter's major moves so far has been in precise accord with the group's recommendations. Their general 'band aid' plan includes (1) a new economic planning agency attached to the White House; (2) some unspecified way of eliminating the pervasive suspicion of the motives and powers of political leaders; (3) reinvigoration of political parties accomplished mainly by making it legal for corporations to support them; (4) check upon the abuses of power by the press to include tougher libel laws against journalists who insult decision makers; (5) reduced spending for education as it leads to frustration, criticism, and disrespect; (6) government subsidies to major corporations to design unspecified new modes of organization that will head off irresponsible blackmailing techniques; (7) a new institute for strengthening of democratic institutions at the public's expense.

The potential effects of this organization on, not only our society, but the rest of the world qualify this story to be nominated as a "best censored story."

SOURCES:

"The Making of a President," by Robert Manning, Penthouse, September, 1977, p. 118+.
"Cartergate: The Death of Democracy," by Craig S. Karpel, Penthouse November, 1977, p. 69+.
"Where Jimmy Went Wrong," by Taylor Branch, Esquire, May, 1977, p. 28-21.