Guardians of Knowledge

1959 The Beginning

Every attendee left the meeting sporting a similar look of resolve that no one had imagined possible during the days and months leading up to this secret conclave of the world’s ultra-wealthy and powerful. The only thing these members had in common was that they were excessively rich and powerful, and they wanted more of both. This gathering had been created to devise a way for them and their descendants to codify a system that would ensure their status and power far into the distant future. After extensive debate, the plan that was agreed upon was relatively simple.

1. As new technology is invented, it will be absorbed by existing corporations.

2. All politicians will, at some point in their career, owe their campaign funding to one or more members of this conclave.

3. Higher education must be limited to the more affluent in our societies, and the only subjects taught will be the ones that benefit our agenda.

4. Last and by far the most important of all, this alliance must now and forever be committed to the dumbing down of the masses. The smarter the general population becomes, the less control we will have over them.

1961

Two years passed, and the four principles of the conclave had begun to be implemented, but it takes time to reshape global society into what these demigods considered perfect. Outside forces such as Communism and the Vietnam War were helping the transformation process, but there were obstacles. Benjamin Franklin was quoted as saying, “Three people can keep a secret if two of them are dead.” No truer words were ever spoken. The ratified accords were supposed to be kept a secret, but that proved to be wishful thinking. During his farewell address to the nation, President Dwight D. Eisenhower included a warning to the masses about the hazards presented by the military-industrial complex.

People listened, but most either didn’t understand or didn’t care. During that time in history, the majority of humanity remained clawing their way back from a devastating economic recession and were happy to see industry once again prosper the way it had during WWII. Besides, the new president, John F Kennedy, in his inauguration speech, proclaimed to the country and the world, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Eisenhower’s warning was pummeled to the ground by the masses' patriotic zeal and buried.

It took an assassinated president and thousands of dead young soldiers and sailors, but finally the people woke up to the fact that the real reason for the war was to make the rich richer and keep the not-so-fortunate in their place. Civil unrest became the norm, but the industrial puppeteers had anticipated this and were ready with a solution: replace the old crisis with a new one.

1975

Sergeant David Cooper couldn’t be any happier. Finally, after 13 months of dodging bullets, crawling through thick jungle vegetation, and slogging through mosquito-infested rice paddies, he would be boarding a plane for home in the morning. The war was drawing to an end, but after surviving a year in this God forsaken place, he still didn’t know why he was there. After he and his fellow soldiers left, the North Vietnamese government would move in, and everything would revert back to the way it was. Once he was home, none of that would matter. He would find a job, hopefully at the local library; reading was one of his passions, so what better place to work, finish his degree, and build a life. At least that was his plan. As everyone knows, things never go according to plan.

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