by Texe Marrs
The Knights of Malta: Arm of the Vatican?
Another quite different group that my research indicates is deeply involved in the activities and plans of The Order is a strange yet significant organization known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, or SMOM. This group is intimately linked with international Freemasonry and with the men whom J.R. Church calls the “Guardians of the Grail.” Its membership call themselves Knights of Malta. One of these knights, the late William Casey, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Another, James Buckley, was chief of U.S. propaganda against Eastern Europe as leader of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. J. Peter Grace, the wealthy industrialist who was once accused of bringing Nazi war criminals to America, heads up North American operations for the Knights of Malta. 16
Reportedly, membership of the Knights of Malta numbers more than 70,000. Significantly, its main office is at the Vatican, and Pope John Paul II is a top supporter who has praised the work of the Knights in a special proclamation. 17
President Bush and the Skull and Bones Society
Some of the richest men in the world are Knights of Malta. Among them, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Simon, fast becoming a billionaire due to his acquisition of failed savings and loans, which he supposedly rehabilitates, and President George Bush’s brother, Prescott Bush, Jr.
It should be noted that President George Bush, now a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, was a Trilateralist (TLC), and while at Yale was initiated into a strange, arcane, possibly pro-Nazi secret society known as Skull and Bones. 18 Skull and Bones chooses only 15 graduates of Yale each year to be initiated into its secret organization. However, these men continue to promote the Brotherhood and guide each other’s destiny throughout the remainder of their lives.
A woman invader into the Skull and Bones sanctuary saw “a literal Nazi shrine.” She also stated that “one room on the second floor has a bunch of swastikas, kind of an SS macho iconography.” “Somebody,” she exclaimed, “should ask George Bush about the swastikas in there.” 19 Her story was confirmed by three other Yale University women who infiltrated the Skull and Bones sanctuary and went through its artifacts and occult paraphernalia.
The logo of Skull and Bones is that of a skull and bones with the cryptic and mysterious number “322” underneath. No one knows for sure exactly what the 322 means or stands for. Carefully documented research by Anthony Sutton, outlined in his authoritative book, The Skull And Bones Society, has demonstrated that this group was no doubt originally the brainchild of an esoteric, deeply hidden secretive society based in Germany.
According to another source, the number 322 derives from 322 B.C., the date of the death of the great Greek orator Demosthenes, who founded a society from which Skull and Bones is said to have its origin. It should be noted that in the name of Demosthenes is the root, demos, of the word democracy. However, check your dictionary and you will find that this greek root word, demos, means mob rule. 20
At least one other book has been written on this bizarre cultic society, the Skull and Bones, into which President George Bush, Winston Lord, former ambassador to China, and U.S. Senators David Boren of Oklahoma and John Chaffe of Rhode Island, among others, have been initiated. That book, by researchers Walter Isaacson and Evan Thomas, is titled The Wise Men.
Intrigue At The Vatican
That the Vatican and the Pope might be involved in the dark labyrinth of the secret societies may shock some readers. But those who have studied carefully the history of the Vatican and its dealings with secret societies over the centuries are not at all surprised. For many years the Vatican has maintained links with the various brotherhoods, orders, and secret societies that have flourished throughout Europe and the Middle East.
Some of the Catholic orders—for instance, the Jesuits—have themselves carried out secret operations and missions. A number of popes promoted the Great Crusades and during that era, the Knights Templar literally became a functionary of the Vatican—its designated agent in a holy war against the Moslems. In addition, mountainous evidence can be marshaled to demonstrate that today the Vatican is heavily infiltrated and influenced by Masonic interests. 21
Though space is too limited here to go into greater detail, I intend in a subsequent book to more exhaustively reveal the ongoing intrigue at the Vatican and its startling connections with agents of The Order.
Conspiracies Are Natural Occurrences
While the general public believes that conspiracies are rare and their circumstances mysterious, actually, a conspiracy is in the natural order of things. Lucifer began it all when he cunningly conspired against God. Failing in his scheme, he nevertheless was able to persuade one-third of the angels in Heaven to go along with his evil plot. Then, cast down to earth, he brought in Eve as an accomplice. Admittedly, she was an unwitting accomplice. Still, Eve disobeyed God and conspired with the devil for her own purposes. Then she went out and got another new convert, Adam, and they colluded together. Men and women, it seems, are natural lawbreakers... and natural conspirators as well.
The Mastermind Behind Conspiracies
Satan is a mastermind and inspirer of conspiracies. The Bible makes this crystal clear. It was by conspiracy that Jesus was killed. The Jewish leaders and the Sanhedrin plotted His death. They were even able to plant a spy in His midst—Judas, one of the twelve men in the world closest to our Lord. This was also a money-driven conspiracy: Judas was given 30 pieces of silver for his contribution to the conspiracy.
The schemers next brought a reluctant Pilate into their conspiracy. His motive was power, an intangible resource that he feared he might lose if a rebellion were to break out by associates of Jesus, who was accused by the Jews of plotting to become King and overthrow the Romans who then occupied Israel.
In the book of Acts, at Ephesus, we read of another money conspiracy. There, silversmiths and merchants plotted the death of Paul because they were afraid that their goddess Diana would lose popularity and they would lose money by not being able to sell crafts and souvenirs based on her worship. Indeed, all of the apostles were the target of conspirators among the pharisees, Judaizers, and the followers of Nero and those who succeeded him as Caesars of Rome.
Political Conspiracies Can Prove Deadly
Through conspiracy, Hitler was able with just a few evil men to seize control of the apparatus of an entire modem nation. A member of the secretive Thule Society, Hitler went on to initiate and oversee a World War that inflicted tens of millions of casualties and caused untold suffering and horror.
The same was true of Lenin in Russia. The Marxist conspiracy of Lenin was of international scope. It is known that Lenin received financial aid and encouragement from certain European monarchs who encouraged him to do his dirty work in Russia. Significantly, Lenin realized that the majority of the Russian people would not willingly back his radical brand of socialism. Therefore, he established what he called the “Dictatorship of the Proletariat” as a seed group to push forward his plans for dictatorial control of the vast Russian empire.
This, then, was a conspiracy led by a small but determined group willing to use money—or murder—to gain its objectives. And what were its objectives? In a word, control of money and the use of it. Lenin claimed his was a war and revolution against men of money, the capitalists. In effect, an entire society in Russia, as well as the hundreds of millions of people in China and elsewhere who eventually became slaves of similar Marxist conspiracies, were victimized because of men’s lust for money.
George Washington and other Conspirators
The American revolutionary heroes were conspirators against King George of England. In fact, they defiantly admitted their lawlessness, knowing full well that their conspiracy would cost them their lives if it failed. Indeed, if the British had won, each of the American “scoundrels and traitors,” as they were then called by the King and the loyalists, would have made quick trips to the gallows. Because t
hese men proved successful, history approvingly rewards them such epithets as “hero” and “fathers of their country.”
Interestingly, the origins of this rebellion can also be traced, at least partially, to money (“taxation without representation.”)
And More Conspiracies...
Today we are literally inundated with conspiracies. The mafia and other criminals operate drug rings and money laundering operations, colluding with corrupt bankers, reprobate air pilots, and tin-horn dictators in Central and South America for filthily earned greenbacks. They are conspirators.
Government regulators are constantly indicting stock market manipulators and insiders. Many are not caught, however, because they payoff the regulators and influence congressmen through illegal campaign contributions. Again, these are all evidences of conspiracies at work. And there is more such evidence.
The Watergate conspirators brought down the President of the United States and he was ousted from office in disgrace. Price fixing by automobile makers, oil companies, and airlines is epidemic and their collusion together behind closed doors is the mark of a conspiracy. J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI, wrote his famous book, Masters of Deceit, in which he exposed the workings of the worldwide communist spy network: a conspiracy. Indeed, the Central Intelligence Agency, the British Secret Service, the Israeli Mossad, and other intelligence agencies are involved in conspiracies. Such agents conspire together, using fake I.D.’s, secret passwords, codes and ciphers, disguises, ruses, secretive handshakes and other signals, as well as electronic surveillance, spy satellites, and cryptographic equipment to achieve their conspiratorial purposes.
Not too long ago, the wealthy Hunt brothers of Dallas conspired together to corner the world’s silver market. Their insider’s conspiracy was not successful, however, and they ended up bankrupt.
Common Characteristics of Conspirators
It can be seen that there are at least five common characteristics of conspirators. First, if they are successful in their conspiring, they may well become much admired role models and heroes, or even world leaders; many will also gain great affluence and join the ranks of the wealthy and decadent. A second characteristic is that the plans and schemes of the conspirators are usually formulated secretly behind closed doors. A conspiracy is a private covenant between partners. Third, conspirators often use wealth and power to influence government officials and even to bring entire governments into their conspiracy. Fourth, they spread out the money liberally to gain influence and access.
Fifth, although occasionally their motives are worthwhile, noble, and altruistic, most often the motives of conspirators are extremely selfish. Simply stated, they lust after power and hunger for riches. As the Bible so wisely reminds us, “For the love of money is the root of all evil...” (I Timothy 6:10).
The Order is a master at carefully orchestrating for its own tremendous advantage all five of these characteristics of conspiracies. And as we have seen, it accomplishes much of its work through front organizations. In the next chapter we will study the devious work of yet more such groups—those designed to influence and to sway public opinion and thus prepare the world for the final assault.
Chapter 3
When the Light Hits, the Dark Gets Tough
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise anymore... For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. (Revelation 18:11,17)
The distinct possibility of a major economic collapse and depression marks the end of history as we know it. (Jose Arguelles, Magical Blend)
The many organizations, groups, and secret societies that comprise The Order and its “network of light” are now mounting an intensive, unparalleled campaign of propaganda. This campaign is designed to convince us that the only solution to today’s complicated and perilous world problems is that offered by The Order: the globalism alternative—a One World Order led by a strong, universally acknowledged “wise” leader.
This unrelenting campaign is also intended to soften up the world and condition the masses for the gigantic blows to the economy that lie just ahead. It is expected that the advance “inside” information and predictions of The Order’s front men and organizations will, in retrospect, be viewed by thinking people as evidence of the wisdom and leadership possessed by such groups and their leaders.
Once the world sinks into financial chaos and fear and panic seize the public, it is expected that anxious, quite possibly desperate men and women will turn to these “experts” and ask them to take over institutions and quell the crisis by implementing their proposed unified New World Order.
This alone should clue us in to the insidious and deceptive nature of the evil men who plot the conspiracy that confronts us. These men are the very ones who have created the financial chaos and chilled the world’s economies in the first place, and they are to be the ones the whole world turns to for solutions! It is exactly this kind of dialectical situation and paradox in which The Order specializes.
Let us now examine some of the more important and influential propaganda organs supportive of the grand design of The Order.
The Economic Blueprint of the Hierarchy
The books published by the Lucis Trust are particularly enlightening. Alice A Bailey, founder of the Lucis Trust, actually revealed in the Externalization of the Hierarchy a brief outline of the economic plan of The Order. She also revealed its three major avenues of attack: “The three main channels through which the preparation of the New Age is going on might be regarded as the Church, the Masonic Fraternity, and the educational field.” 1
This coincides with my own findings that a great apostasy is now occurring within the Church and a movement is brewing to bring all the world’s religions into one. At the same time our schools have been infiltrated with occultic doctrines. The greatest achievement, however, of the Hierarchy, that shadowy group of demonic entities which oversees the conspiracy, is in the area of what Bailey has called the “Masonic Fraternity.” Here she is referring not only to the various orders of Freemasonry, but to all secret societies in general, for there is an ongoing networking among the various orders, brotherhoods and fraternities that together are loosely identified as the “Masonic Fraternity.”
Bailey goes on to say that certain “adepts” (initiates) who are “authorities of modern financial matters” have prepared to “inaugurate a system of barter and exchange.” This system, she says, will “supercede big business and private enterprise.” 2 There is also to be a “complete economic reorientation” by which “humanity is relieved of all economic anxiety.” 3
Moreover, Bailey maintains that there will be an “allover financial adjustment: the principal of sharing will be a recognized motivating concept of the new civilization.” Interestingly, Bailey adds that “when the adjuster of finances appears, national currencies will have been largely superceded... by a universal monetary exchange.”
And just how will this mystery man who is to act as the adjuster of finances accomplish the implementation of this new universal system?
Bailey’s answer is that:
...all of the assets of the nation-states, as well as the various commodities, and all the organs of private enterprise, as well as public utilities and indeed all of planetary wealth—iron, steel, oil and wheat, for instance—will be owned by a governmental, consulting international group under international direction. 4
To implement this bold plan it will be necessary to destructure civilization. In other words, tear down and destroy the current financial institutions in order to bring up from out of their ashes the new One World system under the firm control of what Bailey calls the “controlling international group.”
Earth Day Workers Preach of Economic Collapse
Jose Arguelles was a leader in the recent Earth Day, 1990 celebration and was the mastermind of the worldwide Harmonic Convergence of 1987. Arguelles has said that the latter event kicked off a five-year plan which includes the purificati
on of the earth and the work of destructuring civilization. To accomplish this, Arguelles and others are working to gain the support of intellectuals through the process of networking.
The success of this endeavor is apparent. As Jose Arguelles told one New Age magazine, “We are almost at the completion stage of bringing together all of the thousands of New Age groups, organizations, and churches.” 5
Evidently Jose Arguelles and other front men for the secret societies are actively preaching that an economic collapse is coming. They are preparing their disciples for a stock market crash, the issuing of the new money, and the organizing of the New International Economic Order. These people have evidently been told of at least some of the economic events that are soon to occur so that they can prepare their people for the rapid-fire succession of events and better gain an advantage.
Jose Arguelles, for example, told one interviewer, “The next few years are going to be rough weather. It is important that people be aware of this and prepare their lifeboats, as the industrial civilizations are passengers on a sinking ship.” Arguelles also warned his followers that “the distinct possibility of a major economic collapse and depression marks the end of history as we know it.” 6
Revealingly, Jose Arguelles advises his listeners to always remember this maxim: “When the light hits, the dark gets tough.” 7 Members of The Order and their lower echelon organizations claim to be “the light.” So Arguelles is apparently warning his cohorts to expect opposition to the coming financial, political, and social changes from those whom he characterizes as “the dark.”