Shadow government (conspiracy)
Encyclopedia
The term shadow government besides its party political meaning
can also refer to what is sometimes called "the secret government" or "the invisible government" , an idea based on the notion that real and actual political power does not reside with publicly elected representatives (for example the United States Congress
or the UK Cabinet) but with private individuals who are exercising power behind the scenes beyond the scrutiny of democratic institutions. According to this belief the official elected government is in reality subservient to the shadow government who are the true executive power.
Conspiracy-oriented literature postulates the existence of a secret government who are the true power behind the apparent government. Examples of such literature include works by Dan Smoot
, William Guy Carr
, Jim Marrs
, Carroll Quigley
, Gary Allen
, Des Griffin
, David Icke
and John Coleman
. Also popularizing the idea was the hit US television show, The X-Files
.
In his novel Coningsby
, Benjamin Disraeli stated that "The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes". One definition of a shadow government is a "secret government within the government". This secret government is the "real" government that controls the legitimate and visible government's agenda
. The network of people constituting this secret government are bound by some common agenda known only to each other and/or the people they represent. The agenda may be that of a secret society
who have infiltrated the government (examples include Freemasons, Skull and Bones
men or Illuminati
sts). In this case the agenda of the network is known only to those members who are bound by an oath of secrecy.
The shadow government is also considered by popular authors to be behind black budget
projects and covert operations.
One of the most popular conspiracy theories about a shadow government among ideologues of the antisemitic far-right is the notion of a "Zionist Occupation Government
".
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
can also refer to what is sometimes called "the secret government" or "the invisible government" , an idea based on the notion that real and actual political power does not reside with publicly elected representatives (for example the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
or the UK Cabinet) but with private individuals who are exercising power behind the scenes beyond the scrutiny of democratic institutions. According to this belief the official elected government is in reality subservient to the shadow government who are the true executive power.
Conspiracy-oriented literature postulates the existence of a secret government who are the true power behind the apparent government. Examples of such literature include works by Dan Smoot
Dan Smoot
Howard Drummond Smoot , better known as Dan Smoot, was an FBI agent and a conservative political activist...
, William Guy Carr
William Guy Carr
William James Guy Carr was a Canadian naval officer and an author. Though his accounts of wartime naval experiences found a general audience, he is best remembered today as a conspiracy theorist, "the most influential source in creating the American Illuminati demonology", according to the...
, Jim Marrs
Jim Marrs
Jim Marrs is an American former newspaper journalist and New York Times best-selling author of books and articles on a wide range of alleged cover ups and conspiracies. Marrs is a prominent figure in the JFK conspiracy press and his book Crossfire was a source for Oliver Stone's film JFK...
, Carroll Quigley
Carroll Quigley
Carroll Quigley was an American historian and theorist of the evolution of civilizations. He is noted for his teaching work as a professor at Georgetown University, for his academic publications, and for his research on secret societies.- Biography :Quigley was born in Boston, and attended...
, Gary Allen
Gary Allen
Gary Allen was an American conservative journalist.-Background:As a student, Allen was majoring in history at Stanford University and studied at California State University, Long Beach. He was a prominent member of the John Birch Society, of which he was a spokesman...
, Des Griffin
Des Griffin
Des Griffin is an American right-wing writer and system critic. Writing from a firmly Christian standpoint, he is mainly interested in global agendas and especially the topic of the New World Order, as declared by President George HW Bush on March 6, 1991....
, David Icke
David Icke
David Vaughan Icke is an English writer and public speaker, best known for his views on what he calls "who and what is really controlling the world." Describing himself as the most controversial speaker in the world, he has written 18 books explaining his position, and has attracted a substantial...
and John Coleman
John Coleman (author)
John Coleman is an author and analyst of world affairs. He claims to have been a British Intelligence Officer for MI6 who has written several books and numerous papers analyzing the power structure of the world...
. Also popularizing the idea was the hit US television show, The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
.
In his novel Coningsby
Coningsby (novel)
Coningsby, or The New Generation, is an English political novel by Benjamin Disraeli published in 1844.-Background:The book is set against a background of the real political events of the 1830s in England that followed the enactment of the Reform Bill of 1832...
, Benjamin Disraeli stated that "The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes". One definition of a shadow government is a "secret government within the government". This secret government is the "real" government that controls the legitimate and visible government's agenda
Political agenda
A political agenda is a set of issues and policies laid out by an executive or cabinet in government that tries to influence current and near-future political news and debate....
. The network of people constituting this secret government are bound by some common agenda known only to each other and/or the people they represent. The agenda may be that of a secret society
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
who have infiltrated the government (examples include Freemasons, Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones is an undergraduate senior or secret society at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. It is a traditional peer society to Scroll and Key and Wolf's Head, as the three senior class 'landed societies' at Yale....
men or Illuminati
Illuminati
The Illuminati is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically the name refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on May 1, 1776...
sts). In this case the agenda of the network is known only to those members who are bound by an oath of secrecy.
The shadow government is also considered by popular authors to be behind black budget
Black budget
A black budget is a budget that is secretly collected from the overall income of a country, a corporation, a society of any form, a national department, and so on. A black budget usually covers expenses related to military research. The budget is kept secret for national security reasons.Philip...
projects and covert operations.
One of the most popular conspiracy theories about a shadow government among ideologues of the antisemitic far-right is the notion of a "Zionist Occupation Government
Zionist Occupation Government
Zionist Occupation Government or Zionist Occupied Government is an antisemitic conspiracy theory which holds that Jews secretly control a given country, while the formal government is a puppet regime....
".
External links
- Barton Gellman and Susan Schmidt with contribution from Mary Lou White, "Shadow Government Is at Work in Secret: After Attacks, Bush Ordered 100 Officials to Bunkers Away From Capital to Ensure Federal Survival," Washington Post, March 1, 2002; Page A01.
- Spencer S. Hsu, "Bush Changes Continuity Plan: Administration, Not DHS, Would Run Shadow Government," Washington Post, May 10, 2007; Page A12.
- The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis A PBS Documentary Transcript
- The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis A PBS Documentary Video
- The Shadow Government: Identification and Analysis
- Banking Cartel cause of humanity's owes
- Youtube video Money, Banking and Federal Reserve