@ Sugarfoot Jack - and they all agree, right? On aims and goals, methods and boundaries. They all like and trust each other, too.

Nope. Far more likely, to my mind, is just like although collusion of competitors in your local town is forbidden, a smart businessman/woman knows what his or her competition is offering.

I have no trouble believing - and no problem with - that corporations and individuals from all over the world gather together and try to discern trends - political, financial, social, regulatory - both short term and long term. Makes sense to me. It also makes sense to me that there is also collusion with attendant corruption. We are human beings, after all. As are they.

Having that equate to these same corporations and individuals being not only evil but all-knowing and smart is about as logical as belileving that Zeus and Athena and Hera are up there manipulating the strings and laughing their heads off.