This article does not display any of my personal political views. This article is designed to foster deeper thinking in regard to the media, the wealthy, who is in power, and the election, and to promote further public conversation.

If you've been living anywhere above ground for the past few months, chances are your focus has probably been drawn to the presidential candidates, that is, unless Trump also loves the poorly educated rock people, and therefore you, guy or girl who lives under a rock, probably also know all about the current race.

With extremes on both sides, politics has turned into an uncomfortably bad, yet realistic, SNL skit-- the kind you wish you could laugh at, but it touches on something way too real. At this point, I think we're all grasping, hoping, and praying that someone will come on our TV and phone screens and tell us that this whole thing was a joke, we can forget the damage that some of the candidates have caused, and that the real candidates are will be revealed shortly.

So maybe you're scared of Trump's discriminatory ability and power. Honestly, he will probably be the focus throughout most of this article just because he is the media giant of this election. Maybe you're scared of Bernie's socialism, or Hillary's catering to Wall Street and big corporations. Maybe you think that there's some great candidates, and many terrible ones.

Hate to break it to you, the candidates of the presidential election should be the least of your worries.

The actual power of the President of The United States is merely a grain of sand compared to the power of those who you've never even heard of.

Money makes the world go round, and the 1% families--A.K.A. money, arguably control every aspect of your life.

The Bilderberg Meetings

Believe it or not, there are people that control the top 3% of wealth in the entire world. It's not a conspiracy theory, it's not myth or hearsay, it's true. There are elite in this world that make major decisions that impact each of our lives. The Bilderberg Meeting is an annual event in which attendees such as Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and Charles Prince of Wales come together to discuss the future of the world--just to name a few. The guest list changes each year.

The Bilderberg website explains that the group holds "an annual conference designed to foster dialogue between Europe and North America. Every year, between 120-150 political leaders and experts from industry, finance, academia and the media are invited to take part in the conference." To read more about the group, visit the website here.

So what is discussed at these meetings? Absolutely no one except the elite in attendance know. No media is allowed and no agenda or minutes are ever to be released or published.

Author Daniel Estulin spent 14 years investigating and researching the happenings of the group in which he received inside information in regard to what happens when presidents, prime ministers, political leaders, and CEOs of driving financial power are put into one room. According to Estulin, their goals include ensuring perpetual war and nuclear blackmail.

What happens in these meetings? For just a small taste of the "coincidental" power of the Shadow Government that the Bilderberg Group has been called can be demonstrated in the following quote from a review on Estulin's book, The Truth Story of the Bilderberg Group:

Some of Estulin's findings include the group's objectives, with the most terrifying being a One World Government, in which there would be one unified and universal governing body, a universal legal system and a universal world currency.

Sure, take it with a grain of salt because unfortunately, none of these details in regard to the group will ever be confirmed or denied. But don't ignore the fact that there is proof that elite families with inexplicable amounts of world power do attend these groups and outwardly display agendas similar to what Estulin reported.

The Rothschild Family

It's probably pretty easy to get bored when your family has had the most money and most control of money since 1760. This family can be traced back to Mayer Amschel Rothschild who established the foundations of modern banking and financial management in the 1700's. Since then, this Jewish family has gone on to own and control the banks of every single country in the world except for 3. (The North Korean's probably don't have good enough cell service to respond.)

This is believed to be the wealthiest family in the entire world. Their wealth is not disclosed or presented on the Forbes list, because frankly their wealth would put the jaw-dropping net worth of the world's richest to shame.

Want to be freaked out even more? Members of this family have been indicted for stealing massive amounts of money from their British members who rely on the family business for financial counseling. Have you heard about it in the media? Of course not. Check out a full video on the indictment and the family here.

They constantly speak on the idea of supporting an international and flexible world currency as well as can be seen in this video.

Oh, and here are some photos from their 1972 Surrealist Ball that the family held. These will help you sleep tonight.

Why haven't you heard all this before?

Here, frighteningly enough, we're just barely scratching the surface of the money that truly does make the world go 'round. Journalism is what makes a democratic society function. It is the free marketplace of ideas that allows citizens to make informed choices.

Unfortunately, the idea that as a nation we all choose the political candidate is becoming a horrifying illusion. Our media is absolutely biased and messages are definitely framed. Look into the Murdoch family of Fox News, or the Turner family who founded CNN. Six major corporations control 90% of our media. Money changes the message, and in the case of the Bilderberg Meetings and the Rothschild family, if you have enough money, you don't have to release any message at all.

The media only has to show you what they want you to see. Not telling is not lying.

However, this can be changed if as an individual you conduct your own research, genuinely dig into the agendas of the individual politicians, educate yourself, and make informed decisions. Don't allow the media to tell you about your candidates. Don't allow the world to tell you what is happening. Experience it for yourself.

It's time to wake up.

Don't depend on mainstream media for all of your information anymore. From here on out, take everything you hear in the news with a grain of salt. It's up to you to take off those blinders that society lets you comfortably wear and put on your reading glasses. Dig deep, hunger to know more about your political decisions. We are at a point in time where it is crucial for us all to be awake. Will corruption ever not be an essential aspect of American politics? Unfortunately, it's unlikely. Pay close attention to where candidates funding comes from, and be an actively participating citizen. I'm not telling you that your vote doesn't count, or that the right president can make a change. I am however, telling you that power works by keeping those who have wealth and power up, and by keeping the knowledge of the wealthy's affairs low. If there is a "shadow government" of some sort that controls political leaders, then it's probably a safe bet to be educated, be active, and sponsor debate. Don't suppress the ideas you have that don't necessarily align with those that are standard democratic or republican ideas. Write about things you are passionate about, make people aware of the things you find and hear in your research. The more that society knows, the stronger society is. Remember how your elementary school teachers told you that knowledge is power? It is.

Now that you're awake, you can't dare say you haven't been warned.