The Illuminati *were* real...in Bavaria in the late 18th century. They were a group of freethinkers, including many noted intellectuals and progressive politicians of the time. The ruler of Bavaria, however, was a believer in enlightened despotism, and the Illuminati were banned along with other secret societies in 1785.

The Trilateral Commission *is* real. It's a group of 390 private citizens from Pacific Asia, Europe, and North America (hence, "trilateral") whose purpose is "to foster closer cooperation among these core democratic industrialized areas of the world with shared leadership responsibilities in the wider international system." Members meet annually, and their major work consists of reports on various topics deemed important; these reports are published annually as the "Triangle Papers" and are available to the general public).

Despite multiple conspiracy theories to the contrary, there is no evidence that the Illuminati have survived as an organization to the present day (although several groups have taken the name in one form or another). Similarly, although the Trilateral Commission is made up of powerful individuals, there is no evidence that the group as a whole has any influence over governments, or even that it holds unified positions on any given topics.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati
http://www.trilateral.org/about.htm
http://www.trilateral.org/projwork/tfrsgen.htm


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