July 4, 1776, is the day Americans celebrate becoming a sovereign-nation. Soon thereafter, countries began to follow the same steps to become their own independent state. What if all that was for nothing? Today’s conspiracy involves much more than a presidential death, a mind control project, or a parallel universe. Notorious for not only having a name that sounds like a Star Wars title, the New World Order (NWO) conspiracy involves high government officials and secret, powerful groups from different parts of the world working together to eventually form a totalitarian government to control the world. Such a government would include one world leader, one world government, one world currency, and one world religion.

 The term “new world order” refers to  any new period of history showing a dramatic change in world political thought and the balance of power. The term has been previously used in a less fearful way by US President Woodrow Wilson in his Fourteen Points peace agreement, an attempt to unite the world with the League of Nations. This conspiracy, however, is not a peace treaty, and it is definitely not the kind of order Wilson was referring to.

 One secretive group who many correlate with the NWO is the Illuminati, who are said to use political finance, social engineering, and fear-based propaganda to fulfill their goals. Probably the most well-known sign of the NWO is the pyramid on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the US. Though the NWO has been around since the 1700’s, it is most noticeable today as a result of this past century’s global wars, political shifts, and media innovations.

 While a handful of conspiracies seem to be far-fetched, the imagination of children (and adults) cannot be controlled. Sophomore Jeremy White said, “When I was little, I would always read about the Illuminati and how its symbol can be seen on the dollar bill. Even though I do not believe it, it is still interesting to learn about it, and even kind of scary.” Even though a single world united (not really though) under one government seems far from possible of happening, some truly believe it has been planned out for hundreds of years. Whether it truly is happening or not, this generation will be lucky enough not to see such a thing happen.