The best antidotes to conspiracy theories are facts.

-The Illuminati was formed in 1776 in Bavaria, Germany, and at best lasted for 50 years, but more likely about 25 years. It was anti-clerical (anti-Catholic) and had a peak membership of about 650 members. Some people claimed it was responsible for the French Revolution.

-The Freemasons formed in 1717, but had lodges going back to around 1580, in England. It was semi-Protestant, but incorporated pagan rituals and gave itself a mythological history claiming that it began in ancient Egypt. It spread to mainland Europe and the Americas. In France it was more radical and some of its members were involved in the French Revolution. In the British colonies in what became the USA, it was more conservative with its members rejecting European radicalism. A few of the American Founders were Freemasons, like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, but most of the Founders were not, especially the ones who compiled the Constitution and Declaration such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. In the USA it is primarily a social gathering and its members tend to have middle-of-the-road political views. Since each lodge is independent, there is no Masonic "pope" to pass out orders to all the other ones.

-The Skull and Bones society started out a fraternity at Yale University and is now co-ed, but still exists only at Yale. Conspiracy theorists pick on Skull and Bones because a lot of politicians were one members, but there is no single political viewpoint. Some former members were conservative (William F. Buckley, George Bush) and others liberal and progressive (Lanny Davis, John Kerry, Austin Goolsbee [a member of the Obama administration]). They engage in the usual college pranks and made up stories about themselves. If they were a Greek fraternity they probably would receive all this notoriety.

-The Council on Foreign Relations is a think tank that invites scholars, researchers and politicians to discuss and debate foreign affairs and even puts out a journal called Foreign Affairs. Members come from all of the world and have different points of view. It does promote free trade.

-The Bilderberger is a primarily European conference that meets to promote better relations between Europe and the Americas. Meetings are kept secret because participants are free to speak their minds. Some people claim that they are really a cabal that dictates to American political parties and don't like their secrecy.

-The Rothschilds are a European Jewish banking family who are politically moderate to liberal but who are pro-Zionist, and support Jewish causes. Since they are Jews that should be expected. Some people claim they supported the Bolsheviks and Nazis, which makes no sense. Actually during World War II the Nazis captured their banks and some of them fled to the USA. They have been accused of funding wars, but funding the bad guys makes no economic sense because if the bad guys won they'd take over their banks. That's why during the Napoleanic Wars they gave loans to the British. Currently one member of the Rothschild family is on the New York Federal Reserve board. He has no more power than any other member.

-The Rockefellers. An American banking family descended from billionaire John D. Rockefeller. Some went into politics, like Nelson Rockefeller, a Republican, and Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat. They are connected with the Chase Manhattan Bank, the Rockefeller Center, and help fund many colleges and universities. Politically they lean liberal-left to Progressive (used to be more conservative). Some members of this family are also on the Federal Reserve.

-The Tri-Lateral Commission: This is a non-partisan group founded by David Rockefeller to foster better relations between the USA, Europe and Japan, but has expanded to North America, Europe and the Pacific. Zbigniew Brzezinski, who worked in the Jimmy Carter administration, is the director, so this suggests that it's a left-leaning group.