One of the many interesting anomalies of this 2016 Presidential election campaign has been the re-emergence of the concept of The Establishment. Back in the sixties this was a fairly common expression, used by an aroused, engaged generation to describe the loose-knit cooperative of corporate, banking and military institutions who pooled their influence to exert control over politicians and policy.

But over the intervening years the term has fallen into disuse. Perhaps it was targeted by the CIA psy-op campaign against conspiracy theories; a brilliant piece of thought-control by which any suggestions of secret, organized governmental malfeasance was systematically reduced to absurdity by their media minions.

Whatever the reason, the idea of the very existence of The Establishment fell out of favor as well, and gone with it was any easy or acceptable expression to describe the existence of a coordinated syndicate of powerful people and institutions exerting influence and control over the actions and policies of our government.

All of this changed this election season as the nomination of both parties was challenged by outsiders Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. Suddenly, the political machine which has run so smoothly for several decades seems to have blown a gasket. With both Trump and Sanders thumbing their noses at political convention, raising anti-establishment issues that have resonated powerfully with voters who feel alienated and betrayed by machine candidates like Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush; the agenda of The Establishment is in jeopardy for the first time in decades.

With ever-increasing numbers of Americans rejecting their chosen candidates, the Establishment Elites have been flushed out into the open – forced to throw more of their millions at their lackey candidates and putting ever more pressure on their media partners to attack and undermine the Trump and Sanders campaigns and put an end to this political uprising that threatens their hard-bought status quo.

In an effort explain why a Rubio, or Kasich or even Cruz are still in the race, the corporate-owned mass media has been compelled to report on The Establishment’s support and preference for any candidates other than Trump and Sanders – and in doing so they have also unwittingly exposed a truth that has been hidden from the public for a very long time… The Establishment Exists!

Obviously this is not exactly breaking news for the conspiracy-minded like you or me. But for conspiracy-suppressing major media this is a massive break in protocol!  To admit that there is a group of elites who actively opposes any candidates who might threaten their control of the political process is to admit that there is an elite group that controls the political process!

And for all of you conspiracy-deniers who typically roll your eyes whenever someone mentions The Establishment or rails against The Powers That Be, this present’s a new cognitive challenge for you: Do you go on believing the previous media-programming that ridiculed any suggestion that The Establishment was anything more than the fevered fantasies of delusional conspiracy theorists… or do you update your establishment-disbelief to accommodate their most recent revelations?

The fact is The Establishment exists. It has always existed. There have always been rich and powerful people and they have always colluded with one another to enhance their wealth and privilege and secure their ruling class status. What is new- at least in the past 30 years or so – is the levels of subtlety and sophistication these masters of the universe bring to their cooperative treachery. They hide their collusion behind benign-sounding organizations like The Council on Foreign Relations, they construct their self serving agendas in get-togethers like the Bilderberg Group and the Bohemian Grove, and they dispense their elitist philosophy through secret organizations like the Freemasons, the Skull and Bones and the Rosicrucians. They have learned to how to hide – often in plain sight – preventing we, the unwashed masses, from seeing their systems of control and manipulation.

But these people – though they avoid the spotlight – do exist. These secret organizations – although their membership and activities are never divulged – do exist. Their elitist agendas – although they are very carefully hidden from we common folks – do exist.

Now, you might suggest that since The Establishment has come out publicly in opposition to the candidacies of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, then surely voting for either of these candidates is the right choice for people who seek to overthrow the status quo…

Maybe… But there is no guarantee.

Barack Obama’s election was all about “Change” but in practice, his administration and policies were in many ways shockingly similar to the Bush and Clinton administrations that preceded his. Similarly, there is no compelling reason to believe that Bernie Sanders would hold to his progressive policies as President – or that he would be able to push through any his campaign promises if he did. And as for Trump, yes, you might make the case that he would be the rare President not susceptible to intimidation and manipulation by the mega rich and powerful… but I think that first and foremost, Trump is a businessman and an opportunist. And despite his rhetoric about making America great again, I can’t help thinking that this profligate pitchman – who has plastered his name on every building, business, and product imaginable – is hardly done making money. He most certainly has his sights set on the negotiating leverage he’ll have – and the money he’ll make – when he’s cutting deals from the oval office of “The Most Powerful Man in the World.”

As it stands now, come November you’ll likely get to choose between Hillary Clinton: the Wall Street, Corporation, Military Industry and Billionaire darling; and Donald Trump: the Opportunistic, Socially Ambitious, Self-Promoting, Reality TV Host, Mega-Billionaire wannabe.

So cast your vote and pick your poison.

But this time, lets not be surprised when our standard of living continues to decline, our freedoms and privacy continue to erode, we are subjected to more monetary debasement, confiscatory taxes, economic collapse, false-flag terror, endless-ongoing wars… all while somehow, The Establishment goes on.

Let’s not be surprised when our votes don’t change anything for us… because they never do.