Freemasonry and the New World Order

Record	OBS-0672
Category	Secret Societies/Groups
Status	DEBUNKED
Summary	Proponents claim that Freemasons, often in league with the Illuminati, secretly control world governments and are working to establish a totalitarian New World Order. This theory has been popular since the late 18th century and has been applied to various political events and figures.
Origin	The theory emerged in the late 18th century, particularly in France and Scotland, and gained traction with the publication of works linking Freemasonry to revolutionary conspiracies.
Claimed	Freemasons secretly control governments, especially in the US and UK. Freemasons are part of a centralized worldwide body that directs all Masonic Grand Lodges. Freemasons, along with the Illuminati, are working to establish a New World Order.
Evidence / consensus	There is no evidence of a centralized Masonic conspiracy controlling world affairs. Freemasonry is a decentralized fraternal organization with no unified political agenda. Claims of world domination are unsupported and widely rejected by historians and researchers.

> OBSERVER NOTE:
A classic bogeyman narrative. The lack of any centralized Masonic authority makes the alleged global coordination implausible on its face.

Sources

Sources are external and provided for verification. Listing does not imply the Observer endorses their claims.