The dichotomy between the growing enlightenment of the American people on matters of public policy and the deepening entrenchment of corporate power in civil, political and economic institutions renders any optimism about the uprooting of corporate rule problematic. One of the gateways to the nexus of power in Washington has been the Trilateral Commission, an organization whose primary purpose has been to appropriate the pervasive powers of executive and legislative institutions for captains of industry. While many of the Trilateralists' objectives have been partially or completely realized, at the same time the public is becoming increasingly aware that their government is not serving their interest. For example, the financial bailout, critically flawed healthcare reform, cap and trade and wars to protect the security of Americans have been rejected by the public at various times as viable solutions to the crises facing Americans. Corporate power has been established through campaign donations, lobbying and the revolving door between government officials, regulators and members of the corporate or lobbying community. Health, pharmaceutical, energy, financial, manufacturing and technological industries have tentacles firmly gripping powerful members of the government including the president, high-ranking members of the bureaucracy, chairs of committees and subcommittees, Speaker of the House and Majority leaders, and executive and legislative advisors. Evaluating the degree to which the Commission has succeeded in its objectives requires an examination of their impact on education, mass media, marginalizing intellectuals, and creating distractions in order to induce apathy.