The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve

“This is a story about limitless money and hidden global power.”

Griffin opens the preface with this synopsis of his entire book. Although he explains many elements of banking, history, and politics, this summarizes his entire argument. In addition to his many organizational strategies, the sentence introduction focuses the reader on this singular concept.

“It is difficult to imagine any event in history—including preparation for war—that was shielded from public view with greater mystery and secrecy.”

Characterizing the Jekyll Island meeting as mysterious and secretive supports his conspiracy theory approach to argument. He also connects the Fed’s origin with political intrigue and war, two of his main themes.

“The new business model for America is clearly recognizable. Its dominant feature is the merger of government, real estate, and commerce into a single structure, tightly controlled at the top.”

Griffin’s commentary on the 2008 economic crisis foreshadows his later discussions of the New World Order. He argues that the Fed served to protect the banking elite in 1913, and the subprime crisis mirrors the concentration of power and control by adding real estate and corporations to the equation.