# Trilateral Commission **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 1, 2011, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trilateral-commission/583938 "2011-06-01T06:51:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drivekiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@drivekiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drivekiller)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trilateral-commission/583938/1 "2011-06-01T06:51:44Z")
I feel I have to comment on the 17/23 correlation. That’s 17 / 23 = 0.739130435, a pretty good approximation of the golden mean. And Proverbs 17:23 appears to be about accepting bribes… Here we have a ratio used in all kinda ruling class aesthetics going back to ancient Greece and which just happens to call to mind a Biblical proverb about corruption. So you can see how this all fits if you are prone to seeing patterns. Of course, the writer is nuts — he got to 17/23 by way of an anagram. Surely everyone knows by now that 3172 is the year our alien overlords will return. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trilateral-commission/583938/2 "2011-06-01T12:16:46Z")
Just so no one else wastes their time thinking about it: The Gold Ratio (or mean) is about 1.618. It’s inverse is about .618, the two being exactly one apart is key. Neither is close to 17/23. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trilateral-commission/583938/3 "2011-06-01T13:37:03Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Neither is close to 17/23. Of course it isn’t. If it was, we know when the aliens are coming. The fact that they’re concealing their plans proves they’re up to no good.