First, you will understand lots of things easier if you read at least the first book of the Isaac Asimov "Foundation" series.
Then, I've been researching this for a looooong time.
Also you will waddle through lots of crazy stuff, trying to find the gems.
I only started to find out, what information matters, and what don't, what is real and what is just nutjob ideas, after I met some particular people in real life.
Also there are deep religious issues on this, and some fringe stuff (for example: the ex-wife and some more people related to a known member of Group A claimed that he rose to power in his country using black magic).
But a good start, is research about what is Thelema (and its followers), who is Antonio Gramsci, what is Frankfurt School, what is Muslim Brotherhood, the islamic plans for gold standard, Colonel Gadaffi push for gold standard, Punks, Cyberpunks and Cypherpunks, Saddam Hussein push for oil be sold for Euro (instead of USD), Sunni vs Shia wars, pro-Assad christians.
These are the stuff I remember where real facts are easier to find.
Other things that I would mention here are too bizarre and hard to understand, and filled with misinformation.
Also if you decide to research this stuff, caution to who you talk, you might get dragged into the thing (and let me tell you, it is not pretty, I had two serious close calls recently).
Of course, like the OP, you might get dragged into it anyway.
It may sound cliche, but fiddling with that stuff, that I learned how serious the phrase "And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you" is dead serious.