There is no update.
It’s what is known as a “No Report.”
Let’s not forget, this is one of the largest, most devastating natural disasters in a long time.
And Captain Miscavige has proudly announced on numerous occasions that His Volunteer Minister force is the single largest and most effective private relief force on earth. And of course with all that massive, straight up and vertical international expansion that has been happening, more in the last 5 years than in the 50 decades previously, this force should be incredibly enormously humongous by now. They should be literally flooding into the area, especially as the IAS so generously announced they had made an “emergency grant” for JUST THIS PURPOSE (that was the sentence right before “give us money for hurricane relief.”)
So, what is there to know about this massive international mobilization and effort? The VM website directs you to an “update” and that brings you to this:
Scientology Volunteer Minister Typhoon Haiyan Disaster Response
14 November 2013Veteran first responder Ayal Lindeman from the United States arrived in the Philippines and was joined by the leader of the Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour, Marion Whitta, who will lead the disaster response team comprised of local Scientology Volunteer Ministers from the Church of Scientology Mission of Manila and those arrived or en route from many countries including the U.S., Australia, Japan and Taiwan.
Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda) made landfall November 8, the worst storm ever to have hit the central Philippines. An estimated 10,000 are dead, 500,000 evacuated and 10 million affected.
This is Lindeman’s second trip to the Philippines in under a year. He was there in January 2013 to help the country recover from Typhoon Bopha.
He is conducting an on-the-ground assessment in Manila, and coordinating Volunteer Minister activities with governmental and military contacts he worked with last year to when he was in the Philippines to provide disaster response for Typhoon Bopha.
To join the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Philippines Disaster Response Team contact theInternational Volunteer Ministers Office at: 1-800-435-7498 (USA & CANADA) or +1 323-960-1949
Veteran First Responder Ayal Lindeman and Marion Whitta (second and third from left) head up the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) Disaster Response.
14 November is the latest news — and all it consists of is a posed photo of FIVE VOLUNTEER MINISTERS and some generic information about the hurricane itself. NOTHING to report for 13 days? I wonder how his “on-the-ground assessment in Manila” is coming along? (Manila is nowhere near where the hurricane struck — this is like claiming you are doing “an on-the-ground assessment” of an earthquake in Los Angeles by flying to Las Vegas).
THIS is what your donations to the IAS buy. Token photo ops.
THIS is what the “largest private relief force on earth” consists of when the largest disaster on earth happens. It’s Dad’s Army
THIS is a sad joke. A lot of people need help. The RCS keeps touting how wonderfully well organized they are and have thousands of volunteer ministers all over the world who rush to the scene of natural and man-made disasters.
It’s a figment of their imagination. Fiction presented as fact.
(You have to wonder whether the reason there is NO information on the website is because it is being “saved” for Dear Leader to use at the IAS event — him having “news” is of course more important than anyone getting information about what is going on or what might be needed… He must not be “pre-empted”)
“Captain Miscavige has proudly announced on numerous occasions that His Volunteer Minister force is the single largest and most effective private relief force on earth.”
Dave, really? In 2012, the American Red Cross took in $670.1 million in contributions and products for disaster relief, and distributed $465.9 million in aid for domestic and international disaster relief (some years they take in more than they distribute and some years the reverse). That doesn’t count the well over $2 billion per year that the Red Cross does in revenue for blood products for hospitals and clinics. There are literally tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of volunteers, numbers supported by actual evidence, not by bloviating statements by Karin Pouw. And the stats for the American Red Cross don’t even include the $995 million the International Red Cross/Red Crescent spent on emergency field operations in 2012.
If the VM program spent $4.65 million, 1/100 of the American Red Cross total, on actual “program expenses,” I’d be extremely surprised. Yes, I know that there sometimes are enthusiastic Kool-Aid drinkers who show up and try to do something of actual value, but I understand that they’re usually paying their own way, and that’s not where the money is going. And whatever well-intentioned efforts by individuals there are, it’s not enough to make true this latest example of Miscavige Math (you have 100 and I have 1, and if I bluster long enough, I will make you believe that 1 is more than 100).
I would be surprised if they spent $465,000. More like $46,500. I guarantee that tens of thousands is far closer to the correct order of magnitude than hundreds of thousands.
Davie “misstress of the sea(org)” is cruising with Tom. No time left for such nuisances as a Typhoon…(Dev-T ad infinitum)
Alphonse (Al) Capone operated soup kitchens for the poor and gave small donations to charity that
kept the “Feds” at bay for a long time. Striking similarities to “He who must not be named”.
Are they offering free touch assists to the homeless?
If a church raises money for one express purpose but diverts the money to another purpose without the permission of the donors, the IRS calls it fraud and claims this is one of the reasons a 501c3 status may be revoked. Unfortunately, that and $5 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. The IRS stopped enforcing any law vis a vis the Church of Scientology when it illegally overruled the U.S. Supreme Court and granted the church tax exempt status in 1993. (Ironically, the IRS still provides a an old document on its website which uses the church as an example of what NOT to do. It is located here: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/eotopicf79.pdf.)
Apparently, judging from its persistent inaction, the IRS has no desire to enforce the law and protect citizens from the church. Notwithstanding, the era of CoS scams may be coming to an end even without the IRS. Thanks to the Internet and social media, the word is out about Miscavge’s abuses, about how well most ex-members do after leaving the church, and about the Indies offering “unsquirreled” Scientology for those who want to stay Scientologists. There is nothing Miscavige can do to stop the increasing amount of information available to members. As smart phones become smart watches, it will be even harder for Miscavige to stop the flow of information (unless he wants every member to stop earning a living in a world where access to the Internet and email are required. If so, he should turn the empty orgs into dormitories and soup kitchens.)
Members have a serious problem. Miscavige is clueless about how transparent his lies are, yet he is the face and voice of the church. His lies include falsehoods about helping the injured and homeless, about the size of the church, about the numbers of people attending events, about where money is spent, and they include defamatory stories about popular ex-members like Leah Remini. His lies are easily proven to be falsehoods. So why does he continue to lie? One reason is that he doesn’t have an agile mind. He learned how to do things before PCs, the Internet and social media became a way of life and he just doesn’t get how easy it is these days for the truth to follow only seconds behind a lie. Another reason is he has members worshipping him, so there is no reason for him to stop.
The church is one of the biggest businesses in the U.S., yet it has no oversight. There are many laws that should be used to stop Miscavige’s abuse of people and lies about money, but no one is enforcing those laws. The lies about helping people in the Philippines are not the first, but they are very recent and it is painful to think about Miscavige cavalierly funding his lifestyle with money that should be helping children who are now orphans without homes. Perhaps these last lies will finally wake up Congress.
Great post SOYS. The reluctance of official bodies to delve into the sordid workings of this toxic regime extends far beyond the US borders. I have very recent experience of my government missing an open goal of clamping down on human trafficking, complete with evidence and testimonies. Why weren’t they interested? Fear, combined with a box-ticking mentality where the right forms don’t fit. It’s down to Mike, you and me, bluntly, to continue doing what we can till the madness and criminality finally get put to bed.
I so agree with you, Martin. If we took the same ferocity and velocity that we all had at the Portland Crusade and put that to work toward getting DM busted and the people taken out who are the virus to the real delivery of Scientology, it wouldn’t take much time at all.
I do believe that we have to avoid the idea that, because we’re “Indies” that we need to take on this problem in an ‘independent’ and non associative way. If anyone has read “A History of Man” there is a part toward the back of the book that talks about the Theta/MEST wars and how the MEST beings won because the huge, OT beings weren’t organized. How can we accomplish that?
I miss ol’ Heber.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRj_RaBhdTA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRj_RaBhdTA
You’re so right Indie 8. The mest bodies won out over the OT thetans because the mest ones were organized and worked together and the OT’s were not. LRH also states that OT’s do best with other OT’s. So let’s get organized and work in a concerted and efficient and in coordination effort to bring down DM. If we organized it would happen so much faster.
Yes, Lady Jane. I don’t mind organizing with a bunch of crazy OTs, such as yourselves?
We just have to be strategic and very clever about it. If Steve Hall can design a hugely successful Dianetic campaign for only 5 grand, I imagine, with the wealth of training and creativity here, we could come up with something VERY clever – that will have impact.
Percolating now.
OOps – I wish you all HERE a Happy Thanksgiving.
I’m thankful for Mike and this blog. And I’m thankful for Marty and Karen and Steve Hall and Dan Koon and Les and Anita Warren and Trey Lotz and Randy Smith and Silvia Llorens, and Gary Webber and Tory Magoo, and Tony Ortega, and for The Headleys, and for each ex SO who wrote a tell-all book about the church and Miscavage. I am thankful I found this blog. I am thankful I made it out of the church. I hope many loved ones cognite and get the heck out of there. I’m thankful for all my new Indie friends. Thanks!
+1 +1 +1!
Happy Thanksgiving to you too Ms.P. Very best wishes to you and your family!
I will speak here from firsthand experience of losing my home and ALL possessions due to a recent weather disaster here in the USA. I will not be specific as to location and when (but very recent) because I’m still visiting this blog incognito. ALL the help my family and I received during this devastating situation came from every other organized religion and group but not one VM volunteer or Scientologist came to assist in our locale. Actually, none were around anywhere to help anybody. The two big orgs are close to our area but not one volunteer. All these ‘Christians’ that Scientologists (the ones I know) make fun of were there 24/7 helping all those of us that were devastated. And these people do this on their own time. They take their vacations from work just to come out to help people during these horrendous times. They do this with compassion and yes believe it or not their TR’s were in. Frankly I was in awe.
It disgusts me that after donating tons of money to the IAS, with all their BS of help all over the world and mankind, they couldn’t even assist in their own back yard. I don’t blame the VM’s but how misguided can you be?
I say this not because of my own little insignificant problem but because of the massive lies over the years but I wish that every IAS member that ever donated their hard earned money would come together and go after DM for this fraud.
I wish you all hear a Happy Thanksgiving. This year I’m thankful for having a roof over my head where we can all eat dinner and I’m thankful for having found this blog, I believe in July.
Thanks Mike.
Off topic, but I think this matter may be of some importance.
Dissecting the new Scientology Mark 8 E-Meter updater software.
ESMB: http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?34102-Dissecting-the-new-Mark-8-E-Meter-updater-software
WWP: https://whyweprotest.net/community/threads/dissecting-the-new-mark-8-e-meter-updater-software.115310/
Can you say spyware? I knew you could.
Mike, I want to wish you and your beautiful family a very Happy Thanksgiving Without going all mushy on you, I will specifically be giving thanks for the vital work that you are doing with such dedication, energy and accuracy
+1 Aqua!
Happy Thanksgiving to us all! Let’s be grateful that we have enough trained and sane Scientologists to build a new colony that will endeavor to help ourselves and others with what we know. Thanks for making it a safer place to come out to, Mike.
Wells aid, Aqua. I second the motion. Yea Mike! And in the words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us, every one!”
I strongly doubt that Hubbard has invented the IAS. It is not like the old Has and Hasi. I consider the IAS like a second irritant identity that nothing has to do with Scientology like Hubbard intented.
“So little by little, using donations you give us for your service, your training and your processing, we create little by little areas of sanity.” ( (from ‘The Auditor 55’, 1970 “What Your Donations Buy”)
In other words: To help yourself is helping the world.
Because this is violence by the IAS it is one of the reasons I left.
I mean: Because this is violated by the IAS it is one of the reasons I left.
Yes, sounds like this the VM presence at, or for PR photo op purposes, close enough to the Philippines earthquake will be trumpeted loudly at the upcoming IAS Sheep Shearing.
God, I hope my theory/hunch about a large “Silent Majority” of heads-down still-ins reading this blog is correct.
I’m sorry all but let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. If you haven’t been actually on the ground with VMs, please don’t say they aren’t doing anything of lasting value.
I personally know people who had the good heart to go to Japan and other emergencies and those people worked their ASSES off! Coordinating the food supplies, providing shelter for the homeless, consoling people who had lost loved ones (if only sitting and listening), giving assists round the clock at the first of it all and getting people the medical attention they needed.
This may have been in coordination with the Red Cross or other local services but, if there’s anything that’s “real” about scientology (not corporate) it’s the people who give a sh*t about other people enough to go and get radiation poisoning from a blown nuclear reactor and stay there for 3 months doing it.
People who left their families and their jobs and warm places to go sleep in a tent with earthquakes and bad weather and minimal food JUST TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE. These are people I know personally, not that jack off that they gave a Religious Freedom Medal to (because they needed the stat and a person to put on stage) who FREAKED OUT in his first week, “I can feeeel that I’m getting radiation poisoning!!! Aaaaaaahhhh!! I have to leave, I have to leave!”, leaving the others there to do the work while he got the medal.
So, in this case, in the Philippines, this may have been only a photo op moment. More than likely because the real or original VMs have left the freakin’ building.
But, personally, and I have a right to be protective of the people who cared, I don’t want to hear this general crap that “the VM program is just a photo op” for DM. Those people go there and care and risk their health and their life to use what they feel they’ve learned to help people in real, dire need.
Hate DM all you want. He’s a racketeer and a scum back who uses people’s genuine willingness to help as his PR, when he doesn’t lift a finger to help them. Puts them at risk without the IAS doing anything to get them out there or to do much at all to contribute. IMHO, and no offense to you, Mike, that’s the real crime he’s committing.
But please, don’t talk smack about the people who care and who do actually help the people. They are the only real things about the VM program.
I think the VMs are being used and controlled and taken advantage of just like the org staff, Sea Org, and wealthy public. He takes the good intentions, good heart, willingness to make some personal sacrifices and willingness to work and sucks it right outta ya. No matter what level you are at. It’s the “culture” now, it’s “how we do it.” Lie and get people to toil away for you, then make videos about how great it is so you can be sure to have more people around when you need them.
+1 We know what’s goin’ on.
And lurkers, you do too. I know you do because I probably know you. You don’t have to leave, you just might consider not giving any more of your time, your love and your money to DM.
Love your friends, love your family but don’t support that suppressive anymore.
I agree. I’m afraid no matter how good their intentions, the VMs are going to be tainted by association with DM & co. It’s sad. I’m sure many or most of the volunteers are compassionate and sacrifice much in order to help others. The idea that genuinely good people are being used so fraudulently makes me want to rail MORE about the church’s “VM Program”.
Understood on that front, Shelly. I honestly think a lot of VMs have stopped VMing under the Church banner for that very same reason.
I would encourage the lurkers and the under the radars to do the same. Stop supporting the person of David MustRavage by letting him feed on your good intentions, like the recipient of the energy from the Matrix.
Let’s all unhook in the ways we can so he’s no longer using us for his theta batteries. Only instead of batteries, we’re his human ATM.
No energy = no DM. Agree? Great. Start.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goFxos6tz-o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goFxos6tz-o
Indie and Dan,
Roger that guys.
I admire both your defense of the VMs.
Please consider that it is not the VMs themselves (many good hearted, selfless people, who really help) but the way that they are cynically being used by the IAS too pump donations out of the laity and perpetrating and perpetuating the fraud that this money actually goes to them.
The fact that it doesn’t is a betrayal of trust which pretty proves that the IAS is in treason or lower.
As far as the poor VMs that had to pay their own way and actually do something instead of just standing in front of the camera with a cool T-shirt. I have nothing but the utmost respect.
And to both of you and all of you here plus the VMs out there really doing something I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.
Thank you, RV. And back at you too. Indie8Mil
Amen!!
Thanks, Anon! You know what I’m talkin’ ’bout.
After awhile, it really does make one tire of the constant fantasy reports. Their sheer glibness makes headaches so possible when dealing with the effluvium issues from the czerchll.
5 people. Hmmmm…. maybe this shows what is happening to the whole church. Nothing. Or just a little over nothing. People are disappearing into the woodwork. It looks as though not so many people are proud to show up representing the Co$.
Mike, you are right when you say that this is a “No Report”. There is no info on the website precisely because it is being saved up for the IAS event coming up. Miscavige must look like he’s doing something important and valuable for society and the IAS is the perfect (scam) vehicle.
The four VM’s standing there in Manila are really going to handle that disaster. Not to put down their willingness to help other people. I wish them the best in their endeavors.
To any public scientologist reading this, please donate to a real relief agency. Your donation to the IAS will not help anyone in the Philippines but will go into the IAS bank account controlled by DM and his shyster, corporate/tax attorney, Monique Yingling. They cackle all the way to the bank.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Token photo ops will be leverage for tons of money
for the IAS that build it’s untouchable offshore main accounts.
The real disaster is just as gross.
Ayal Lindeman was a very good friend of mine, some years ago. Best man at my wedding, godfather of my son, etc. I have not talked with him, though, for about 10 years.
Even prior to the VM program, his living was to work in a capacity like this. At this moment, I forget the acronym he has for his certificate, but, as I recall, it’s one of the higher echelons of certification one can get when wants to assist people in disasters. If I were pinned beneath a pile of debris, I’d be very happy to see him coming for me, as I am confident that he would be competent.
Ayal’s been in the Church for at least 30 years, maybe a lot longer.
I can attest that he is smart and sincere, and truthful when he relays his point of view. In other words, if there truly isn’t anything effective happening there under his leadership, the Ayal I knew would not be quiet about it. He’d do all he could to be effective. The only thing that I can imagine that would make him ineffective would be cross orders from within Scientology management.
Church member and (at least at one time) Philippines Mission Holder, singer/songwriter David Pomeranz, is and has been for years immensely popular in the Philippines. On his facebook page, on the 11th of November, theres a message that he would be in the Phillipines “next week”.
I am pretty sure that David still has influential contacts into all the administration, police, legal, government, etc. branches of the country. I think it is still true that he could get anything that he wants in the Phil.
David’s not only talented, he’s smart. One of these days he may wake up and be more alert to how squirrel Scientology has become, and withdraw his support. No matter what, I hope he maintains an affection for the tech and VMing.
VMing has taken a bit of a bash from Tony Ortega and a group of his commenters who misunderstand just enough of the VM tech to make snide remarks about it. Those of us who love or who have loved the tech will remember that the VM program is some of the best of Scientology, Scientology Zero: Scientology for Everyone. Even the most basic touch assists and locationals, backed up with very high ARC = Magic, and there would be nothing wrong and much right about all of that if Ayal were allowed to do his work and David Pomeranz were backing him up.
It could end up being one of the first Gold Shoots in a LONG time that really told the winning truth and did not require any padding to make a great story.
You speaketh the truth.
You were a lot more level headed about your comment than I, Dan. 😉
Yes, the VMs are unfairly getting lumped in to the same garbage hole as DM. If anything, they are being abused by him in the sense that he’s using their good hearts to make it look like he has one.
Dan will back up what you wrote, Ayal is a good man
I’m sure the IAS has someone there to video and take pictures for upcoming events. Why the theta flow from that is help enough isn’t it? Who needs money, food or shelter when you have the admiration flowing from a camera lens? Isn’t that right Davey?
Wow, photo with a police officer makes the image more trustworthy…sigh.
When I went to Sri Lanka as a VM in 2005, the only support we got from the church was 2 mini bananas and 3 slices of pineapples for breakfast every morning before muster at 8:00. NO KIDDING!!! And we worked our asses off. We self-financed hotel, flight, vaccines, etc. IAS is the biggest religious fraud organization I know about.
Yes, with five people and miles away from the disaster area, I wonder what faked video they will have to come up with.
But, on the other hand, he is maybe keeping the whatever force of VMs exist handy for the disaster that will be caused when he departs…hope the IAS don’t use this for another ‘donations’ rip off.
Sylvia, you joker! When DM departs it’ll be TOTAL MELTDOWN. They won’t know if their arbitraries are cancelled or which way their needle is swinging. Who will pay their wages?
Honestly, Sylvia, I think you should take a moment to reflect…
So nice to have the truth about Scientology’s Scam Front Group – Volunteer Minister’s!
The VM’s are only a few (gung ho) public people that pay their own way to get to a disaster…buy T-Shirts from Scientology for $20 a piece, done them and then pose for “Gold” to take pictures.
The photos are then processed into Scientology propaganda feeding the clubbed seals to keep them in Scientology. ( remember watching these videos SO proud to be a Scientologist! (CRINGE)
So some of your IAS Dollars are spent on advertising to convince yourself the cult you are in is good, and is honorable and if you never LOOK…you will never know that there is no one there doing anything of any lasting value. Scientologist’s trap themselves by putting money on account and getting their family in – this is the ultimate trap!!
OMG – Scientology – ALL OF IT – is such a scam!
Great Post again Mike Rinder!!! So grateful for what you and all of the other’s do to expose the truth!! Happy Thanksgiving!
A short list of ways that Dad’s Army is better than Scientology:
1. Captain Mainwaring and Sergeant Wilson knew how to handle money.
2. Godfrey could make a good cuppa.
3. Corporal Jones was in a real military when he was younger, unlike anyone in the Sea Org.
4. They were headquartered in the hall of an actual church.
5. The Reverend and verger didn’t try to reg anyone.
6. Warden Hodges was seen as a figure of derision for being a power-hungry puffed-up twerp (and was tall).
7. Pike…okay that’s where this breaks down, but I think we have enough.
🙂
Double 🙂
Mike,
I was thinking that Hogan’s Heroes would be a more appropriate analogy for all us yanks and then I realized that Hogan and his team actually did things to assist the resistance though your average Churchie could be compared to Sgt Sholtz:
“I hear nosiiiing
“I see nosiiiiing….
You get it.
Anyhoo…
Thank you for pointing me out to another Brit Comedy that I can check out at PBS.
The C of S is more like “F Troop”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVwFADi4Y38
+1 Scott. F Troop for sure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKMNt4iHMB0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKMNt4iHMB0
I’m having a very surreal day. First Alex Jones on Tony Ortega’s blog and now Dad’s Army on Mike Rinder’s.
Hey Sid,
Be thankful it wasn’t David Icke and Mike wasn’t comparing the current state of Scientology to the Ice Capades.
Let’s be thankful on this upcoming Thanksgiving.