The latest edition of the L. Ron Hubbard Hall fundraising propaganda contains a two page spread on Bob Duggan.
If you wade your way through the bullshit and spelling and grammar errors, you get to the most incredible statement anyone has ever made about this ridiculous hall. Comparing it to the Taj Mahal and Versailles Palace is the height of foolishness. This theater is planned as a small auditorium (if it ever gets built) — there are probably 200 of this size around the US, almost every major college and certainly every major city has one. Even Clearwater itself has Ruth Eckerd Hall which is already too big for scientology events to fill.
The one distinction it will probably have: the “L. Ron Hubbard Hall” will likely be the most expensive auditorium of its size ever built (because they will raise twice as much money as it actually costs — they don’t have to account for any of the money they collect to anyone). So perhaps the Taj Mahal and Palace of Versailles are apt comparisons in one sense: spare no expense. But don’t also pretend that this is an investment in an “on-Source civilization” because if this hall actually had anything to do with that it would have to provide a LOT that Ruth Eckerd does not already offer. And it never will. Also, it may never be built…
If this Hall was really important, scientology could just BUILD it. They’ve got the money.
It really only has a single importance. As a symbol to get people to hand over more money.
Duggan’s full page beauty shot must be making Mr. Miscavige green with envy.
He is just regurgitating what his registrars said. So sad. They injected the registrars with the “certainty” stuff, and it’s contagious obviously. If he had only been wearing a mask.
Hey Bob, if you read this, I can save you millions. If I did this for you, would you pay me a commission?
How old is Duggan? 85?
The most generous and compassionate people I know are the ones who don’t talk about it. They don’t boast about their efforts, they don’t care about status nor do they signal their virtue to please/appease others. And those who do tend to be on the sociopathic spectrum. #justsayin
At least he’s being honest and explains why he continues. It’s different than a phoney OT Success Story and an expression of a fundamentalist.
Looks like Duggan is aging like a normal hooman despite all his money and souper douper statuses.
Someone mentioned his donates are just a drop in the bucket compared to people who take out a second mortgage or work Staff for a pittance. Duggan has never felt a pinch despite all his donations.
There is so much good he could have done with genuine philanthropy. Instead he turns his money over to a tiny tyrant who neither needs the money nor really knows what to do with it.
My god he’s looking old.
Hey Bob, I have an idea. Why don’t you show your fellow Scientologists that you really mean what you say. Give every cent you have to all Scientology causes, sell all of your property and cars etc., go into debt for many thousands of dollars, find a cheap apt, and then you’ll be on equal ground with most of the other Scientologists you’re preaching/regging to.
That is after all what you’re asking other Scientologists to do. I’m sure you can do it too.
And I know you’ll love it. Then you can write up a success story.
It’s just a workmanlike building by a commercial architectural firm – presumably their go-to, Gensler. And actually, someone pointed out that it bears an almost uncanny resemblance to an East German concert hall from the totalitarian communist era.
I think it’s also part of Scientology’s pattern and practice to continually dangle carrots in front of their members, and whales, to distract from the failures all around them, including now the accelerating shrinkage of the local orgs and missions. Checking, it looks like plans for the hall have been floated since they bought the property in 1993, almost 3 decades ago, making it one of their very extended pie-in-the-sky schemes.
I wonder as well, if drawn out projects like this don’t also serve a certain function to keep members feeling guilty and self-blaming, as if Scientology’s failure to expand is due to their failure to come through and make a reality of the vision of a planet-wide network of grandiose buildings.
Whaddya mean, Peacemaker, you heretic, you embittered, defrocked apostate on the pathetic, low rating fringes of the internet! How dare you?
Scientology’s various architectural achievements rival the Seven Wonders of the World! Scientology’s churches put the Cathedrals of Notre Dame and Westminster to shame!
Why, even the Sistine Chapel cannot compare! And yes, that’s right, Michaelangelo, your silly ceiling has never quite cut it since COB started his Ideal Org Program, so eat your heart out, ya dumb hired hack!
Now, to everyone else reading and posting here:
Obviously, as you can see that I am a PTS-SP Course Graduate. I just wanted to demonstrate to Peacemaker and all of you how I confront and shatter suppression on my communication lines.
I look forward to the day that we see an indication that Dwarfenführer® has abandoned these silly games he has created to fill his coffers. At this point, it’s not for his USE; it’s just a counting up of points to say how rich and powerful he is (in his own mind).
HEY, Dave, I saw one of the largest cruise ships ever constructed up for sale the other day. It’d be an IDEAL replacement for the fleecewinds.
I can see the into the future (coffee lets you do that) and can reveal the glorious $10,000,000 Dorkendweeber Monsterego Hall.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Fsundaytimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2Fa896d398-6169-11e7-b338-63ebc461703c.jpg?crop=1763%2C992%2C356%2C464&resize=1180
The dogs are optional extras.
That is hilarious, but only Miscavige would be able to walk through the door and stand up in the structure.
A Scientologist billionaire who made his money selling pills that treat Cancer. Bob, go grab your e-meter and try to sell it instead.
1. As you mention, the testimonial is poorly written, which doesn’t speak well for the cult’s literacy and grammar courses, assuming the author took them.
2. It looks like Duggan’s had some cosmetic enhancements. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just an observation.
3. Not only could the cult pay for the whole building, but Duggan could pay for it all as well. He certainly milked enough from the drug industry, which he positions as “bringing about change for the betterment of human health.” Isn’t the cult anti Big Pharma? I guess that does matter if your biggest whale makes his money from drug companies. I’m not against drugs that improve people’s health, but I am against hypocrisy.
They’re very much pro-MONEY, and if it’s from “big pharma”, so what? Money is money; spends just as well, though it leaves them open to being accused of being ‘controlled by big pharma’ as they’ve accused many others of being.
In this case, I see little evidence of Duggan controlling anything within Davey’s enterprise. Dave just welcomes the large cash infusions to accounts under his control.
Right. Its all green.
👊🏻💫
Plus, somethin’ tells me Duggan is one of those disingenuous scientologists that does no services but just donate to keep up appearances and get that applause or “atta boys” from whoever he’s trying to please in the church.
Like Ed Marsh who also seems donate to this fraud just to keep up appearances.
Mary, keep in mind that Duggan still has kids in Scientology, so he can be expected to keep up appearances in order to avoid disconnection.
While this seems like a major show of loyalty, it may be just a token compared to what he has done in the past; and he may be the largest donor to the project based on what he gave in the past when he and his ex-wife were still very active together. My guess would be that even if he’s on his way “out,” he’s at that stage where he still believes that there is some good in Scientology and that he got something out of it, so it wouldn’t be entirely disingenuous, either.
Almost had a stroke trying to read his crappy article. Grammar much?
It’s incredible that people are still willing to donate money for projects…
Grammer EVER !?
Reading that missive from Duggan makes me pine for the lyrical prose of Dan Sherman.
LOL!
$cientology has always loved the testimonial. Using Bob Duggan as the opinion leader to play pied piper is very funny. Duggan was a money man, not a researcher. The only thing he did was write checks to keep his research company moving. And move it did. So much so that a bigger whale bought the whole thing up.
This led to very interesting topic about donors for NPO ( non profit organization) an IRS face of cults .
The ” Elegant” life style of any cult leader is due to donors.
Their trips, tour , vacation and visitation are all funded by them .
Uncle Sam and Mother Queen ( for us Canadian) says through Tax man : what ever your are getting from common man for services or contribution is not your ( cult ) income .
You are entitled to salary and reimbursement of expenses. Rest is to be spent as per the objective of the organization and subject to scrutiny from us , when you file tax return.
So , if the leader goes to tour then he maybe entitle to a 4 star hotel but his entourage staying in a near by motel and driving rented car.
Here the donors came into rescue by financing the trip .
However, this is not a one way traffic , though this act of kindness does not fall under donation but there are donors who do not want to identify themselves. So it change of hands.
Donors are the life and blood of any Cult . They use their influence to arrange meeting with other wealthy men, politicians , media personalities etc.
The Cult interact with outside world through rich donors and they become eyes and ears .
But the main important point , being “rich” is a status which ,is only possible when your product/ services are consumed by masses ( common man) .
Therefore , a rich person spent time most of his time with outside world .
This led him to hear all sort of news and views about the cult with the possibility of getting influenced by them.
After all when he meet a richer to the richest person he allows himself to get influenced.
So …..though he is valuable asset but in no time may become liability as well.
History taught us that at times , when they are indispensable , they become brain of the cult– the king maker ,changing leadership.
In the end , they are not permenent, some one is always there to take their slot.
Somebody needs to tell Duggan (or the Scilon PR hack who wrote that bloated piece of fluff) that the Taj Mahal is a mausoleum, not a “convening and public gathering facility.”
On second thought, considering how “Ideal Orgs” are as empty and quiet as tombs, it might be a good comparison.
Hey, maybe the LRH hall will also end up as a mausoleum? Davey and Lenin may have more in common than what is apparent. 😉
Davey only has to abandon that too-small and incapable body for the hall to be used to display his mortal remains for ‘eternity’. I wouldn’t mind paying appropriate homage to the tiny tyrant, emphasis on “rant”. The problem is “appropriate homage” might get me arrested. 😇
It is a great question. What will happen to those buildings in CW when the cult comes crashing down to the last few zealots?
Ponder with me:
Trump Tampa – The Don sees the buildings all over downtown CW and buys it all. Then attempts to leverage his political clout for gambling in Pinellas County.
Biden Away – Joe and family gobble it up as his presidential library. It will also provide brain therapy to those elderly in need.
I’m an equal opportunity annoyer.
Last zealot out to turn off the meters.
Scamology could get rid of every member today and not come “crashing down”. It has enough assets to keep up appearances for more than a century.
These people that are specially handled may never make it out. Too bad that Mr. Duggan finances the false front of normalcy for such a group.
Here’s the thing … There will always be a “next” building to build and collect money for … ALWAYS.
So I predict that after the Hall is built , we will see the plans for … Yes, get ready … The Taj Ma-Ron! … Ron was indeed cremated, but two ounces of his ashes were saved in a small gold bottle … Said bottle to be ensconced in a ten square feet cube of Lucite which will be suspended from the ceiling of the Taj. Besides the two ounces of Ron’s ashes saved for the Taj, an additional one ounce was saved to be divided amongst the first four hundred people who donate at least a half million dollars each for the construction. They each will receive a speck of ash in an LRH memorial locket (gold plated) …
Of course there will be a next building to be built. Because the war is never really won, the planet will never be cleared, the bridge will never be completed.
Nothing ever gets done in Scientology. The only real purpose is to keep the machine going, there was never any goal or exit-strategy.
You’re right that if they needed this they could just build it, they have the money. But they need a building to build, a game to have, so that they can keep regging for money. The Super Power building was under construction for over 10 years. Most of the time nothing was happening on it. But the regging for money for it was ongoing during that 10 years. It was one of the best ways the Church had to make money ever. And boy did they milk it. And if you asked the Flag staff why the building wasn’t done yet after all this time,, they would say, because we don’t have the SO members to staff it; do YOU want to join staff to help out? And that would shut the public up right then and there.
TBT, it’d be gold-flecked at best.
Don’t forget there is a next boat to collect money for too. The Freewinds is now a permanently moored office block with accommodation.
It’s amazing how intelligent, successful people keep falling for the same old scam over and over and over again.
Respectfully, what gives you the idea that these rich cult people are intelligent? That’s a serious question. I’m not being funny or sarcastic. In my business there are plenty of people who are nothing short of dumb who also happen to be quite wealthy. Not all of them of course. I’m not saying ALL. But enough of them are just downright dumb. It sort of blows my mind. How can someone be so rich and at the same time so dumb? I’ve never been able to puzzle this out. Poor people I can understand being dumb but when you’re really rich and you’re also self made? I don’t get it. Maybe you can give me some insights.
Aquamarine, You made some good points- I got nothin’ 🙂
LOL!
Have you seen those commercials about meds, then that disclaimer with all the possible side effects that has you thinking “oh yea, I want to take that! Not”.
Any suggestions about what a scientology ad would be?
Sign up for scientology courses and help to clear the planet, save the planet! Don’t forget the Spiritual Freedom! WooHoo!
disclaimer: we make no promises, or guarantees, or proof of success, but this may cause loss of connection to family and friends, loss of all assets, loss of privacy. Don’t stop scientology without the express consent of your spiritual advisor or it may create harassment and loss of pets, jobs, reputation. If any of these occur it’s your own fault and you need to return and seek counseling and courses and keep climbing that bridge. Cash and credit cards accepted.
Hubbard/Scn has managed to capture and hold perhaps a hundred wealthy patrons. My guess is that most of them would write a similar “testimonial” as Duggan. Maybe it fills a void in their life and gives meaning to their life? If they were questioned about the obvious abuses in scn who knows how they would respond or if they would respond at all. It’s probably easy breezy to get through a security check if you are wealthy and a fundamentalist. I could probably begrudgingly call myself a fundamentalist when I was in since I believed that everyone should eventually do scientology.
patron – a person who supports with money, gifts, efforts, or endorsement an artist, writer, museum, cause, charity, institution, special event, or the like:
a patron of the arts; patrons of the annual Democratic dance.
I hear you on everything, Richard. And, yes, although not ever wealthy, I too was once a fundamentalist in that I believed that everyone should eventually do Scientology. And back then, nothing could have convinced me otherwise. Of course I was operating on limited data that had been carefully spoon fed to me. So I forgive myself. And you too, my son 🙂
Miscavige keeps the loyalty of the whales by having them believe in “expansion”. The whales are mostly “publics” who have to police the information they receive and transmit about the cult. Ironically one of those, Grant Cardone, has a bigger personal cult following (which is a pretty accurate way to describe it) than Scientology itself.
The celebrities aren’t really delivering for Scientology anymore, few being willing to plug the cult publicly. A purging of executives, virtually no new recruitment, and no succession plan. If it really hits the fan for them (and there’s no certainty of when or whether it even happens), who’d be left for them to turn to?
O/T. Free Audio: A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant (Original Cast Recording):
https://open.spotify.com/album/0SsZVQB8kxMizupOBuiTqA
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It appears that nothing is too vile for those people.
Certainly as a comparison it is funny. And a lot too.
The Taj Mahal was built by a man who loved his wife with all his heart.
While Versailles was the home of some of the most powerful and influential people in Europe and the world at that time.
While who is hubbard?
In addition to never having been remembered for anything but negative things, it is now practically forgotten.
A headstone without engravings was enough.