Scientology’s “Golden Age of Evasion” (GAE) is unfolding in all its glory.
They ran an ad on the Super Bowl they called “Age of Answers,” proclaiming “welcome to the age of answers.”
Like most things scientological, what they state is the polar opposite of reality.
First, the ad was placed only in those areas with “Ideal Orgs” — and not even all of those qualified. Some of those “ideal orgs” are such pitiful failures that nothing could justify throwing away money placing the ad in their market. The ads were placed FOR EXISTING SCIENTOLOGISTS. Fearing the repercussions of exposure of the reality of scientology in the upcoming HBO documentary, the church is in full defensive mode, desperately trying to shore up their existing income sources by reassuring their sheeple that all is well inside the bubble world of scientology. The ads were targeted to areas of the greatest concentration of scientologists (ie those cities where they had managed to scrape together enough people with enough money to buy and renovate a building) NOT the demographics of those who are most likely to walk into a scientology organization after seeing the ad. (Not sure where that would be these days — retirement communities without internet service?)
Now, if it were really true that this is scientology’s “age of answers,” one might expect they would be answering the questions that are posed about and to them. Answers to questions nobody is asking are not useful.
So, why is there NO scientologist, from Dear Leader David Miscavige on down who will agree to be interviewed on the record by the media?
Why does David Miscavige evade and refuse every effort by the media to interview him since 1992? Perhaps the new Age of Answers means something other than what it appears. Perhaps it is the new age of us telling you what we determine you want to know and screw anything else….
The bottom line is that David Miscavige is afraid he cannot convince anyone other than his loyal sycophants of his sincerity, honesty or value to the world. He rightly fears his wondrous personality is not going to come through on camera and he will not be able to convince those outside the bubble of his infallible magnificence. In short (so to speak), he has NOTHING to offer.
So, after refusing repeated requests to be interviewed, he whines AFTER the film is aired (or after the piece or book is published) that the the person who wrote/filmed it is a “bigot” that “refused to get the truth.” And then takes potshots from the weeds proclaiming everyone is a paid antagonist and wants to “take over the church” and all sorts of other rubbish.
They have now even started targeting those who dare review the film without their permission and including their “comments.” Because if there is one skill Miscavige has perfected, it is the art of making enemies.
The Guardian (along with a number of other media) reported on the church attacking film critics:
You can read the entire article by clicking on the link above.
One particular point of note is this tired old lie foisted off by Miscavige’s sockpuppet, Karin Pouw. Apparently Miscavige believes if they repeat it often enough, people will believe it. Though it’s only going to have ANY credence until people have seen the film.
“The accusations made in the film are entirely false and alleged without ever asking the Church… Gibney’s sources are the usual collection of obsessive, disgruntled former Church members kicked out as long as 30 years ago for malfeasance, who have a documented history of making up lies about the Church for money.”
First, I do not believe any person in the film was “kicked out” — I know in my case I was in London as the international scientology spokesperson and still very much on the board of directors of the Church of Scientology International when I walked out the door and never returned (in spite of the begging and pleading that I do so). Nobody “kicked me out” for “malfeasance” — this is a story invented after the fact.
So too Marty Rathbun, who escaped the Int Base and David Miscavige personally begged him to come back.
And the others? Sara Goldberg left scientology in 2013, not thirty years ago, not even 3 years ago…. She certainly has VERY up-to-date information about the activities of the church. Tom DeVocht escaped the Int Base and the Hole. Spanky Taylor escaped from the RPF in PAC. Neither were “dismissed” for “malfeasance.” Paul Haggis left the church a few years ago. Also, very much NOT dismissed — they did all they could to try and get him back. So too with Jason Beghe. So, are they exclusively talking about Hana Whitfield? I do not even know the circumstances of Hana’s departure, but I doubt she was “kicked out” or “dismissed” until after she left on her own volition.
And as for “making up lies about the Church” — Alex Gibney has it right. The only lies anyone has admitted to making (mostly myself and Marty Rathbun) have been FOR the church. And yes, I guess you could technically say that they were “about” the church, but this is typical sleazeball wording to make it appear that the lies are “about the church” since we left. I readily admitted that I lied when denying that David Miscavige had physically assaulted me in my role as church spokesman. In confirmed that I wrote a “confession” to Miscavige in order to not sleep in a pup tent behind the running program track at Gold, saying what Miscavige had told me to “confess to.”
As for being paid — the best they can concoct on this is also apparently exclusively about me (and everyone else is tarred by the same brush of generality). I have been hired as a consultant by several lawfirms engaged in litigation with scientology. They came to me to help them understand scientology terminology and help them isolate their obfuscation and lies. The BBC flew me to London to be interviewed, Channel 7 flew me to Australia to be interviewed and HBO flew me to Sundance for the premiere. That is their “documented history of making up lies about the Church for money.”
It is rather comical to see the church come scurrying out of the woodwork after the fact, having refused to cooperate throughout the entire process of making the film, and then proclaim “you are not listening to our side.”
The thing they have yet to come to grips with is that what will most damage scientology’s reputation (if it’s possible to inflict further damage on something so destroyed already) is not what “ex-members” say. It is the footage of L. Ron Hubbard and his words, the words of Sara Northrup and the glee of insanity displayed by David Miscavige and Tom Cruise captured on video. Those things they cannot deny or “dead agent.” And those things are devastating to their credibility and make everything else that is said wholly believable.
They are truly being hoisted by their own petard.
And as they carry on with their campaign to create more enemies prior to the broad public airing, they are adding gunpowder so nobody will miss it when it blows up in their face. Their creepiness, dishonesty and general ickiness will be confirmed by what is shown in the film.
DM will not be interviewed because he knows that any good journalist who has done his homework would destroy him. Things have gotten much worse for Scientology since 1993, when he had a mediocre interview with Ted Koppel on Nightline.
Karin Pow-pow (Davey in drag?) is beyond stupid. These are “Movie Critic Reviews” – not news articles. They don’t have to contact the subject of the film for comment. They are reviewing a film!
Gotta love how they all just posted the email verbatim “here you go folks, read the stupidity”. Footbullet!
Welcome Julie. I’d love to hear your story. I hope you have caring people around you to help you find stability and well being. Read anything you want, say anything you want, do anything you want.
Great post Mike.
Love the post. New to the blog. Recently out of the SO. First-time commenter. Learning so much I never knew before. Connecting with old friends who I was taught were “bad” people. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I was recently doing some tech call-in for the Boston Org to work through my ex-SO conditions. While doing the call-in I ended up speaking with so many people who had left the Church and had no interest in coming back. I couldn’t understand it. These were people with thousands and thousands of dollars on account. They weren’t angry or hostile, just wanted nothing to do with it anymore. I’d never been exposed to such public as I’d been in the SO at CLO WUS most of my life.
These people on the phone would tell me why they weren’t interested anymore. It usually had something to do with the Basics, and the GAT 1 and 2 retaining requirements, and the constant IAS and Building regging. I always thought public were excited to participate in these things. That’s what we were always told. I was never on the front lines before when I was in the SO. These people who had blown off the lines basically felt that Scientology didn’t exist in the Org anymore, and do they were moving on.
I mentioned this to a couple of my other PAC friends who I grew up with who’d left the SO recently. These guys who are leaving are moving all over. Clearwater. Austin. LA. Seattle. Portland. Boston. A couple of my friends told me about the blogs. That lead me to looking at other things people had been saying online about their experiences in the new orgs. I found Chris Shelton’s videos. I knew Chris at PAC. I found Debbie Cook’s interviews. HOLY SHIT. That’s all I can say.
I’ve been reading this blog and I found Tony Ortega’s blog. So much to read. So thank for all of it, and I’ll be in touch more often.
Great Julie. Welcome. Glad you found your way here.
Yes Julie, welcome. There’s some great folks here.
A whole new world is opening up for you Julie. I am recently out with a long history in Scientology. What I have and am discovering is startling as the blinders come off. Looking forward to seeing you here in the future. Things are going to get exciting!
Welcome Julie
Your comment is very enlightening…. I was SO 1971 and then public completing New OT V in 2005 and moved out slowly after more information was available like GAT squirreling and corrupt IAS and 2009 Truth R/D and Debbie Cook’s letter, etc..
It’s interesting to hear your take on things as a Sea Org 1st time reader of what has been going on. Sort of a “re-wind and then fast forward through past 10 years of Scientology history” It seems like a LOT to take in all at once? Well, good for you, however you managed it.. I admire your perception and courage to come forward and comment here. Please does so again…your voice is needed and wanted.
Hi Julie, Is that your real name or a handle? If you would like I can email you a list of people who’ve left and what they’ve said, a wide variety of people, it will save you time, just email Rinder and he’ll give my em address.
Julie, What a story! And to hear how DM lies to the staff that “the public love giving money for Idle mOrgues” etc and how the SO eats that up thinking it’s the truth. The blinders are coming off. VVVWD to you for seeing, for knowing what you know, for standing up for the truth, and for leaving. Welcome to the sunshine. I hope you create a wonderful life for yourself out here. It is being done by ex SO every day.
I just read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, in which Angelina Jolie made a movie about the true story about Olympic champion Louie Zamperini who survived horrific suppression in the Japanese POW camps, Laura had this to say about it:
“In times of extremity ordinary individuals must reach into the depths of themselves, and there they find the true content of their character. Some find emptiness, frailty, even dark impulses. But others find wondrous virtues – courage, resourcefulness, self-sacrifice, daring, and ingenuity, the will to soldier on when will is all they have left. These are the virtues that turn history, and these are the virtues that enable individuals to prevail in the supreme trials of their lives. It is in times of superlative hardship that individuals live their epic adventures, stories that thrill, fascinate, inspire, and illuminate.”
Mike you are turning history with your wonderous virtues, thank you.
Wow, thanks for the complement B. Don’t feel too wondrous or history turning to be honest. Just doing what I think is the right thing to do…
You can’t go wrong with that.
As I said in an earlier post, Mike you are a hero, albeit a reluctant one.
Fact is by doing what you are doing, it is and has made a massive difference. Its never been easy to be there and communicate about RCS crimes. You have ran interference and made yourself into a prime bulls eye so that others who wanted to get on with it in their fashion could!
For that I thank thee! You didnt have to do it ya know. But you did.
History will remeber you for being amoung the few apostates who dared to put ethics in on “the most ethical group on the planet” – isnt it ironic dontya think?
One day when the time comes for the neccesity of this blog fades, I hope you kick back in repose knowing you did a fine job. Truth does indeed win in the end. But only if individuals knowing it, dont give up! Theres a lesson for us all.
Mike,
And what you are doing is making a huge difference, along with Mark, Karen, etc.
Let’s face it, Tony Ortega does a wonderful job as a reporter, but you lived it, and that makes what you write so strong. Please keep on writing! We need you. You make it so much easier for us to understand what is happening.
Wayne
Louie is indeed an inspiration to all us seeking a higher purpose – an example of one man’s courage in the face of unbelievable adversity.
Betsy, I agree with you 1,000 percent. Mike is changing the course of history and he is so humble and doesn’t toot his own horn. But it is so good what he reports daily to bring down the evil. Thank you Mike, thank you again and again!
I would love for several “higher powers” to take a long walk away from the sciobots now that the film is out. To have even MORE “formers” come up for air would be just fantastic AND it would help them escape the handlers trying to bring them back in. To sit for an interview with Anderson Cooper, 20/20, 60 Minutes or who ever would cut the cord real fast in the post documentary world. Then they could move on with their lives….
There has got to be more on the edge just waiting to jump. Come on in guys – the water is fine & the air is clean. There is life “after” and the world “before” will fade quickly with time away from the insanity.
Mike, your excellent commentary today jogged my memory of being given a lot of glossy, D/A material from my org back when Time Mag’s Cult of Greed article came out. I hadn’t read it but some friends of mine had, so I communicated and was given the complete D/A pack which I immediately devoured, and which believed 100%. I was shocked at the church’s assertions that no-one IN the church had been contacted for the article. I was outraged at this unfairness to my religion. In short :), I fell for everything the church said – hook, line and sinker AND was so roiled up that I made a special point to not read the Time article even though no-one forbid me to do so. That’s how gullible I was then. Fast forward to 2009 and the Truth Rundown: same playbook, same claims that only people out of the church were interviewed, just the same ole same ole, that I recalled from back in the early ’90s. And they’re still at it, refusing to give interviews and claiming afterwards that the author and researchers refused to consult with them. Same ole, same ole, same ole…I guess its all they know how to do. Tick tock, cult.
Alex Gibney, the albatross around Dave’s neck.
So you met someone who set you back on your heels
Goody, goody
So you met someone and now you know how it feels
Goody, goody
And you’re singing that old tune
How the psychs control the news
As he took your church to pieces
And now how do you do
So you lie awake just singing the blues all night
Goody, goody
So you think you’ll just attack and make things right
Hooray and hallelujah
You had it coming to ya
Goody, goody for him, goody, goody for me
I hope you’re petrified you tyrant, you
He doesn’t have much experience talking to a critical reporter. It is a lot like politicians, the young ones put their feet in their mouth a lot, but they learn. Unfortunately since Miscavige hasn’t been interacting with reporters, he hasn’t had the chance to learn.
There may also be a bit of fear involved. Many people are scared to try things they haven’t got a lot of experience at, especially in public. Like talking to an interviewer for a documentary like ‘Going Clear’
Great post Mike. Great post.
Wayne
As Tory says – tick, tock, tick, tock.
Hoisted by their own petard, indeed. They’ve become the textbook on what *not* to do to succeed. You and the others are already vindicated, and it’s only a matter of time before the entire “church” crashes and burns in a spectacular wreck – with the rest of Miscavige’s captives being able to escape and cheer with us on the sidelines while the Diminutive Despot is crushed in the debris.
It’s shaping up to be a spectacular show. I’ll make the popcorn.
Butter please.
Isn’t it ironic that what is happening to the Church of Scientology is perfectly described in Hubbard’s writings re The Overt Motivator Sequence?
‘Their creepiness, dishonesty and general ickiness will be confirmed by what is shown in the film.’
Not to mention the creepy purchase ads that show up on some of the news aggregator sites…especially TPM. Ugly pictures and condescending article titles…all to entice the reader to those despicable Freedom magazine articles. ugh.
I don’t think miscavige reads the papers/news, which keep making notice of the litigious, smear campaigns, back handed methods the church has used and keeps using.
Rather than personally face up the matter (will never happen) dm continues to attack and demand from critics to ‘take their opinion into account’. Like Mike noted, this only creates more enemies: that arrogant attitude of the leader of “I say it, it has to be done” does not work outside his bubble and he is only adding more interest from the general public to watch HBO on March.
Backfiring big time.
What’s that reference re the criminal accuses others of what he himself is doing?
Dear MM,
The ref is ‘THE CRIMINAL MIND’ HCOB 15 September 1981.
Enjoy!
Greta
😉
Oh the irony of the Golden Age of Evasion. A common acronym for tech people is GAE which stands for Gross Auditing Error. Those errors which make auditing impossible such as evaluation, invalidation, unsafe auditing environment, altered processes, and robot TRs. So GAT and GAT2 have made GAE’s which have pissed people off, hence the need for the GAE. Makes perfect sense.
Golden Age of Entropy.
Priceless! Even if it were conclusively proven that every participant in the film did not utter even one true word, the “church” will have done at least their part to do themselves in. Their current campaign to get to film reviewers (to do what? They want journalists to ask for input/interviews that they will never get anyway?) will go a long ways towards showing their true face to a press that well remembers how they’ve been treated for decades by scn thugs. Too bad for them that the press is no longer afraid of them!
To be sure, I want to see CoS go down. But like watching a blow-out match I’m almost a bit disappointed about how easy they are making it!
Hey, I just had an idea for Dave to make money. He should come out with a spinoff on Fifty Shades of Grey and call it Fifty Shades of Slave.
If I was a journalist and got the opportunity to sit down with COB Captain Caligula ( Roman for little boots) and could ask just two questions it would probably play out something like this:
1) ” So Mr Miscavige could you please describe the characters, natures or personalities of the 8 ex members of the church who featured in going clear?”
Answer) Bitter, lying,violent wife beating apostates with no sense of honour or integrity and to a person, suppressive walking hate crimes!
Thank you so much for your candidness Mr Miscavige.
2) So Mr Miscavige how the F*CK does Scientology drastically better the human condition when all 8 Ex members have put an average of almost 3 decades intensive study of every facet Scientology has to offer and the “product” is bitter lying, violent wife beaters with no sense of honour or integrity and each and every one a traitorous suppressive???
Answer ) ……………….
I don’t think Scientology can answer direct accusations anymore because then their bubble dwelling public would be allowed to read/see their answer in the context that it appeared. This would inform the bubble dwellers that they are a shrinking ship or being sued for fraud, or they are at the forefront of squirreldom, etc…
Because of this inability to respond directly to ANY criticism, the only response has been “self-contained” communications where they describe the critic as evil, evil and then proceed to defend themselves from this evil. That is why they run these giant ads in the NY Times and why Freedumb magazine produces brochures so they can defend themselves from THEIR own false or distorted descriptions of the bogeymen that are out to get them… I think it’s called a straw man argument/defense.
From the looks of things, on March 16th that Scientology Straw man argument is going to burn to the ground.
Well, I was reading the Bunker the other day and Tony had some screenshots of a Facebook conversation between true believers and someone said something like “It’s hard, even if I know it’s ‘signs of success'”. Took a couple days to sink in and then I suddenly realised:
Why are ‘screaming squirrely’ considered a sign of success? Wouldn’t it be a lot more logical to walk around your org and see if it really is bustling and brimming with happy, helpful staff and happy, winning PCs and students?
Once again, I see how their attention is successfully diverted away from the real ideal scene and how an out point was cleverly reframed as a plus point. But it is not so. A sign of success would be something like Dror, people reaching and getting in touch, and a calm area. Not an avalanche of bad press and wrong whys and indications.
They seem to think that SPs scream when Scientology does well, so therefore, all this entheta means the Scientology must really be doing great! I know it sounds stupid, but that’s really what they think.
If this is the Age Of Answers, that means that there have to be questions to be answered. Well, here are some questions:
1) Where’s Shelly?
2) Why do OTVIIIs have to go back and do the Purif and Objectives?
3) How did the Church get Jenny Linson and Marc Yager to look like the zombies in The Walking Dead?
4) How exactly are Ernest and Gaye Corbett, people who donated millions over the decades, suppressive?
4a) Why did it take the Church decades to figure out that Ernest and Gaye Corbett are suppressive?
5) Do DM and Lou take personal relationship hints from Fifty Shades Of Grey?
6) Has disconnection really helped anyone’s case over the years?
7) Does anyone still work at a Narconon who wasn’t a patient at a Narconon?
7a) Does Gary Smith’s mustache draw its own salary?
8) Is there a preferred size of dildo to send to someone’s workplace?
9) Will the Comm Course enable me to cackle like that woman in the Squirrel Busters?
10) Do I have to read everything L. Ron ever wrote, or are there Cliffs Notes available?
That’s enough for now.
Espiando said February 4, 2015, at 2:16 pm, “How did the Church get Jenny Linson and Marc Yager to look like the zombies in The Walking Dead?”
Jenny Linson had a little help from JennyAtLAX who has marketed her specialized zombie-like stalking techniques:
“Lunatic Stalkerazzi Seminar”:
https://jennyatlax.wordpress.com/2015/01/18/lunatic-stalkerazzi-seminar/
“Lunatic Stalking For Dummies”:
https://jennyatlax.wordpress.com/2015/01/18/lunatic-stalking-for-dummies/
“Stalkerazzi 12-Step Program”:
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Hi guys, just a short off topic post before my supper. Hey Mike, it’s a well known fact that Aussies are tough as teak. Although you’re on what looks a great spiritual journey out here I’m kind of curious about the following. If by chance you met sawn off alone would it take a massive deal of personal restraint not to f*ckin flatten him?
no. I dont think that would accomplish anything. Laughing in his face would be a far more effective blow….
Mike. You have been to New York City and you have seen the org on West 46th Street.
I got started in Scientology at the New York org when it used to be on West 74th Street when I was 16 years old. I have published already the time, place, form and event of my experience with the various churches of Scientology on line and elsewhere so on that note………………
I find it inconcievable that the org in New York should even get into a race for such a thing as a title of “ideal org status”! This is an insult to people that are not even with the church ever.
And, the church is not even supposed to be running those ads on TV and their advertisers are not supposed to accept them as sponsors for it is against the law to run religious procurement advertising on public TV. 🙂
Yeah, laughing at him would royally piss the dude off. I’d pay money to see someone throw some peach cobbler in the cob’s face. The picture could be linked to social media with the caption ‘Impeach Pope Pie-us.’
I love it, Mike! I can envision a T Shirt with a picture of peach cobbler with DM’s face sticking out of the middle of it and some peach pie on his head and the caption, “Impeach Pope Pie-Us!” We should all get T shirts like that and go protest where he is and when he pokes his head out, we throw him a pie in the face just like the gag in the old days. I want my T Shirt!
Maybe Regraded Being can make us all one.
“The Devil, that proud spirit, cannot endure to be mocked” — Thomas More
If org staff have felt they have had a tough go of things, just wait until this doco hits mainstream. They will be told that an org’s stats are totally self-determined, that external influences have no effect. Some will believe it and beat themselves up; others will call bullshit.
Either way, you’re going to see proclamations of highest ever stats, real flourishing and prospering, all of it completely bogus. This will have an effect on staff. They know the existing scene. Many will route off or simply not resign. More pain than gain.
All that will be left are the hard-core, til death do us part, lifers. For an average org that’s probably anywhere from 6 to 12 staff.
“Not listening to our side” I am sure that Gibney would LOVE to interview Davey and Shelly.
The CO$ playbook can’t conceive of the current state of Clam ‘reputation’. Only ISIS has a worst rep and that is because the clampire hasn’t been caught immolating anyone (at least not lately).
Where are the clam clebutards? Why doesn’t Cruise use his immense ‘confront and shatter’ powers on those movie reviewers? Why doesn’t Travolta do the ‘CO$ saved me when my son died’ meme again? (sympathy almost guaranteed) Where’s Krustie Ally with her twitter attacks? (Krustie may be doing OT8 on the Slavewinds as we speak).
If the clebutards do anything, it will be short video piece for internal consumption. They don’t dare do much in public. Neither Cruise nor Travolta have foot-bullet proof careers at the moment. TC can’t do much or the upcoming Mission Incredulous 5 will be hit with a bigger backlash then it currently faces. So who is going to be the ‘confront and shatter’ face for the clams? Krustie Ally isn’t doing anything, I’d expect her to be that face.
Just having TC involved in your movie these days invites anti-clam demonstrations. Producers know that, and they get nice deals from TC to try to offset any such problems. Mr. Big Beings karate chopping running had better get much faster, otherwise he’ll be stuck doing Burger King commercials.
The ‘age of non-answers’ commercial was shown multiple time in the Tampa Bay area. Yes, the whole thing was just ‘preaching to the choir’.
zemooo, what is the point in emulating CO$ trash talk? Why call human beings “clams”?
Come on, the reason the CO$ and its executioners and heavy supporters are being criticised is because they abuse other human beings. And the best and most effective criticism is by exposing the truth about them, not verbally abusing them.
I give you that, some wordplays and name calling can be good fun, but by overdoing it is counter productive.
I am frothing at the mouth to watch this movie now!! Lol.
Mike, I could care less about you making money as a consultant or any other way.
I mean, maybe if you were selling crack I would object.
You are providing services that few are equipped to handle. Get PAID!! The joy of exposing $cientology! SPLURGE ON IT!!
“The joy of exposing $cientology! SPLURGE ON IT!!” Good one, Tony.
🙂
I’m with Tony, Mike. I’d love to see you doing well financially as a result of your work. You’ve earned it.
I feel better for having read this post Mike. I don’t tell you this enough maybe but your blog helps me. I’ve always thought of myself as a strong person but as the last several years of confronting the scene inside that bubble have passed I see the effects being in it have had on me, in my life. Disconnection being the worst followed by the betrayal and hypocracy within it when it was the last place I thought I’d find it. Loosing myself without realizing it was happening.
Facing the truth, confronting the reality supported by facts and personal experience has been a journey I’ve taken with you and I’m grateful. Grateful for this blog, your family’s friendship and love and for you and Marty who first shined light in to a darkness that fell when I realized the organization had become in my words a poisoned organism infected from the top by david miscavige. Thank you for the time, effort and contributions to the kind of healing this blog provides.
You’re not alone. Well said.
Beautifully said gayle. +1
Wildly great writing Mike
Miscavige has nothing to fear but reality itself…
They havnt even seen the film, Criticizing something you have never seen is the hight of stupidity.
Nothing new there ……. just another day at your idle morgue.
Sweat with JennyAtLAX in an
“Exercise in Futility”:
https://jennyatlax.wordpress.com/2015/02/04/exercise-in-futility/
Inspired by Something Can Be Done About It (Mike Rinder’s Blog), “Equipped For Eternity,” February 3, 2015.
https://www.mikerindersblog.org/equipped-for-eternity/
Age of Lies is more like the C of $.
David Miscavige stock and trade is Lie to control people.
D.M.makes Joseph Gobbels blush.
I haven’t seen the documentary but from those who have seen it, it seems to me that Alex Gibney has discovered the most effective technique of every successful critic of Scientology throughout its history:
1. Show L Ron Hubbard being L Ron Hubbard
2. Show Scientologists being Scientologists
3. Show the Church of Scientology being the Church of Scientology.
Works every time.
Alanzo
Can’t wait to see this whole thing play out!
Perfect, Alanzo! It couldn’t be said any more succinct.
“general ickiness…”
heh-heh
There’s absolutely no upside for Miscavige going on camera. At the very LEAST, the interviewer would bring up Debbie Cook, establish she was the big dog of his biggest org for SEVENTEEN YEARS and then play parts of her testimony. ALL he could do is deny, deny, deny and he would sound very foolish doing it. And I repeat, that is the LEAST that would come up. There’s you, Marty, Tom, Mark, Karen and a host of others whose videos would be played for him to answer. Again … no upside for him or really ANYONE from the CoS EVER appearing for an interview again (and of course, LRH says stay away from the press).
Mostly all the CoS responses are for the 12,000 or so people on lines throughout the world. Tony’s post of the facebook stuff was REALLY significant. That is the line that Scientologists will be telling each other and why NOT to watch this. I have seen my first faceook posting today of a Scientologist posting the Freedom mag article on the terrible people who were the source for movie. Now, this is VERY unusual that the CoS acknowledges to its parishioners that such a movie even exists, but they probably knew that enough people would see it or at least a trailer by accident if they were at all watching HBO. So they had no choice but to at least start the black PR lie machine. It is strictly for the in house folks. For the rest of the world, it’s good publicity that will actually increase viewership and cut into new people in, such as they even exist, over the next few years.
And of course every Scientologists in the world would be watching Miscavige … which also means that THEY would now SEE and HEAR all if the videos of Cook and others … can you imagine Miscavige being confronted with the Leah Remini story about Shelly … yeah, I’d pay admission to that interview!
What’s the matter Dave, cat got your tongue?
Yo Dave,
The least you could do is to turn loose a couple of bots to take a shot at us apostates on this blog. We’re getting the idea you might be pouting in your corner. Come on out and play good buddy……….
MM did a great job at songwriting and we want to sing-a-long with the ding-a-ling……….
There’s plenty more where that came from. 🙂
“enough [Scientologists] would see it or at least a trailer by accident if they were at all watching HBO.”
Wouldn’t subscribing to HBO (or cable/satellite in general, really) already be a crime in the CoS these days?
After all, if you have that much disposable income, you should be giving it to the IAS for Double Caseus Magnus status.
I repeat myself but at this point the church of David Miscavige can do no right. The jig is up; the media, etc., are not afraid of the church any more. So whether IT keeps quiet and says nothing or screams loudly and tries to defend itself, IT will look ridiculous.
No, the only right thing at this point that IT can do is to disinfect ITself, come clean, get rid of the bad apple(s) (namely HIMSELF) and get into the business of trying to help people – only. Yup, it’s over; cuz that ain’t going to happen.
Tic Toc Dave – You’ve made too many enemies.
DM’s ego would never let him realize that he is part of the reason why the Church is where it is today with all it’s problems.
DM will keep blaming others as his circle becomes smaller and smaller as he continues to gets rid of “enemies” only to realize in the end that he is sitting alone on an island by himself.
DM, ala Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard: “I’m still big. Its the orgs that got small”. That’s not original, I’m copying it from a Bunkerite.
Aqua: That would have been me. Observer turned my suggestion into one of her greatest shoops. And you can copy it to your heart’s content. DM is Norma Desmond.
MEST SIDE STORY
MARTY
(spoken)
Miscavige. . .
(sings)
The most God awful sound I ever heard:
Miscavige, Miscavige, Miscavige, Miscavige…
All the terrible sounds of the world in a single word . .
Miscavige, Miscavige, Miscavige, Miscavige…
Miscavige!
I once knew a crook named Miscavige,
And suddenly that name
Will never be the same
To me.
Miscavige!
I just sued a crook named Miscavige,
And suddenly I’ve found
How numerous the lies can be!
Miscavige!
Watch him rant to the suckers paying,
Hear him speak and he’s always evading
Mike,
I’ll keep on exposing Miscavige!
The most God awful sound I ever heard.
Miscavige.
Another awesome revision! I actually sang this out loud and my husband and I couldn’t stop laughing. Bravo!
Glad you liked it. Love to hear the duet!
Delicious!
This was so great that my dogs and I all sang it together…
Give them all a milkbone dog biscuit for their contribution.
Awesome, Michael M. Still laughing!
Glad I could put a smile on your face Aquamarine!
Great analysis Mike! Before seeing the film, I had a total misconception of what to expect. I knew there were 8 ex-members interviewed on it. I knew it was 2 hours. So, I figured Sara would be on for about 15 minutes as Alex had many hours of video with her.
As you pointed out, it wasn’t that way at all. The church footage is brutal by itself. If the 8 interviewees weren’t there – the film would still be a brutal indictment of the church/dm/lrh/tom cruise. I’m talking Brutal with a definite capital B.
I can also see what you said about why dm does not show’s his face. He would probably be toasted by the myriad of reviewers and tweeters out there. There’s no way he would mollify any criticism. He doesn’t have the presence of a MLK, Bill Clinton, Billy Graham, Dali Lama, et al. It’s more on the vein of a little Hitler, Napoleon, carnival barker or game show host.
All of their recent advertising whether attacking the Alex Gibney and the film or doing PR like the “Age of Answers”, super bowl ads and their 2 day take over of the home page on USATODAY.com – plus rumored takeover the homepage of youtube for a day cost no less than 10 million.
All of that has piqued the interest of the public for the HBO film and any good will achieved will be literally decimated when people view the film.
If you look at the stats for the church on Alexa.com, you will see they still have pretty poor traffic – not even in the top 100K sites in the world – ranked 43K in the US. A telling stat there: the bounce rate – people going to the first page then bailing – has increases 16% to 42%.
2015 continues to be an interesting challenge for them.
In this case the cherch is the equivalent of the Titanic. DMs job is also equivalent to the captain of the ship……….oh wait, he IS the Captain of the Shit!
Yo Dave,
Are you in your lifeboat yet? Remember, if you are alone there will be no one to bark orders to or row your scrawney ass away from the pissed off masses. Better call Tom and John and see if they are busy. How many days till the 16th good buddy?
I have a suggestion ………………… have a scotch (on the rocks) and go down with the ship!
Dave,
People are not interested in your so called answers and they know you have no intention of answering up.
While you are guzzling your scotch on your rooftop patio on Orange Street behind ASI on March 21st while the re-run of your LRH Birthday Event is playing to the seals at the Dolby Theater, those helicopters in the sky may be coming to serve a warrant on you!
Since Scientology did an ad for “The Age of Answers” perhaps HBO could do one on “The Age of Questions.”
Excellent comment Sheldon. Instead of DM being compared or acting like the Dali Lama or the Pope or any other good leaders, he is compared to and acts like Hitler, Napoleon, a carnival barker. That’s why he won’t be interviewed since 1992. As a narcissist and other things, he can’t stand to be shown in a bad light, or proven wrong.
Perhaps his Grade IV is unflat.
In times of crisis real leaders come out and provide answers to the public. Very rarely you see a leader of an organization hiding from the media. There is no one in this world who is too busy to even spare 30 minutes for a few questions and answers.
What everyone should be asking DM and his loyal Church members is; what are they hiding?. Why be so afraid of the media if they want their side of story to be heard as they claim?
If DM is so proud of the church and what they are doing, why not promote it by going on Television for free instead of paying for Superbowl Ads and sending out canned PR statements full of lies and baseless accusations? Using Ads and PR statements is a one sided communication. You can not get an answer from a Superbowl Ad or a PR statement.
Lol, Mike… they have to dead agent themselves. Snort!
It is ideas like this that give insane delusional reason to fight critics of Scientology. This is what critics of Miscavige are fighting.
David Miscavige has been reading insane delusional Hubbard since he was a young boy. He looked up to and believed Hubbard to be wise and his writings infallible because of “scientific research.”
How do you think a young person’s mind would develop with this type of dangerous rubbish as a thinking process?
“Now, get this as a TECHNICAL FACT,(my caps) not a hopeful idea. EVERY (my caps) time we have investigated the background of a critic of Scientology, we have found crimes for which that person or group could be imprisoned under existing law. WE DO NOT (my caps) find critics of Scientology who do not have criminal pasts.”
– L. Ron Hubbard, Hubbard Communications Office Bulletin, 5 November 1967, “Critics of Scientology”
I left the cult when Miscavige was a small boy. This is simply my impression/guess but I question how much he really worships at the altar of LRH. Perhaps his ability to create, to quote Steely Dan, a royal scam, but I’m not sure he actually drinks the Kool-Aid. He has certainly come up with some new flavors. Mike and Marty would certainly have an actual valid opinion on this. I’m possibly talking through an orifice that wasn’t meant for speech….
My view Rick is that there are many Scientology’s. If a person who only experienced public auditing with good people, then that is not Miscsvige’s Scientology.
Miscsvige’s Scientology is “The Responsibility of Leaders.” Bolivar.
Miscsvige’s Scientology is that part of Ron’s Scientology that was at war with the outside world.
One Scientology sits in front of a person to help them relieve suffering.
The other Scientology goes through critics trash, seeks their destruction through a black ops para military program (GO/OSA) and preaches deception, lies black PR, murder (Bolivar advises killing to protect power) and destruction of the family (disconnection)
All in writing, studied, word cleared, demoed and checked out for proficiency.
All the words of L Ron Hubbard.
The cognitive disconnect makes even discussing Scientology with Indies and Scientologists almost impossible.
It is ambivalence on steroids.
With regards to digging into someone’s past, per the LRH quote given above – it’s ironic that digging into LRH’S past revealed his own many criminal acts; and out-ethics on a very large scale. This can no longer be swept under the carpet which is what the church has done for all these decades.
The cat is out of the bag now. Scientology, let alone the church, will not survive this. It has become a laughing stock, to say the least; and
Rick Malim, I think there is another great video idea in, “I left the cult when….”
It could compliment the video “The Shit Scientologists say.” Except the “I left the cult when….” could be a great answer to the church’s claim that the 8 interviewed in the film are a handful of bitter, defrocked apostates who are liars. There are probably thousands who would line up to be part of that video.
Well the ghost writers for EllRon must have screwed the pooch one more time. They said ‘critics’ when they should have said ‘students’ ……of $cientology.
Today it should simply be Parishioners of $cientology; it is a technical fact that they do commit CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. It is only considered malfeasance on a good day, the rest of the time it would be called hate crimes.
Get a life kool aide people, there is a noose around your neck and the horse you are on is getting real nervous. Put some distance between yourself and the perps and do a good deed for a change ……………..walk out and speak up……. before the 16th.
The LRH statement about critics simply means that no human being is a saint. What he was saying is that if someone is criticizing the church, look deep enough into their background and you could find something criminal in their past that you can use to destroy them. This was an encouragement and advice for followers to dig and keep digging into critics past. The more they dig,the more they uncover things that may be uncomfortable for the critic. The person may not be a criminal per see, but may have some skeletons in the closet because no one is a saint.
From LRH statement, the church faithfuls have come to believe literally that anyone criticizing the church is a criminal, which is not always true because sometimes people criticize the church for what they consider to be unfair, or unjust treatment of others. Sometimes there are no hidden crimes to be dug up, it is just a honest person who is upset with how the church is treating others.
Just because one speaks out against what one does not like does not make one a criminal, or mean that one has something to hide.
Free speech allows freedom to criticize. It is not a crime to criticize any organization including government
“Davids, report to the MAA at once before doing your M9 on KSW and all relevant policies as determined by the EO. Report compliance in two weeks. Donations are not optional.”
Office of RTC Policing for External Dissension
David says “The person may not be a criminal per se”
That is a hidden data line and verbal data. L R H says “WE DO NOT find critics of Scientology that do not have a criminal past.”
If you were still in the Church Dave you’d be sent to the word clearer to find MU’s.
My opinion is that it is simply much too painful to come to grips with the truth. So we dub in what we think he meant to keep his intention benevolent.
And that is why it is so difficult to resolve these issues.
LRH knew very well that if he told his followers that there is a chance that some critics may not have a criminal past, they would not be as aggressive in digging the dirt. To make sure they would keep digging, he said that based on previous cases it was always true that people criticizing the church had a criminal past.
The LRH statement may not be true if you are a logical person, but for the faithfuls, they will keep digging forever into a critics background hopping to find a crime just because LRH said it is always true. For a dedicated Scientologist, you can not fail to find crimes or make someone confess crimes because you know where failure is on the tone scale.
” is that if someone is criticizing the church,”
And if the cherch is criticizing someone ?????????? Naw, that won’t happen!!!!!
Brian,
The midget’s rein of terror began well before he knew Scientology. He was a bully then and he is a bully now. Also, in all his years in Scientology, his case has NEVER changed except when he took enough drugs for his asthma. Ha.
And what he learned from Ron enforced, supported and help develop his success in becoming a Tyrant.
If he was a student of Mother Theresa that learning environment may have curtailed the development of those qualities with the practice of love and compassion. Or at least softened him up. He is a child of God after all.
His bad tendencies, that he came into this life with, were developed and enhanced. He resonated with:
Bolivar, The Family Man is a GE, ruin utterly, All B1 confidential tactics, psyches are the cause of crime on the planet, use the courts to harass our citizens, Being criticized means being attacked. etc etc on and on.
In one word: Power. How to keep it. That’s what that poor soul learned. I say poor because I still believe we are basically good when we pull back the veil.
He is a victim of his own stupidity and ignorance, enhanced by the black ops training he learned from El Ron. Unfortunately with people in power that means they drag many others with them, through their insatiable thirst for power, into the same pit.
Miscavige is in a fix. He got a whole latta legal justice stress heading his way. All the tools he learned to used against people are karmically spring loaded to boomerang towards him and his pitiful minions. His paper crown will easily be set ablaze by the truth the courts will reveal.
“truth though always fought, always in the end prevails.” L Ron Hubbard
“And what he learned from Ron enforced, supported and help develop his success in becoming a Tyrant.” – This is the truth of the matter. Brian, your comment is well put.
I’ve been doing lots of research and reading about LRH and his shady past. I seem to recall that he was a bully himself before DN and Scn. If you see how he treated people – not paying back loans, not honouring his word, putting out smear campaigns, apparently beating up his wives, kidnapping, etc, etc, etc.
Birds of the feather? He and DM? I’d say.
If LRH had been otherwise inclined, sincere in his efforts, he could have saved DM from himself. But he had an agenda and DM fitted the profile perfectly.
There’s often a tendency to point fingers at the cob and to look the other way when it comes to L Ron Hubbard. It’s all the dirty deeds of DM’s. Oh yeah?
“Truth though always fought, always in the end prevails.” L Ron Hubbard
Brian,
I totally agree that there are many people who studied Scientology and then used it for their own sadistic purposes. Like a caveman finding a knife in the woods and instead of carving a lovely statue, he used it for flaying his fellow man as a means of torture.
Miscavige is that sadistic caveman. There are many, many more who used that very same knife to carve beautiful works of art which observably proves it is not the knife that flays the human skin or soul, but it is the one who wields the knife.
And the words and instructions they follow Robert. I cannot see any benevolent outcome to “ruin utterly”or bring on the “willing hounds” to protect power.
These doctrines are not ambiguous. They are definite instructions to be violent.
There is no other way to look at it.
“In short (so to speak)”
simply sublime
lol
roAR!!!
Talk about rolling thunder!!
Go Mike GO!
Alanzo
If the church is going to be interviewed without seeing the movie, will they have egg on their faces when asked to comment about what LRH said himself – for instance?
I would love to see such an interview! And to see the resultant comments from the interviewees, strewn all over the US – the stuttering, stumbling and all!
Rolling BLUNDER.
Two thumbs up.