Mary Kahn reminded me yesterday in a comment about John Oliver of the brilliant piece he did on Religious Tax Exemption. This is satire at its finest -- exposing truths through humor. It is cringe-inducing funny. If you have never seen this, or if you haven't watched it for a few years, it is VERY instructive. I recommend it highly as it lays out a LOT of information and gives insight into scientology and its ongoing tax exempt status. This is, in part, why the IRS has been perfectly content to allow scientology to be tax exempt all these years. There is also the fact that … [Read more...]
Search Results for: Miscavige
The Cult on Fog Island
Former RTC executive Mariette Lindstein has been forging an astonishingly successful career as a writer since leaving the Sea Org. She and her husband, Dan Koon, are long time friends. I originally brought Mariette to the International Base to become WDC Scientology (over all Class 5 orgs). She has forgiven me for this. Dan and I shared a lot of time compiling the What Is Scientology? book and various other things and back when life was not completely insane at Gold we would sneak a game of golf during CSP time on Sunday mornings on the otherwise virtually unused Golden Era golf … [Read more...]
Clearwater and How Scientology Buys Influence
A few nights ago, the Clearwater Chamber of Commerce held their annual gala. You might be surprised to learn that scientology is one of its sponsors. But you might not be surprised to learn that the outgoing Chair of the Chamber, Katie Cole is a prominent local attorney who represents scientology. In fact, she is the protege of Ed Armstrong, a local legend in the real estate/zoning law practice who has represented scientology's interests since I first hired him in the early 90's (I guess it was?). This is scientology "safepointing" 101. Find a well connected … [Read more...]
The “Golden Age” of Delusion
Since Miscavige announced the "Golden Age of Tech" way back in 1997 (?) it seems that scientology has been in anything BUT a golden age. While they have purchased plenty of buildings, the number of orgs and missions has DECREASED in this time. The number of active scientologists continues to plummet. The amount of public exposure of their abuses is at a constant state of emergency level. Therecare constantly announcements that orgs are "going to go ideal" or "we ARE going St Hill Size" and now Missions are even getting in on the act "this is the year we build the ideal … [Read more...]
Desperation in Clearwater
Flag is seriously desperate to get anyone into the building for the regges to grab hold of. Flag holding "seminars" by PUBLIC to brief them on "OT" is so weird L. Ron Hubbard would be apoplectic if he had not shuffled off his mortal coil so many years ago. Flag has the highest trained auditors and C/Ses on earth. THE experts on the subject of going OT. But rather than them doing seminars on "the keys to OT" they have two local whales delivering this. Why? Hubbard freaked out when he found public scientologists "on the backs of orgs" taking “advantage” of “his staff” and “stealing his p … [Read more...]
Scientology’s Australian Tragedy
Some Thoughts from Leah and Mike Thank you all for your messages of love and support in response to the latest attacks from scientology. As we have previously stated, our thoughts and prayers are with Chih-Hen Yeh's family -- the victim murdered at the Australian scientology center. Sadly, this is just the latest example of scientology using a tragedy to attack those speaking out against its abusive practices. The irony is that we speak out against the culture of violence within the highest echelons of scientology, perpetrated and encouraged by David Miscavige. We are exposing … [Read more...]
Empty Buildings, Empty Promises
The saga of empty "ideal" orgs continues. Miscavige shows up to yank his ribbon, they import people from out of town to make a "crowd" -- always inflated by a factor of at least 5 -- they take photos and video and then the circus leaves and things settle back into the normal void on nothingness it always was. Except the few footsteps echo in large, deserted marble halls now, instead of the moldy carpets of an old strip mall. Desperate to get anyone to come into their empty palace, they start promoting for people to hold "events and functions" -- because they don't know what else to do … [Read more...]
The “Mike Rinder Problem”
Scientology has come up with a new attack line -- the "Mike Rinder Problem." It is quite an honor to be singled out so specifically, especially as I am according to them merely a "bobblehead" (though a "wife-beating" one so that is apparently a bigger deal). They shifted their attacks from Nancy Dubuc to Paul Buccieri in a deft strategic move. Their clever PR maneuvers are a sight to behold. According to scientology, the "Mike Rinder Problem" is this: "Like the classic wife beater that he is, Rinder digs in his heels and refuses to admit he injured his former wife Cathy during an i … [Read more...]
Happy New Year
Happy 2019 to all who come here to participate in this community whether just as a reader or a commenter. We start the New Year with a new episode of The Aftermath tonight, which I believe is a good omen for things to come in 2019. Meanwhile David Miscavige, the one True Leader jetted off to Joburg to cut the ribbon on an absolutely pointless building -- the new "AO Africa". It is staffed with SO Members from Flag (they couldn't get any from Africa apparently) to serve a few small and failing orgs -- less orgs than any AO in history. They are offering "cheap prices" because the Rand is so … [Read more...]
Scientology Franchises Fail
Once upon a time, there was a rather large and fairly prosperous network of scientology franchises (this is what Hubbard originally called them, until like his use of the word "fees" which was changed "donations", the word was replaced by "missions" in order to sound less commercial). The Franchise network was pretty much decimated during the infamous Mission Holder Convention of 1982 where Miscavige first burst into public view as the new Capo of scientology. Franchises were always supposed to be the "front lines" of scientology. The spearhead both into new areas of the world and to new … [Read more...]