Here we have an example of classic scientology spin.
Like they claim the IAS was founded with the Portland Crusade to “defend the rights of scientologists” (when it was actually a way of keeping money outside the purview of the IRS), so too STAAD has a “creation myth” that it came about as a response to “requests by scientology parishioners for a platform to speak out against discrimination.” That is of course “utter bullshit” to quote David Miscavige in his last official statement to the press.
The STAAD League was a bright idea to “combat” the negative PR generated by The Aftermath with another scientology site dedicated to smearing those exposing the abuses in scientology. This one is oriented towards painting scientology as victims of bigotry and religious hate crimes. They glom onto any event that happens and Ed Parkin (who is pretty much the entirety of STAAD) – a long term staff in OSA International, tweets and writes blog articles that first decry hatred and bigotry against Jews, Christians, Nation of Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses and then use that as a springboard to spew hate and bigotry of their own, almost exclusively targeted at Leah Remini, me or our contributors.
So it was interesting to see this grand part they held to give themselves a pat on the back.
That is “Fast Eddie” in his signature maroon blazer on the far left of the photo, with Janet Weiland in the green to his left (Janet is also an OSA Int staff member). Right behind Janet is Bodhi Elfman — this is about his level of activity, he has never made it to the real scientology celebrity status. He is a C lister even in the scientology world. In the middle of the front row in the harlequin sweater is Nick McNaughton, another long term OSA Int staff. There are probably some other recognized faces here that I don’t know.
I am curious what the clenched fist salute is about.
As you can see, even their holiday celebration article devolves into a ridiculous attack on The Aftermath and how they are proud of attacking A&E and going after their advertisers.
The next day, Eddie was at the keyboard again. No news news, just a different article about the same thing…
OK, this one drops a real doozie right in the middle — “Christian and Jewish scientologists”? I guess these people are not REAL scientologists then. Remember what scientology told the IRS: you practice scientology the the exclusion of other faiths. Every scientologist knows this — but for “PR Purposes” they tell an “acceptable truth” that you can be anything you want and a scientologist. Haha.
As the FBI found in their investigation of scientology. Sea Org members are trained to lie.
The STAAD League is based on a lie and deals exclusively in lies.
The photo is interesting. I know several of the people.
What really stands out for me is the lackluster clenched fist salutes. I only see one person, the youngest woman, who looks like she’s feeling it. The rest look tepid and embarrassed.
It is body language that says in their heart of hearts, they don’t believe it. Or perhaps, belies their basic goodness and that they aren’t really the ruthless, hateful, smear-thy-enemy, fearsome warriors as Miscavige widhes to portray them.
“CI pieces of shit!!”
Blessed are the brainwashed for they shall inherit the wind.
David Miscavaige is an uneducated punk who muscled his way to the top of a criminal organization. He is not smart enough to strategically maneuver his way around all the negative publicity. All he knows is to try to bully everyone into submission. Only it just doesn’t work anymore. Be patient my friends. The Tiny Tyrant himself will bring an end to the cult. He can’t help himself from doing the wrong thing every time. And anyone who does know how to handle all the bad PR is either gone or too afraid to step up.
Sandy that sounds completely accurate.
The interesting thing ( or maybe not-so-interesting ) about today’s story is that it reflects the STANDARD practice of scientology, which always, always, ALWAYS involves lying.
It’s the usual Hubbard insanity, codified, known as scientology ” policy ” ,that eschews
honest communication in favor of lying, dissembling, fabricating and basic, b-flat bullshitting. This is done with an unbelievably consistent level of false enthusiasm and
total arrogance . Add in a lack of irony, humility, and self-reflection. AND! Remember: NEVER DEFEND, ALWAYS ATTACK!
*Damn, that there is some righteous, ecclesiastical, universe-salvaging shit for you poor,
ignorant meat-sacks!* *= sarcasm
Mark, you talkin’ about FOOLproof again?
He’s been noticeably absent. Turns out he was PTS to Mike Rinder and now has to re-do his SP Rundown.
What impressed me the most was that two of the guests saw the truth of the cult quite early on the bridge. Lost 20 years before I was out. It was a great show. Thanks Mike and Leah.
On Tony Ortega’s latest article, a tribute to one of the guests last night, Tiponi Grey, who sadly passed away in November before the show aired, Mat Pesch posted a great comment that I feel really explains how Scientology is nothing more than a virus, the mechanisms of that “virus”, and how that virus has now latched itself on to the NOI. I wanted to share that here in case anyone doesn’t see it over there:
“I hope last nights episode will help the NOI realize that they have intentionally been targeted and infiltrated by a social virus called Scientology. Scientology by its own policies targets the leaders and opinion leaders of groups and countries it intends to take over. It uses some useful basic and helpful information to help hook a person and they falsely promise the moon. They trick and use good intentioned people to front for them. Once the “virus” is in a person or group it is very hard to remove. Key to its survival is to convince the host that anyone that attempts to discredit it is lying and bad and should be ignored, attacked and destroyed. Once that mechanism is in place the “virus” will trade meaningless certificates, trophies and metals in exchange for labor and money. It will suck the host dry and will cause group members to fracture and cut meaningful bonds while showing little, to no emotion. Those bonds can be with family members or even God itself. All devotion, loyalty and effort will be directed to the “virus” itself. At the core of that virus is a very, very evil narcissist. I see some leader of NOI accepting some meaningless metal and stating he would follow Miscavige into battle. I can’t help thinking “You poor, poor bastard. You have NO IDEA who and what Miscavige is.” I listened to Hector speak about how viciously he was attacked by his own people (after being a devout NOI member for 26 years) when he displayed doubts about Scientology and I knew the “virus” had permanently set up shop. I couldn’t help think of the movie “Aliens” when a person gets an alien egg laid inside it……”
Spot on Mick. I was thinking very similar thoughts about LF. Clueless that he’s being used. He’s such a despicable human being he almost deserves it. But… too many casualties to follow. Disturbing to the core!
Only a cult would find *GLORY* in praising itself for its Hate sites of smear, blood and sex on former members many who served 20,30, 40years.
Completely oblivious to how repugnant and abhorrent these hate sites are to the outside world, they carry on *manufacturing” evidence as is their policy.
Search of mediawatch.com for any content with the word “scientology.” 0 results. Same for FAIR, mediawatch.org, Media Watch (the aussie program), etc. etc. Only two results, both about Steve Cannae. Where are these thousands of complaint letters?
…and david miscavige while being the instigator or initiator of sites like this and the church’s site, distances himself from them. He’s never culpable he is?
I thought the episode last night was kickass, Mike. I think these last two episodes have really put right out in the open what the church does to go after those that speak out against its abuses (using tax free dollars) and have now incorporated those tactics into the NOI against any NOI member who speaks out against scientology or even just disagrees with the infusion of dianetics and scientology into the NOI.
And OH! the irony of the letter from miscavige sent just before the episode last night comparing the Aftermath Series with 1930’s Hitler/anti-jew era. THAT IS REALLY RICH considering Farrakhan’s alliance with Iran and it’s desire to wipe Israel off the face of the earth and his vitriol against Jews.
All of this affects the pubic with its tax-free dollars and I hope they are getting that this is not just about some little ole quacky religion and its crazy beliefs and what it does to it’s members that want to leave and/or expose its abuses.
Right on Mary Kahn!!
Mary Kahn, excellent points you make! I Mike and Leah do a show about how they use their Scn schools in a scam where they get govt money for use with the kids, then they don’t use it on the kids, then they get a 2nd mortgage on the school and use the money taken from the real estate to donate to the IAS and then get big IAS trophies and statuses in return. But none of the gov money did anything in reality for the school. Reporter Brian Seymore did a big expose story on this. I’d like that put on the A&E show.
Someone needs to correct one of their highlighted ‘facts’: Ok, I’ll do it
“I’s an honor to be counted among this courageous group of Aftermath Participants who are not afraid to say it like it IS when it comes to bigotry and hate in cults.”
Perhaps the clenched fist is their “vital torch raised”
Too bad the unreal members of STAAD didn’t show up for the party…or maybe they did, lol and we just can’t see them.
I reckon the party size sausage rolls they had before the meeting have disagreed very badly and so when the photo was taken they raised their fists and squeezed their sphincters tightly in desperation.
“Click,” went the camera/phone/whatever.
Big stampede for the dunnies.
STAAD – the intitials really are an acronym for: Scientologists Taking A Stand Against DECENCY.
Scientologists Taking An Astronomical Dump.
Hello DM and OSA. I know you are looking at this site. My name is David Bates, and I stand with Mike, Leah and all the contrubutors on Aftermath. OK, now you have my name spill the names of all the supposed people and advertisers you mentioned. Come on, I will wait. I want to respond to each personally. Bet you can’t do it. Come on DM, come here and tell me in person. Nope? Keep up the GREAT work Mike and Leah. Maybe someday my family member in the Philippines will get all his lost money back after scientology ruined him! But i doubt that will happen.
These guys need to hire a real public relations firm. Whatever Hubbard “PR tech” they’re using is ineffective at best, and counter-productive at worst. Of course, no smart and successful (and self-respecting) PR firm would take these self-defeating clowns on as clients.
Seeing their celebratory picture, the only caption that seems to sufficiently sum it up would be them saying “Yay! We are doing a stellar job of proving the allegations that are made against us!”. I can’t help but shake my head at their complete lack of self-awareness.
you are absolutely right. Been thinking that since season one. Not a clue as to how to mitigate bad publicity.
They DID hire legit PR firm to consult them. Result? “Stop being criminals” (more or less). See Jeff Hawkin’s Counterfeit Dreams.
I vaguely remembered something about that (been about a year or so since I read this book). I think he was on a “mission” to hire a PR firm. I didn’t remember the results of their search, but being told to basically stop being criminals is pretty much what any legitimate firm would say (and that was back in the 80’s/90’s when that happened I assume).
In the age of Going Clear and Aftermath, I doubt any legit PR firm would even schedule a meeting with them. Or if Scientology used a front group to try to hide their affiliation, the PR firm would drop them in an instant once they caught a whiff that Scientology was involved.
This entire organization has become completely toxic these days, thanks to how much former members are now speaking out.
I find it interesting that they don’t NAME the companies that have, supposedly, stopped advertising on your show.
Also, RIP Tipponi (hope I spelled her name correctly). You are in a much better place now than some folk (DM) will ever be!
Ed
Keep up with this activity and be very grateful that I created this cushy post that gives you a modicum of media exposure and allows you free time to leave the HGB and interact with wogs. Don’t think for a minute that your fellow OSA staff members wouldn’t jump at the chance to have this job. Be sure to toe the line by doing exactly what I say to avoid another RPF assignment.
Dave
I remember attending an event where Miscavige was patting himself and Scientology on the back for championing Human Rights and freedom of speech.
I was fairly close to my final exit from Scientology at the time and I remember thinking that the best place to start on this program was within Scientology itself.
The only place I ever felt that I had to watch what I said was at my local Org and I was well aware of the RPF program for staff and the sleep deprivation and bad food in the Sea Org.
Thankfully, I was never in the Sea Org myself and so never had to do the RPF.The RPF program was one of the reasons I would never consider the Sea Org, not the only one by far.
I did live in Sea Org quarters more than once for short periods and so have some experience of the miserable life style. This was back in the early 80s. I am sure it is much worse now.
From the group picture they look like they’re a group of midgets.
STAAD – Scientology Tools And Apocryphal Data.
I recognize 4 of the Stand members. Riggs Eckelberry, exSO who was on the Apollo, Carol Espinosa, artist, Michael Lewis, power FSM whose son Johnny Lewis murdered his landlady and fell to his death confronting the police and Lance Miller public speaking trainer. I’m sorry, these are the powerful OTs who defend the lies of Scientology. And they talk about safeguarding their faith?
What faith? They do not believe in god, they do not believe in anything. They KNOW that Scientology is the only thing that can save the universe and that becoming an OT is their only salvation and road to becoming gods. Pathetic.
I’m not quite sure how I found Mr. Parkin, but I get his twitter posts emailed to me and I always respond….with a truth to counter his lies. He never publishes them, but it’s enough to know he gets them. My passive aggressive way of keeping the needle in. He often makes me laugh out loud (as the above article did) and I tell him so. I’m waiting for someone to show up at my door………….
They are against religious bigotry but “stand” with Farrakhan … yeah … right …
Hypocrites.
But sure they are good in keeping tradition – their photos always show between 20-30 people max.
This confirms the unprecedented shrinkage of the scientology cult.
“combating bigotry and hate”
Scientologists are blind to the fact that THEY are the ones consumed by bigotry and hate. They are almost always the opposite of what they espouse. For example, they flout the concept of fair ‘exchange’, yet collect millions of dollars in exchange for meaningless ‘status’. They seek ‘total freedom’, yet are ruled by a psychotic, narcissistic little tyrant. ‘The friendliest place on earth’, ‘Most ethical organization on the planet’ ‘Mankind’s only hope’ ‘world’s largest group of disaster relief volunteers’ Etc., etc.
Hey Mike. Great new Season you & Leah have made! The raised fist is the Black Panther salute (originally 1960’s black power salute). Affiliating themselves with another racist group.
Been busy moving to even more tropical climes and getting backyard boat dock set up, 10 ton lift and new Cruiser situated. It is SO much easier to flourish & prosper when one isn’t part of the criminal cult that Hubtard built.
Here’s a new video showing that Scamology is truly moribund. Nothing but security guards and a few staff. Public don’t really exist anymore even in this, the most densely populated scamology area.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t35ha1FYX8
Hi Wynski. We have missed you (maybe not FP), hope you are settling in OK.
Thanks Mike. Yes, just usual unboxing hell. LOLn
All that love! Just like JT said, it’s a beautiful religion.
Mother Hen Alert:
Wynski! There you are! I was worried about you! Welcome back, and next time call if you’re going to stay out late 🙂
Hi Aqua! Missed you too. 🙂 Sorry I didn’t give forewarning. Events of finding and buying new place were more involved than I thought they would be.
Hi ya Mike, wondered where you got to. We’ve had a differences but glad to see you back. Cheers…
Glad you are still here I Yawn.. I like reading your analysis of the cult.
My son jokes that I invented dirt. When I see a group of twenty people the large majority of who are my age or older, two of whom are smart enough to totally obscure their faces from the camera, I see a gentrified book club or just a photo shoot.
Pretty soon they will have to change their name to SIT.
Now that’s some funny shit, Valerie!
Somehow, an all-white, middle aged and older, middle class group doesn’t scream “fighting discrimination” to me. Ah, well. Nobody in the real world has even heard of this group, nor will they ever. It couldn’t handle the social media backlash should they be noticed at all — unlike a few brave people we know, who suffer it all simply to “do the right thing.” Thank you, Mike and Leah and A&E.
Clenched fist…Black Power? Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Nah, they’re emulating Dave.