Path: sn.no!Norway.EU.net!uninett.no!news.maxwell.syr.edu!howland.erols.net!panix!news.panix.com!lepton From: lepton@panix.com (Mike O'Connor) Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology,comp.org.eff.talk,alt.censorship Subject: Re: Internet Ventures, Inc. (Response) Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 11:34:51 -0500 Organization: Leptonic Systems Inc. Lines: 216 Distribution: inet Message-ID: References: <344cca1d.8671929@news.supernews.com> <344f85c8.61309398@news.calstate.edu> <34513C75.312B433B@tidepool.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: lepton.dialup.access.net X-Newsreader: MT-NewsWatcher 2.3.5 X-Face: x@sw:_m%GlG!VSHM~|S|]`LK(xBA$#5s2{$gobKuq_d1j:Es@Na=%r)X?:#CL $GYWrJ4x"c}vzrQs9;*Sc|xK!mvUoQ\8pgbQJv6wL>E%^Y%X:'nE1z(\&5SZvf*VQ^dT pJ5gA8}T&Yy"%'v4!$daDo?|~W~4HJr,?-iMbh:($KL%MechQ{VK8B]xNt"/i,bh1@Bf f[s{E%Kp-Iw96F.#4\G*|` Xref: sn.no alt.religion.scientology:387949 comp.org.eff.talk:73818 alt.censorship:171340 I'm a computer professional who has been involved with various online systems since 1976. I've never been into Scientology. I stumbled upon this group and saw some very interesting activity. Since then I have read virtually every non-spam message posted here in the last two and a half years, both pro and con. I've become a participant here, and a critic of what has been termed "the thriving cult of greed and power" (TIME magazine 1991 cover story.) I've never met any of the regulars here, and by design I've not had any significant conversations with anyone about the cult, except in public view. Many of the responses you've gotten already say things that I agree with, so I'd like to use my time to talk a little about the cult itself, why they might be doing what they do, and perhaps why they duped you into taking the action you did. Basically, it is their sacred duty to do this. It's part of the religious teaching in the cult's own sacred scripture. The cult is _really_ upset about the Internet in general and this group in particular. The cult does not tell its members the true, core beliefs on day one. You are not ready to know the secret until you are ready. It takes a lot of time, and tens of thousands of dollars in payments until you get to the point of learning that Scientology is actually a UFO cult. The beliefs include the fact that YOU ARE NOT AN EARTHLING but are an alien soul who was kidnapped from your home planet by the evil overlord XENU and taken here in spaceships; that you were then subjected to Xenu's ALIEN MIND IMPLANT that filled you with false memories; that you are actually a godlike creature with powers to control Matter, Energy, Space and Time, but the implant makes you think you are mortal and have to die etc.; that there are many other alien souls, also deluded by implants, inside you, controlling you; that expensive cult exorcism rites are the only road to Total Freedom from this plight; and that if you learn these secrets before you are prepared spiritually, you can die. How do I know these secret beliefs? I read all about them on the Internet! In the cult view, this information going public is a disaster of galactic proportions. It could lead to the ruin of the planet. In my belief, it could lead to the ruin of a global scam. The cult has a problem with those who think this sort of thing. The problem must be handled, and the sacred scripture says what to do. Find WHO has caused this damage and GET THEM. A series of anonymous posts from an entity called SCAMIZDAT contained many secret beliefs and a load of confidential documents. Whoever made those posts is the biggest problem. I was just a lurker at that point but I saw those posts, they kept coming and coming, about a dozen in all, loaded with damaging documents. Many critics taunted the cult after each post. Why can't you stop SCAMIZDAT from degrading you? And so on. Grady Ward chimed in like the rest, and he was particvularly good at it. In fact, take a look at some of the replies he has made to recent posts of cult documents. They are almost exactly like the ones he posted in reply to SCAMIZDAT. Those posts ticked off the cult. SCAMIZDAT was anonymous. But Grady and some others would taunt after every one of those posts. Oh, so OPERATING THETAN PART III was posted, I bet you'll be really upset to see shows up in the next issue! That type of thing. It was easy to predict what SCAMIZDAT would post next because there was a pattern to it, and there was always speculation as to what would turn up next. OK. They had no clue as to the identity of SCAMIZDAT, but had tremendous pressure to produce, so they pick a suspect - loudmouth Grady Ward. Now, what to do about it? Well, the cult sacred scripture isn't mostly about Xenu. The cult sacred scripture says at length what to do with an attacker, an enemy, a "suppressive person". Let's look at a few short excerpts: ++++++++++++ SACRED CULT SCRIPTURE +++++++++++++ PENALTIES FOR LOWER CONDITIONS [...] ENEMY SP [suppressive person] Order. Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed. -- L. Ron Hubbard HCOPL 18 October 1967 Issue IV ++++++++++++ SACRED CULT SCRIPTURE +++++++++++++ A Suppressive person becomes "fair game." By FAIR GAME is meant, may not be further protected by the codes and disciplines of Scientology or the rights of a Scientologist ... they cannot be granted the rights and beingness ordinarily accorded rational beings and so place themselves beyond any consideration for their feelings or well being. The homes, property, places and abodes of persons who have been active in attempting to suppress Scientology or Scientologists are all beyond any protection of Scientology Ethics. -- L. Ron Hubbard HCOPL 25 December 1965 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Many people over the years have been declared "Fair Game," and the policy continues to this day even though, according to other documents, they stopped using the actual term "Fair Game" because it causes bad public relations. You've already seen other scriptural instructions which say to make it rough on attackers all the way, to always attack and never defend, to turn the attack back around by inviting an investigation of the attacker, and to hire people to investigate the attacker, looking for crimes. Suppressive people always have crimes. "Find or manufacture enough threat" against them to get them to give up, or "sue for peace" as they say: ++++++++++++ SACRED CULT SCRIPTURE +++++++++++++ The purpose of a lawsuit is to harass and discourage rather than to win.... Don't ever defend. Always attack. Find or manufacture enough threat against them to cause them to sue for peace. Originate a black PR campaign to destroy the person's repute and to discredit them so thoroughly they will be ostracized. Be alert to sue for slander at the slightest chance so as to discourage the public presses from mentioning Scientology. It is my specific intention that by the use of professional PR (black PR) tactics any opposition not only be dulled but permanently iradicated. -- L. Ron Hubbard HCOPL 30 may 1974 ++++++++++++ SACRED CULT SCRIPTURE +++++++++++++ The law can be used very easily to harass, and enough harassment on somebody who is simply on the thin edge anyway, will knowing that he is not authorized, will generally be sufficient to cause his professional decease. If possible, of course, ruin him utterly. -- L. Ron Hubbard "A Manual on the Dissemination of Material" (1955) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The cult has taken these sacred instructions to heart and aimed them at Grady Ward, among others. They filed a lawsuit that says Grady Ward is SCAMIZDAT. It doesn't matter that on the merits they will lose because of a lack of evidence. The purpose is to harass and discourage, not to win. Lawsuits are expensive and the cult has bankrupted many critics in this manner. The Ward case is over a year old and they don't seem even close to getting started talking about the merits. The cult is EXPERT at this. Blizzards of paper have come through the case. The purpose is to harass, not to win. They snipe here, they snipe there. They send private investigators to the home, they commit fraud against his mother, they trick her, they trick his bank into giving out confidential information, and they trick his Internet supplier into cutting off his account. It has happened before, it happened here. They are just following sacred scripture. They seem to have lied to you, tricked you. You think the cult cares about you, about the Internet, about free speech? Get Grady Ward. Ruin him utterly. That is a sacred duty. Lying to you, big deal. The Ten Commandments are part of the ALIEN MIND IMPLANT. The cult has its own rules, its own creed. The creed says never to fear hurting another in a just cause. And what could be more just than getting Grady Ward, the SCAMIZDAT ruining their religion? If they have to trick you, lie to you in order to control you, that is just fine. ++++++++++++ SACRED CULT SCRIPTURE +++++++++++++ THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN CONTROL PEOPLE IS TO LIE TO THEM. You can write that down in your book in great big letters. [...] [An] individual is lying to you because he is trying to control you - because if they give you enough misinformation they will pull you down the tone scale so that they can control you. -- L. Ron Hubbard Technique 88 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Grady Ward's critical, scatalogical messages are not pornographic. They are not sexual. They have a specific purpose. I believe Ward knows that his lawsuit is about copyright, not content. But the cult gets flustered over these messages and brings them into court to talk about their content. It may help to show the Judge that the whole cult argument is about content, not copyright. And, the Judge should not consider these messages, since he is only supposed to rule on copyright and the matter of Fair Use. Grady Ward's speech is the exact kind of speech which is meant to be protected. Offensive and political, and with a legitimate purpose. The Supreme Court says: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ But the fact that society may find speech offensive is not a sufficient reason for suppressing it. Indeed, if it is the speaker's opinion that gives offense, that consequence is a reason for according it constitutional protection. For it is a central tenet of the First Amendment that the government must remain neutral in the marketplace of [438 U.S. 726, 746] ideas. -- U.S. Supreme Court FCC v. PACIFICA FOUNDATION, 438 U.S. 726 (1978) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ISPs should remain neutral in the marketplace of ideas too. These are merely my own opinions, but I hope they will help to give some context to the situation in which the cult has placed you. Do you think the quotes I've included here are fair? I do, but if the cult decides to target me, it won't matter much if I'm technically in the right. I'm the type of person the Ward harrassment is meant to discourage. Part of the scheme is to make those like me afraid that they will come after my ISP, my mother, my bank, whatever, if I'm uppity. "Unexpected attacks in the rear of the enemy's front ranks work best" says the sacred scripture. It can be dangerous to post here. But intelligent criticism, even of sacred scripture, MUST be permitted. -Mike [p/m]