Though Drunph may not physically beat people, he does verbally abuse them. Also, he does have a disconnection policy towards news reporters. How many has he banned now? Another narcissistic cult leader by any other name!

sorry, if it seems I’m overly annoyed at this… it’s because every time I think about the IAS, and what a fraud it is, how they prey on well-meaning people who really cannot afford to donate, and I remember the young man who was working his first job after high school, for low wages but saving as much as he could to try to make a good start to his life – then was pressured to sell his car, that he was almost done making payments on, to donate to the IAS. His comment was “man, I really loved that car!” But the regges convinced him that money from selling his car was critical to clearing the planet. for shame.

Did it come out of DM’s pocket… how does money get INTO DM’s pocket? No matter the small perks of long long ago… who pays for DM’s private transportation, expensive clothing, special chefs, imported foods, frequent vacations, and uniforms for his dogs – yes, for gosh sakes, he did have Sea Org uniforms made for his dogs, it was in Amy Scobee’s book, and I believe her. Who paid for the large wooden ‘joke puppets’ he made of M.R. and Heber? Not too worried about the small trips for staff rewards many years ago, more concerned with immaterial and extravagant expenditures for luxury items right now. Your IAS dollars at work, saving the planet, one pair of john lobb shoes at a time.

I also thought the remarks by RB were insightful and compassionate. RB has a way of making people think about what is being said, it strikes a chord.. like the comic strip, it always engages your mind, and can make you both laugh and cry at the same time. Is it Friday yet? C’mon RB!

I’ve said that too… the “no children” policy effectively eliminated the next generation of “born-in” Sea Org members. Then came “no marriages” in Sea Org… both contributed to people leaving.

Miscavige also ‘declared’ and threw out many long-time dedicated members, thereby once again shrinking the member base. Add to that the fallout from people associated with the expelled members leaving because they had left, and you have a snowball effect of people quitting Scientology. DM made some bad decisions. Some members he targeted because he wanted to contain or dispose of anyone who might be a threat to his power (many long-time, dedicated, knowledgeable members who were well-known and respected). But that led to people saying what… Debbie Cook is gone? Mike Rinder? Marty Rathbun…Dan Koon.. CHris Shelton? What is going on…?! And then, high profile celebrities like Lisa Marie Presley and Leah Remini… he really needed to do much, much more to keep members, so, yeah, DM made mistakes, that led to membership severely declining and the church becoming a smaller group made up of very rich people that he controls and very gullible people who will work for nothing and question nothing… unless… that was his intention.

The other side of the fence has been HEAVILY ‘Safe Pointed”. LOL

Or sometimes, do you long to just take off yourself… one bright sunny day, you look on the other side of the fence and see the road with cars passing by and think, you know, I could just leave here… just go out into the world and live my life free of all this strict programming, rules, and whatnot… reconnect with my friends and family who have left, and just think for myself and decide what I believe is right. Or does something chain your mind and you find yourself unable to gain the strength to break free?

You know Dan, come to really think of it, “solutions to resolve the problems of the mind and life” has been consciously or unconsciously the holy grail since the dawn of elementary consciousness or awareness.

We are not there yet.

I would say that we are now getting close.

The dilematic, enigmatic and diabolical problem we as a civilization have, is that the basic principles of the only real solution to the problems of the mind and life (the baby in the bath water) are contained within a body of knowledge, that the most disreputable, most criminal, most evil organization on earth and in all the history of the earth has usurped and hijacked and claims to have copyright on, and is in essence using it for bait and holding it as hostage for entrapment, ransom and extortion and abuse.

As I am sure you well know, the reputation of scientology and the cos is so despicable that the shear utter of the word in normal society can cause violent and dangerous reactions.

Dio,

Holy grail: a thing that is being earnestly pursued or sought after.

So the SO at Flag are privy to his irratic, tyrannical behaviour and unrealistic demands? Someone who’s been on the staff there for a long time would have witnessed the same?