Mike Rinder's Blog

Something Can Be Done About It

Disaster Capitalism Revisited

By 92 Comments

It is as predictable as night following day.

A disaster, man-made or natural, hits the media and scientology hits the “give us your money now” button.

I have pointed it out many times in the past — this is EXACTLY what the IAS says they use people’s donations for. The IAS proudly proclaims it is they who see that Volunteer Ministers (“the largest private relief force on earth”) are on the scene “of every major disaster no matter where it occurs on earth” to bring the help that ONLY scientologists can (as Tom Cruise famously said — ONLY a scientologist can help people injured in a car accident).

The IAS has collected well in excess of a BILLION DOLLARS.

Yet the WTH Fdn needs to beg people to print 50,000 booklets. And as always, they will insist that the suckers pay FULL RETAIL (about $1 per booklet) even though the cost of production is about 10% of that. If they need 50,000 booklets why doesn’t the IAS give them $5,000? Hey, Michael Roberts makes that in commission for a patron gilded buttatorious. It doesn’t even warrant a blip on their spreadsheet. So, why are they begging again (by the time they get the money and get the booklets it will be a new disaster somewhere else anyway).

And this is ignoring the most obvious insanity: Handing out this booklet to inform the victims of a terrorist attack that “the test of a society is whether you, your family and friends can live in it safely” is useless at best and horrendously insulting at worst.

How do these morons think they are helping the people of Barcelona with this?

Simple answer — they DON’T.

The staff see it as a way to make money to get their stats up. The donators see it as a way of showing how they are “contributing” to keep Ethics off their back, and perhaps have some dim idea that by handing out the booklets it might get someone interested in scientology.

If they wanted to be effective, they would get the books into the hands of the terrorists. I am sure it would convince them to renounce their jihad and thus make a safer society. Hey scientologists, if you really believe this booklet can accomplish this sort of miracle I am 100% behind your efforts. I will contribute money to have a WTH Rep travel to Syria and hand deliver some booklets to the leaders of ISIS. I am not being cynical — I will absolutely support such an action if these people will put themselves on the line as the great humanitarians they claim to be.

What I will NOT support is giving money to hand out booklets to the VICTIMS to inform them their society did not keep them safe. Or to create photo ops for the next IAS event with a few people in yellow t-shirts handing out booklets. Those things are NOT worthy activities.

Comments

  1. So I have heard and seen the video of Tom C. falling during a scene shoot. He broke his ankle so.. Is he not able to heal himself? I know I have broken a bone or two and they hurt real bad and the pain was something entirely new. It sucked cuz I had surgery to fix it and post surgery pain there are no words. Pain meds helped and then eventually all good to go. So if T.C. is all that he is supposed to be, they should be start filming again like tomorrow …. too soon? I wish him the best and hope it heals right. But dude c’mon your human act like it.

    Reply

  2. There is a largely unseen irony at work here.

    The colorful, slick publications of ISIS and al-Qaeda, called “Dabiq” and “Inspire are remarkably similar both in appearance, layout, and writing style, to the glossy 5-color Scientology magazines like Advance that we are all too familiar with.

    I first noticed this a few years ago and could hardly believe my eyes.

    While the content is obviously different, the motivational calls to action,to their respective believers, and especially the writing style, which I would describe as an over the top mixture of delusional propaganda combined with an utter certainty of purpose bear a chilling similarity.to Scientology publications.

    Reply

  4. A booklet brings ‘calm’ oh my that must be a magic book, just like everything scientology is magic, just give trust us, it doesn’t matter what corner of the globe is falling Scientology needs the money for that, am surprised they have not claimed they moved the moon out of the way to let the sun thru otherwise we would have died of pneumonia and illnesses caused by darkness.

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  5. Pukeworthy, this cherch. Reading this a 2nd time before turning in, pukeworthy is the only word I can think of. I’m so embarrassed to have been a part of this organization, this disgusting group, the “members in good standing” of which are, at best, dumb, and at worst – well…enough. Good night, everyone.

    Reply

  6. The shame is that Scientology is convincing people that donating is doing something effective. It is much like sharing a meme on Facebook and then feeling satisfied that real progress is being made because of it. This is ISIS. They aren’t going to read and follow a little simplistic booklet from the Church of Scientology. But sharing a meme costs nothing and this costs thousands. I’m convinced that the money is diverted into other projects. Just more fraud.

    Reply

    • I believe the term is “Armchair Activism.”

      Put a flag on your facebook profile, send $ for TWTH booklets, feel good about yourself because you “did something.”

      Sending $ to legitimate aid organizations really does help do something and is worth feeling good about. But anything to do with scientology is just flushing time, money, and effort down the toilet.

      Reply

  7. That’s not a bad test for a cherch either……Can you live in it safely?

    Long answer: Hell fucking no! You lose friends, family and all of your earnings. It’s not safe to become a Scientologist in any way, shape or form!

    Reply

  8. “What I will NOT support is giving money to hand out booklets to the VICTIMS to inform them their society did not keep them safe. Or to create photo ops for the next IAS event with a few people in yellow t-shirts handing out booklets. Those things are NOT worthy activities.”

    Exactly! One effective thing that they could do would be, for example, to help the victims financially with any urgent necessity that they may have as the result of the attack. They could also help with getting them any medical assistance that they might need. They could also help them by helping them to get together with their worried family members, if these members live far away and have no financial means to arrive to meet them. It is usually the simple stuff, like just BEING there for them, that gives comfort to victims of disasters. How could a “church” fail to understand that, is a total mystery!!

    Reply

    • Yes, just being there, offering true support is what might cause me to want to be a part of a group like that.

      I was at work one night, in a small town hospital when a tornado came through, wiping out the tiny town just south of us. Until that job,I had always worked in large hospitals with ample staff coverage. But that night, all of us moved patients to inner hallways, found blankets and pillows for everyone. When the storm sirens sounded, everyone in town came back. To help. Ministers, nurses, assistants, housekeeping, kitchen staff. The cook said, I’ve made sweet tea, what else should I do?” I had to turn away so she wouldn’t see my tears at this basic kind, hospitality. Everyone came together to help the victims of the tornado. There were lots of injured people, and we worked all night xraying, scanning them. The other staff made sure we had food at appropriate intervals.

      I was overwhelmed by this small community’s response to this disaster. One nurse had just learned her daddy had cancer, but she came back, for her coworkers and her townspeople.

      That’s what humans do, Minister McSavage, not pelt the victims with stooopit pamphlets. You really must be the naked emporer if no one has told you that yet. Cause regular folks can see right through that. Your COS members probably can too, but are afraid to tell you your fly is unzipped.

      Psst..thats not respect.

      Reply

      • “Yes, just being there, offering true support is what might cause me to want to be a part of a group like that.”

        Yes indeed, Gravitysucks!! Thanks for sharing that lovely story of the kindness that humans are capable of, 🙂

        “That’s what humans do, Minister McSavage, not pelt the victims with stooopid pamphlets. You really must be the naked emperor if no one has told you that yet. Cause regular folks can see right through that. Your COS members probably can too, but are afraid to tell you your fly is unzipped.”

        Oh yes, Gravitysucks; a lot of members do see through this. This is frequently commented among them off the “official” lines.

        Reply

    • And if they aren’t making Volunteer “Ministers” pay for there flight to the disaster dujure, it’s definitely not Scientology.

      Reply

  10. You know my family are Catholics and my mother is devout. When the pedophile priest scandals started, the Church’s response was not to attack. The parishoner’s most of them, their response was not to attack. My mother was shaken and ashamed and wanted answers. When we found out that a member of our extended family had been molested as well as his brother and the brother committed suicide and she found out that the priest accused in it had been her parish priest in another province she wrote him a letter. An angry letter and she was so worried she was going to hell because it was unthinkable to talk back to a priest. But she did it and once she got past it she was better for it. But imagine if the whole Catholic Church’s response was like that of Scientology’s. The Church took their lumps. Yes there were trials and settlements and they are still finishing up litigation. But I think things did change I believe. They are far from perfect but they certainly have zero tolerance for what went on. Priests are not so infallible and are I think are more examined before enter the priesthood. Anyway, my point is the comparison of the two reactions to accusations and investigations is very telling.

    Reply

  11. Some men see other’s misfortunes simply as an opportunity to increase their own bounties.
    COB is one of those men.

    Reply

  12. It’s so funny. Everything LRH did or wrote was GREAT!! So handing out WTH books has become a thing. Nobody reads that insignificant little book. They all end up in the trash. Or they’re laughed at, then thrown out. And I really do believe that terrorists and their victims need to be reminded to Brush their teeth.
    If anybody else wrote it, do you think Scientologists would still sing its praise and hand it out? Of course not. It’s not the content. Content is not really important. Robotic agreement is. After all, it was written by the messiah himself.

    Reply

  13. Okay this shit burns me up. I worked for a large international charity. One that actually helps people. Of course when disaster hits, people are in the mood to give. It’s kinda human nature. But the money and resources you gain in campaigns is supposed to go to the victims. It’s not supposed to be a marketing ploy. Or a way to get cash to buy more real estate. Or a way to recruit.

    There are all kinds of charities out there. I had people this weekend asking what to do with the Sierra Leone mudslide that just happened. Some organizations are good or effective at helping, some not so much. That’s why the Charity Navigator website exists. So people can be informed consumers about investing their resources to do the most good. It tells you for each charity it reviews what amount of money is spent on programs, projects and their missions, and how much is spent on administrative costs like fundraising, marketing, etc. It rates ngo’s and nfp’s on how well and how effectively they reach their goals and complete their promises.

    They won’t even rate this “church”, although plenty of other faith-based organizations are listed and rated there. Organizations need to be transparent and file their tax-exempt forms honestly so people can determine what they are doing. I don’t even know if CoS does that. Using an army of “volunteer” labor may keep their admin costs down, but I seriously doubt they could claim anything that would justify a tax-exempt donation in terms of contributing to society in any kind of quantitative or measurable way (or one that could be verified by outside audit). Non-profits are busted all the time and lose tax-exempt status for raising money that is spent on lavish lifestyles for a few while others slave away on a pittance, or organizations that raise money to help people and end up doing very little to deserve it with what they deliver, or ones that simply don’t fulfill whatever claims they make.

    Any organization that makes claims about helping others and asks people outside the organization to donate, without providing those due diligence basics – I tell people to run away from as fast as possible. They are nothing but a scam in sheep’s clothing. It’s no better than stealing, imho.

    Reply

    • cecybeans,

      I live in a Mormon state, know many, and have learned of their many contributions to disaster areas WITHOUT BLOWING THEIR HORNS. Have you rated them?

      They have the full range of givers and takers, over-achievers and under-achievers, saints and sinners, bums and criminals; but I would collectively peg them above other groups and religions I have been in contact with on family, work ethic, belief in good deeds, and charity. One of the reasons I moved here.

      Their fundies are to be avoided and they do to their children much as he SO does to their slaves. The main church changes with the times, far to slow for their more progressive members. They accept me without regging.

      Reply

  15. I’ve heard Scientologist use the “it’s their responsibility they had an accident because on some level they were postulating it” line of reasoning. Or people who are born into poverty or starvation are guilty of making succumb postulates picking the wrong parents, family etc. “They should have picked some upstat Scientology family to be born into”. I kid you not.

    Reply

  16. The IAS does not ever expend a penny in a disaster, just beg for money

    On 2008 i was regged by a Dianetics auditor because he want to go to help in Peru after an earthquake.

    I gave 400 dollars with no complain, because I knew this good guy.

    2 months later I knew that he was really having hard time to eat and the Mexicans VMs ask him to deliver paid assists and seminars in order to get the money he needs, they are not allowed to support him because he offered as a volunteer.

    They leave the person in a foreign country 3000 miles away home.

    If I knew that was going to happen, i prefered to gave the money directly to this man for his own viatics

    So sad, I reviewed the impact magazine from that event and he doesnt even appear in the pictures

    That money traveled directly to the DM accounts

    Reply

    • They expend min 25.000 to send a Golden Era team to have footage and pictures for the next raising event

      They sale to the volunteers the yellow T-shirts at 5.4x

      Reply

  17. Off Topic: Cult Desperation Alert

    I just got an invitation to spend CHRISTMAS on the Freakwinds. No kidding, a total Christmas invitation, with red and green Christmas balls, etc.

    Aside from the fact that its, um, August, don’t they know I’ve been deadfiled?

    Is this cult desperate or what? The prosecution rests, your honor.

    Reply

  18. For years Flag had a full time Way To Happiness reg on post. At that time public could transfer money they had on account for services, over to book donations such as WTH booklets. It was not unusual for the weekly WTH donations to be in the $50,000 to $100,000 range. Even at $1 per booklet (the cherch printed them for a few cents a piece) that would be 50,000 to 100,000 booklets to distribute per week. I was thinking about this last week. Let’s say a person could go out and hand 1,000 people per week a booklet. It would still take 50 to 100 people to hand out the booklets to individuals. The problem is there was NO ONE posted to do that job. Yes, at some disaster maybe a few volunteers hand out a couple thousand booklets but that is a drop in the bucket. The truth is the public are paying for something that doesn’t happen, period. If it did happen at the cost of $1 per little booklet, that would be a rip off. That it doesn’t happen at all is straight up FRAUD. Realize these little booklets are generally printed on the cheapest paper and the precepts are what you would expect a 10 year old to put together. Things like brush your teeth, don’t work while tired, respect your parents, don’t murder anyone, don’t steal, etc.
    It’s just one more way to con money out of good people. Something Scientology could write the book on.

    Reply

    • Yea, I think everybody in Bogota, Columbia should have a copy. So much money was regged on the Ship for this campaign to hand out to police and the population of Columbia. I know plenty of copies of this trite little book (that david miscavige and most members don’t follow and don’t care about) end up on pavements.

      Reply

  19. If the almighty Miscavige, armed with awesome power to “free mankind” at his disposal really wanted to “do something about it” in Barcelona or anywhere, he would educate parishioners and VMs on the truth of what’s behind recent events in Barcelona and about the “Barcelona Agreement” of 1995 etc. The CoS’s aversion to truth runs very deep. Instead of handing out namby-pamby booklets, why not come into PT and enlighten Barcelonians and others as to what is really occurring to them now and telling them why? They could even admit that sure, it’s all whole track dramatization or whatever – just like OSA’s dedication to exposing and attacking “enemies” is. So why not expose and attack some real enemies and do some actual good right here and now? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgL2CGDBYd4&feature=youtu.be

    Reply

  20. This just in….
    Dear Scientologists,
    You know we are the only ones who make a difference. We are Mankind’s Only Hope.

    We have just experienced an unprecedented event in this sector of the galaxy. The sun has disappeared!

    We need each of you to buy as many TWTH booklets asap and distribute them all over this planet!
    Without The Way To Happiness, the sun might disappear behind the Moon again……in 2024…

    Reply

    • Ha Ha Ha!

      Urgent Memo from COB RTC to All OTs:

      “This is a Planetary Call To Arms! What occurred today was only a warning! Next time, the moon won’t move away from the sun! It will stay right in front, blocking all light, plunging Earth into a permanent Dark Age, and ruining my tomato plants!. But then, astronomical forces are no match for our OT Power and the Precepts of the Way to Happiness. There IS a solution. We need every OT shoulder to the wheel to get a WTH booklet into the hands of no less than every single man, woman and child above the age of five on this planet. We have this chance, this one chance. Will you help? The time is now.”

      Reply

      • Aqua,

        I had the cynical thought that some college full if snowflakes will pipe up and suggest the congress pass a law making the moon eclipse America once a week to negate global warming.

        Reply

        • 🙂 I get it, Jim. This last solar eclipse is going down as yet another time of infamy and loss of prestige for our sun. The universe is laughing at our solar system. No one respects our Sun anymore! The way it just lets the Moon get away with this nonsense. And, for what – moonlight? The Moon never sends up anything but its weakest rays. But, never fear. A solution is at hand. Along with the Border Wall with Mexico to be built that Mexico will assuredly pay for, Congress is attaching a bill to construct a Moon Wall. This is one Celestial Body that’s going to have to stay put. We’re going to Make The Sun Great Again with a beautiful, incredible wall around the Moon. And the Moon is going to pay for it.

          Reply

  21. I posted this on Tony’s Blog….but of course, Mike Rinder needs it printed here as well.

    This could be “the organization’s theme song”….

    “Money (That’s What I Want)”

    The best things in life are free
    But you can keep ’em for the birds and bees

    Now give me money (that’s what I want)
    That’s what I want (that’s what I want)
    That’s what I want (that’s what I want) yeah
    That’s what I want

    Your loving give me a thrill,
    But your loving don’t pay my bills

    Now give me money (that’s what I want)
    That’s what I want (that’s what I want)
    That’s what I want (that’s what I want) yeah
    That’s what I want

    Money don’t get everything it’s true
    What it don’t get I can’t use

    Now give me money (that’s what I want)
    That’s what I want (that’s what I want)
    That’s what I want (that’s what I want) yeah
    That’s what I want

    Well, now give me money (that’s what I want)
    Whole lot of money (that’s what I want)
    Whoah yeah, I wanna be free (that’s what I want)
    Oh, money (that’s what I want)
    That’s what I want, yeah (that’s what I want)
    That’s what I want

    Well, now give me money (that’s what I want)
    Whole lot of money (that’s what I want, whoo)
    Whoah, yeah, you know I need money (that’s what I want)
    Now give me money (that’s what I want, whoo)
    That’s what I want, yeah (that’s what I want)
    That’s what I want

    Reply

      • One of the Beatles Classic Songs….I hope John & George aren’t spinning in their graves either….I am sorry but this song just came to mind as soon as I read this entire story. As in “Here, take this, “DONATIOSN GRATEFU:LLY ACCEPTED”…

        “Oh yes…..BTW…Would YOU like to take a personality test for FREE”??????

        HELL NO!!!

        Reply

    • I chased an ambulance once. But it stopped suddenly and I plowed into it. So they put me in the ambulance.

      Reply

      • We apologise for reversing back to pick you up. We also apologise for leaving tread marks on you as we reversed.

        Reply

      • I am a retired paramedic and I got to drive those bad boys…. Never responded to a CoS members house they won’t call 911 because they can fix it. Well some people whether Scn or anything else FUBAR is FUBAR ( fucked up beyond repair ). So we take care of anyone not choosing our patient(s) or the emergency. We in EMS are caregivers first foremost.

        Reply

  23. Why Booklets to ‘calm the waters’? Because the printing shop makes a very good profit on them. And those who sell them get commission too. Those who pass them out get brownie points too. Everyone gets something, even the trash collectors who get the extra business.

    There is nothing that the CO$ does that is not profit centered. Even safe pointing is an investment in the future.

    Reply

    • Ethic baits publics can ‘buy’ their way out of trouble by purchasing 12 grosses of TWTH to be handed out by, ummm, well, we’ll let you know where they went later on, hokay?

      Sell’em to your captive audience at a 1000% mark up, then re-sell the same booklets to some other poor clam who’s in hot water with the cult…rinse and repeat.

      These $cilon scammers have all the angles covered, including going after your minor children…what a scum-of-the-earth, bottom-feeding cult!

      Reply

  25. From my CSing career to my Course Supe career to being a full time student on the BC , I had absolutely ZERO interest in either the WTH booklets/campaigns or the volunteer minister shit. Never participated in them. Didn’t care about them. Only cared about the IAS insofar as what regging lay in store for me to beat away. Only gave a shit about events to keep alert to “new product” that I would have to avoid buying. I sat numb through most of the BS of the three hour brain numbings. Didn’t even rise to believing or not believing the “stats.” I just didn’t care. Paid no attention to promo materials.

    All I was ever interested in in my 35 years in was the data in the materials. I wonder what percentage of Scientologists actually BELIEVE any of the malarkey the CoS spews out regularly about ANYTHING.

    Reply

    • I’ll add that I also didn’t attend the IRS event, the LRH death event, the Portland protest and did my best to miss any event I could for decades. In the 70s, the events were all local and fun (no video) and we could actually get soused at the New Year’s event (the party line was that LRH paid for the beer himself).

      Sounds like it’s much more fun being a Mormon nowadays.

      Reply

      • Thank you for this candid share, Joe P. I felt the same. Zero interest in expanding Scientology. No why I joined. Well, at least I know I wasn’t the only one 🙂

        Reply

  26. Surely it would make more “sense” to give free Book One sessions to the traumatised? What good is a shitty booklet that encourages a murder-free life and good personal hygiene?

    Reply

    • Free?
      Free?!!!!!
      FREEEEEEE?????????!!!!!!!!!!!
      I’m routing your ass to Ethics! How dare you be so out-exchange!
      C`mon! You know how the cult works.

      Reply

      • Hahaha well sure…but at least they’d have a better chance of helping people some good PR. I’d like to think that most public scientologists would be more likely to volunteer for this sort of activity than simply handing out crummy booklets (which they absolutely know, deep down, are pretty crummy). Instead of regging the crap out of people for TWTH, they could reg for copies of DMSMH to be handed out (which would then boom the local org, supposedly). Or the DVD. Or…

        Omg, I’m delirious!!

        Reply

  27. I have an old pal..(not speaking to me now of course) one of the past top FSMs for Flag and very involved in VM activity.. for the past 30 years at least. She TRULY believes she and the other VMs are helping. Truly. One on one.. no doubt she helps tremendously because she DOES have a good ear and a big heart. She just doesn’t have a clue that she has swallowed, lock stock and barrel, over 35 years of BS. She has far too much vested in the Church now,,after all these years to do any looking. Speak one negative word about SCN and she turns into a rabid dog. Been there.. witnessed it. These are the diehards that will justify the attacks and criticisms of the Church by the “fact” that SCN is expanding globally and exposing the big SPs for who they really are. I doubt she will ever get out.. or if it is finally all exposed for what it really is…I doubt she will look even then. So much money, heart and belief poured into this scam. Too bad.

    Reply

    • Madge, funny but you and I must know the same former “best friend.” Mine did exactly as you write, as do all of them. he asked me once if I would join her in passing out WTH on our street door to door. She said, “it is the oil on the water that calms the seas.” This phrase or something similar, was lifted right out of the book. They can’t even think of their own original selling points, but have to quote the WTH book, or Shermanspeak at an event, or LRH or whatever. And as nice as she could put on to be, if anyone even faintly criticized the church, she also turned into a rabid attack dog. So sad that these people are so brainwashed and into stimulus / response and never think or look for themselves. Even and especially the OT VIII’s.

      Reply

    • That’s sad, Madge. Kind of like those sincere but misguided souls who poured all they had into Jim Bakker’s church about thirty years ago.

      Reply

    • .Interesting, Madge, and also sad, even tragic – for your old pal. What she’s displaying is willful ignorance. Not the same as ignorance due to innocence. Life sometimes punishes innocent ignorance, but frequently protects it. There’s an expression: “God protects children and idiots”. But God (or whatever your word for higher power or supreme being_ does not protect willful ignorance because there’s no actual innocence involved, there’s a lie in there. People who operate in life being very careful to not-know things are putting themselves at risk for consequences that include every loss and affliction life can dish out.

      Reply

  28. ‘Or to create photo ops for the next IAS event……’ Yes, that.
    It’s also an indication of the depth of delusion that the poor saps who give these out can be cajoled into doing so apparently with no sense of shame or embarrassment. Stupid or brave, I fear one of them will get themselves lamped sooner or later.

    Reply

  29. I wish that scamologists had the courage of their convictions. That way they could tell the people behind all these terror attacks what their founder and religion says about ALL people of The Book, God, Jesus and the other prophets…

    Reply

    • I dunno, Wynski. Not a lot of people can handle data about implants and people being dropped into volcanoes and then being A-bombed. Or Xenu the mighty galactic overlord.

      Reply

    • Maybe the Cherch should send a Way To Happiness booklet to the Nazi-American who plowed his car thru a crowd, killing a 32 yearl old woman and injuring 19 others. It might just calm him down and give him a huge, life-changing cognition. And if he doesn’t know how to read, some kindly cherch member can M-7 it to him.

      Reply

    • Probably applaud it since he created the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time. He was the charliton that started this ugly rip off.

      Reply

    • John, why do you think that the criminally insane (and felon) Ron would have a problem with DM raking in $ for the Church of Scamology?

      Reply

    • He would have jumped with joy that someone came along and figured how to pull even more money from those suckers!! Ron was so mentally insane he started to believe his own BS, Miscaviage has just capitalized on his idea by turning it up a few notches. Both are scum in my opinion, just in different but similar ways

      Reply

  32. The C of S is trying to use the compassion button to collect money? Go figure. Compassion for victims who are responsible for their own condition? As if!

    Reply

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