Captain Miscavige regales his sheeple with over-the-top claims of “unprecedented expansion” at every event he holds.
The flowery Shermanspeak pours forth and the adoring crowds eat it up.
They don’t ever seem to remember what was said in the previous event, let alone last year or 5 years ago. If they kept track of the claims they would quickly realize they are utterly ridiculous. Over the years, numerous countries have “fully adopted LRH tech” and the military of literally dozens of nations have “embraced the Way to Happiness” and international corporations are “now operating on the LRH Org Board and admin tech,” etc etc
Book sales are always “highest ever” — though you can never find any Hubbard books in bookstores, let alone on bestseller lists. Massive audiences are watching ScientologyTV and yet it languishes virtually invisible on any metrics of viewership.
And on and on.
A couple of days ago I posted about the size of the Sea Org based on a scientology promotional piece. That prompted my old and dear friend Karen De La Carriere to send me something that made me cringe and laugh out loud.
Cringe, because I am sitting next to Miscavige on the stage at this particular Sea Org Day ceremony at the Int Base.
Laugh out loud because of how ludicrous the claims are. It’s SO typically Miscavige (this was before the days of Shermanspeak — so it’s far more straightforward) to take numbers and manipulate them like this to create an impression of expansion.
2017 is 5 years ago now.
Did anything even resembling this come true?
697,000 Sea Org Members? According to the 2022 figures, there are 6600. No doubt less than 1992 when this was said.
81 Continental management orgs? No, same number as there were in 1992.
2,788 orgs? There are almost exactly the same number of orgs today as there were in 1992. They added a few — Budapest, Taiwan, Moscow. But lost a few with orgs being “combined” to make “ideal orgs.” There are dozens and dozens of countries and US states even that have not a single org. Including China and India, the two largest population nations on earth.
37,000 Missions? There are WAY less missions today than 1992. It has never exceeded 400.
4 billion book sold? Just LOL.
250,000 active auditors. Again, LOL.
Obviously, none of this came even close to being true. In fact, under Captain Miscavige’s command, the scientology ship is now dead in the water, listing badly, as he tries to convince the remaining passengers that all is well and they are on a voyage to infinite freedom — providing they keep handing over money.
If I can find an hour or two, I might find some of his other pronouncements and compare them to reality. No doubt, they will be no less absurd.
It is not a coincidence that the C o S puts these so-called “missions” in areas where there is a disproportionally high population of low income and recent immigrants. In Toronto Canada, there are two Scientology “missions”; one located in Riverdale–a neighbourhood that was working class but in recent times has undergone gentrification. Riverdale still hosts a Chinatown area, and the majority of people who live there are older and who are not native English speakers.
The other “mission” is located in Toronto’s Malvern neighbourhood; a neighbourhood in Toronto with a very high immigrant population.
It’s clear that Scientology sees these people as easy pickings; let’s hope that they don’t fall for the scam!
Dee, I think missions often just end up in areas where rents are cheap – and then struggle and fail, because they’re not where people who have the money to do Scientology are, plus of course that what they have to offer is not merely dated and stale, but even the butt of jokes.
The economics of a mission are pretty grim these days. From what someone has recently posted, missions are specified to have 5 thousand square feet (though most obviously no longer do) and the cost of good space is surprisingly expensive, $20 per and up annually, so that’s in the ballpark of a hundred thousand dollars a year for a good location. The economics and demographics no longer support that, so missions are more likely to be found in cheap and small spaces, probably often run as a money-losing measure of dedication – which is why they’re now quickly vanishing. A lot of the ones left seem to be in properties that the mission holders own, or from which they actually run another business that effectively justifies the economies of the space.
I haven’t ever seen any evidence that Scientology tries to recruit the poor and immigrants, their real target market is people of some means in the mainstream culture, and from what I’ve seen quite a few members are even biased against those other groups.
Hi PeaceMaker,
Points taken. If it is true that some Scientologists own the property in which the mission is located, then they can use the mission to benefit financially via tax exemptions.
They’re down to fewer than 37 missions left in the US from what I’ve seen, and most of those are mere shadows of what a mission is supposed to be, hidden back in office complexes and commercial buildings sometimes without any visible signage at all, where they’re often actually just some space in the mission holder’s real business. I doubt there are that many more missions in the whole world, and “field groups” like field auditors are an almost entirely vanished artifact of the the past.
It is interesting to see the unrealistic hyperbole of DM’s “postulating” from the perspective of the passage of a significant amount of time, in which it has proven not only not to come to pass, but has outright failed in terms of what we can tell from the ongoing shrinkage in meaningful membership (not to mention the “offloading” to downsize the Sea Org) and activity like auditing, even if the CofS has expanded its superficial physical footprint.
I see something very interesting to me in pictures of SO members in uniform indoors. In the military we were taught in Basic Training that when we went indoors our head cover (hat) was to be removed as soon as we entered the building. I see pictures of the quasi-military SO indoors with their head covers still on their heads.
I guess hubbard missed that. I read he lost command of a ship during his time in. I can see why.
Head covers come off when you enter a buidling.
Mike, of the 3 seated Sea Org members in dress whites in the image above, is that you in the middle ?
I think it is !
No, I am closest to Capt Dave at the podium. L to R it is Marc Yager, Captain Morgan Starkey, me and Capt. Dave.
Yes, clicking on the image to magnify it, I can clearly see you are nearest the podium. Thanks !
So why aren’t you intently looking at Dear Leader like the other two?
– Too tired to lift your head?
– Watching the crowd to see who doesn’t clap enough?
– Planning your route to the food table?
(Smart alec-iness implied.) 🙂
As a military veteran……..I hate hearing stories of “Stolen Valor” (claiming medals, commendations or campaign ribbons not earned or awarded). Everyone who has served should be proud regardless of what awards, commendations or medals they received because of their service. If you have ever met a recipient of the MOH, you come away with a ‘distinct’ understanding of that. (intentional omission of the “C” word that rhymes with beer)
I’m not an expert in evaluating military separation papers, much less in the era in which LRH served, but it sure doesn’t pass the smell test. An organization that has “Stolen Valor” as a part of the foundation (regardless how small of a part it may be) could never get my support.
Mike – This seems to be your call to service. Your passion comes through almost as loud as your accent. As far as I am concerned, you are a Colonel who outranks everyone in that picture in yesterdays post. To “render” something in the kitchen is to melt away the fat and separate the impurities……maybe one day people will use the term “rinder” in a similar fashion. 🙂
Subjective Scientology is such nonsense and always will be. I remember Ron Miscavige once telling me about Dave’s changes. He suddenly realized it was easier to assign reality to the inner mind.
Yes exactly. You said Hubbard is Satan and you are right.
“The target will get done. The expansion of Scientology ultimately rests on this Tone 40 intention.”
Not when the cost of “getting the job done” is a long history of institutional abuse, sky-high customer churn, org closures/mergers and an abysmal public image.
The end never justifies the means.
One day they’ll get it.
dm would rather climb a tree and lie than to stand on the ground and tell the truth.
Truth? He can’t handle the truth.
O/T. New Book — Thrown Overboard: By Scientology and Other Life Overboards, by Debbie Norwitz
Paperback $21.99
266 pages
April. 17, 2022
Kindle $9.99
April 16, 2022
Free with Kindle Unlimited
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09Y49MR9B/
* * * BEGIN DESCRIPTION * * *
Description
As a child, Debbie Norwitz learned self-reliance the hard way. Growing up void of parental support or love, as a young teen her self-awareness led to shocking discoveries. She scrapped to embrace her own femininity yet began parenting her baby sister when only twelve years old. Knowing only a cycle of chaos, Debbie left home at eighteen and entered into a vicious marriage, escaping by a rare chance of fate. Thrown in the mix, a stint in Las Vegas, passion-filled relationships, and workplace drama all led to more chaos. Would she ever know peace? Yet another failed marriage and time with the Church of Scientology as one of its highest-ranking officials generated only more chaos. After escaping control by her husband and the church, Debbie had had enough. Facing barriers head-on with an acute sense of survival and determination, she donated a kidney to her daughter, then traveled overseas on a solo backpacking journey and ignited a new sense of purpose. Thrown Overboard by Scientology and Other Life Overboards is an amazing true story of one woman’s survival from a world of neglect and danger to one of love and living life to the fullest.
* * * END DESCRIPTION * * *
Archived with two graphics on ESMBR and Instagram at:
https://exscn2.net/threads/new-book-thrown-overboard-by-scientology-and-other-life-overboards-by-debbie-norwitz.4945/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CclFPO6p5w9/
/
From Debbie Norwitz’s website:
https://debbienorwitz.com/index.php/about-me/
* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *
I am a former Scientologist, having been part of the “Church” about ten years. I had the majority of my Scientology training in East Grinstead, UK. After that a number of Scientology graduates were able to get additional training on LRH’s ship in Corfu, Greece.
We moved to Miami, Florida and we ran the Scientology Organization for about 6 years.
In Miami I first was an auditor. After that I ran the Intel Division in Scientology’s Guardian Office in Miami.
* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
/
Eye-popping! The Sea Org is an utter failure. Thanks, Mike and Karen, for making this abundantly clear.
So, how deep a trench were you sitting in?
Defendant David “he is NOT insane!” Miscavige can’t help being short(*), but apparently he can’t stop obsessing about it, either. Darn it, if only there were some sort of therapy, or maybe some “science of the mind” which could help him either get over it, or help him get to the next level of human evolution and adjust his height at will…
(*) Unless he started smoking before he would have been fully grown, in which case his bad life choice – even if made uninformed – could have made a difference for the worse.
Descriptions of Scamology events always irresistibly remind me of events in 1984 – particularly the moment when the war with Eurasia suddenly becomes war with Eastasia – right in the middle of a speech. The entire brainwashed populace accepts the change and switches instantly to hating Eastasia – their former ally. Perfect example of the kind of thought trap the sheeple of Scamology are in.
Nothing succeed like success and Failures are downward slope.
Other then couple of aging Hollywood actors they have nothing to prove.
50 years are long time to bank on old product, it needs innovation . This applies to all cash hungry entities including Cults.
Need some thing new and fresh like Harry Potter series tech : the magical wand , the flying broom etc etc
It’s all about getting hold of guilt conscious and less educated (no University) public to be victim of Stockholm syndrome.
Is it difficult to get hold of such public in Uncle Sam’s country which is heaven for Cults industry ?
Hmmm it means , either some one or some of them not doing their job seriously.😫😪😉
Mike, First, who is that little puppy-faced fellow sitting next to Mr. M.? Such a youngster! Second, “No doubt, they will be no less absurd.”? Oh, wait a minute, you were writing that sarcastically, right? Okay.
Based on the contraction rate of Scientology since 1985 we can expect Scientology to look like this in 2035:
Captain Dave will be almost 75 years old although his hair will look exactly the same. International events will be held in a room that has an occupancy capacity of less than 400 people.
There will be a non Scientology international property management and maintenance company caring for all the empty and under staffed “ideal orgs”.
98% of the income of Scientology will come from donations from whales and individuals that do direct donations for which no service or exchange is expected (WTH, Books to Libraries, ABLE, Preservation of the Tech, Translation of the Tech, etc, etc.) The other 2% will be money paid for actual Scientology courses and auditing. Actually this is already happening so I need to move my prediction to 99.5% of out exchange “money for nothing” income.
All books, tapes, meters, training and auditing will be re, re, re released again.
Good one.
When do you think this cherch will have the equivalency of Christian Scientist Reading Rooms with nothing but Scientology’s Scientologist Reading Rooms?
Mary, scientology reading rooms would always be emptier than Christian Science reading rooms. Can you imagine innocently entering a scientology reading room and being assaulted with multiple dictionaries, demo kits, clay tables, e-meters, star-rated checkouts and an asshole supervisor always saying “what do your materials state”?
Most of the “Missions” are just mailing addresses or empty window fronts that service no one. Most of the “ideal orgs” are just empty buildings held together by a handful of diehard staff and public. The average age of both the staff and the public continues to get older and older. The “mighty” St. Hill was a pathetic ghost town when I was there in 2004.
Flag reached its apex by 1988 and never grew in staff and public past that while it cannibalized the staff and public of the lower orgs. The bad PR of Scientology has been straight up and vertical for decades. Scientology mainly recruits from poor countries with false promises. Scientology has perfected collecting real estate and money for no exchange. Its a model that allows it to survive while it contracts in numbers and falls further from its stated goals, In many ways Scientology has already become a network of glorified “reading rooms”.
So true and well stated, Matt.
All good and plausible predictions. Especially the one about the COS hiring a non scio property management company. That had never occurred to me before. But I know it can be cost effective, and there are many out there that operate on a national level.
I’ll add one thing to your predictions: DM won’t care when his fake empire dwindles to virtually nothing, as long as he’s got buildings, whales, and a few thousand untrained, un-audited cult followers who will keep believing his ridiculous BS. In the cult world at large, it’s a demonstrable fact: There’s a seeker born every minute.
Very true.
I think it’s already been observed that an org has hired outside security guards to man the doors, who then direct visitors to the video kiosks that are intended to replace staff trying to explain the basis of Scientology. I don’t know if that practice has spread, but it certainly seems like a model for a future in which international management props up the huge empty ‘ideal’ org buildings to keep up appearances.
It’s been pointed out that in some sense the fundraising to buy buildings, is just a sort of cover for orgs becoming too insolvent to even meet their expenses. Instead of passing the hat frequently to cover the rent, which from reports some orgs have had to resort to at times, it’s more seemly to ask members to buy a building, which then has the net effect of putting them in a property where they no longer have to pay an outside landlord (it’s not clear that they aren’t supposed to pay the CofS internal ‘landlord’ to whom ownership of the properties is turned over, but that’s easier to fudge with forgiveness and IOUs).
Herr Doktor Goebbels knew when to stop lying. DM can’t even do that.
Goebbels never stopped lying. He never told Germans that they had lost the war.