CHAPTER
THREE
Fair Game, Ethics and the Scriptures
Brainwashing has become so much of a subject
that it is very well for anybody having to do with the field of the human mind to be able
to understand the intentions behind it and how it is done.
- L. RON HUBBARD,
Operational Bulletin 8, 13 December 1955
It is paradoxical that people who become involved in
Scientology to increase their "self-determinism" usually accept a life of
increasing self-sacrifice and "other-determinism" (control by others) if they
join the staff. Sea Org conditions are the worst: atrocious, over-crowded and often
bug-infested housing; only half a day of free time each two weeks; almost no time with
their children (who have often been kept in deplorable conditions); no medical or dental
insurance; months together of a diet consisting solely of rice and beans; long working
hours and insufficient sleep. These combine to make a regimen which is not only morally
unacceptable, but can violate minimum standards of Health and Labor laws. Guardian's
Office staff were slightly better treated and better paid (but still below the poverty
line) - presumably their conditions have deteriorated with their absorption into the Sea
Org.
Org staff members usually work slightly less than the
ninety hours or more of the Sea Org member, although they too are paid only a few dollars
a week. Mission staff usually fare a little better. Staff members sacrifice their family
life, their financial security and their careers to "Clear the planet." There is
a conspiracy of silence about this maltreatment. Scientologists are required to direct
their complaints only to Organization executives, using the Ethics Report system.
Criticism relayed to any unauthorized person is labelled "natter," and the
person who "natters" will soon be reported to Ethics for corrective action.
Scientology is highly compartmented, and an air of
secrecy pervades most of its departments and activities. The Guardian's Office restricted
knowledge of certain events to B-1. There was tremendous esprit de corps, and B-1 agents
remained mute about their work. In nine years, I heard nothing of the criminal tactics
they employed, and was incredulous when I eventually read the affidavit of a former agent
who had run a cell of infiltrators in Boston. The Sea Org kept their austere lifestyle
secret. The public Scientologist is in a separate compartment. If a major malpractice was
reported by a public Scientologist to the Guardian's Office it would usually be brushed
aside with a false reassurance. If the Scientologist was insistent, he might be threatened
into silence. If there was enough discontent among Scientologists at one of Hubbard's
schemes, a scapegoat would be found. Problems often arose because of the conflict between
Hubbard's published Policy and his secret orders, which were followed to the letter.
The Guardian's Office maintained a series of front
groups. These are now directed by the Sea Org through the Office of Special Affairs, or
the Special Activities Corps. Scientology businesses belong to the World Institute of
Scientology Enterprises (WISE). Recently, Sterling Management have attracted publicity for
their business training schemes. Other front groups used to be managed by the Social
Coordination Bureau of the Guardian's Office (SoCo). SoCo was established to monitor and
direct Scientology educational and rehabilitation groups, and received a tithe for doing
so. In 1989, the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE) replaced SoCo. The
Church also runs anti-psychiatry groups, as well as a campaign for Freedom of Information
outside the U.S., and a campaign against Interpol. These groups are run by trained
Scientologists, committed to Hubbard's principles. There is a bitter irony in the
Scientologists' campaign for Freedom of Information, allowing public access to government
files: The GO never allowed such access by Scientologists to their B-1 files. There is no
evidence that these files have been destroyed, or the system abandoned.
In Britain, the Effective Education Association
teaches children "Study Tech." Applied Scholastics and Education Alive function
in the U.S., where the Apple and Delphi schools are accredited. Greenfields is the name of
the Scientology school near Saint Hill, in England. The headmaster of Delphi, in Oregon,
has claimed that children who are not educated in Scientology schools are being
"psychwashed" by the educational system. Further, he has said that Delphi wants
non-Scientologist children so that the Scientology children, who are being trained to
become leaders, can gain experience in dealing with "wogs." 1
A brief investigation shows that the extravagant
claims made by Narconon, the Scientology drug rehabilitation program, are largely false,
including claims of endorsement by governments and state authorities. Those who do
withdraw from drug abuse are often recruited into Scientology.
In their anti-psychiatry campaign, Guardian's Office
tactics included infiltrating hospitals, stealing psychiatric records and spreading libels
about psychiatrists during "noisy investigation." The campaign was stepped up
when psychiatrists became active in the anti-cult movement. Psychiatrist John Clark and
psychologist Margaret Singer were viciously libeled and harassed for speaking out in
public, and for their testimony as hostile expert witnesses in cases involving
Scientology.
As ever, Hubbard's ultimate motive for the GO's
campaigns is questionable, but good came from some of them. There have certainly been
psychiatric abuses, and they were rightly publicized. The Guardian's Office played a part
in the exposure of "MK Ultra," a long-running and terrifying series of
experiments in mind-control funded by Canadian, British and U.S. Intelligence Agencies. GO
staff saw themselves as crusaders against dark forces. They encountered enough duplicity
in government to dismiss out of hand attacks upon Scientology. And they worked out of
commitment to social change; it certainly was not for personal gain. The good
Scientologists have done does not compensate for the harm. The campaigns were largely an
attempt to manipulate public opinion and divert critics from Scientology malpractices.
It is a Hubbard maxim that Public Relations should
provide an "acceptable truth," tailored to fit the "reality" of a
given audience. 2 The
practice essentially filters all statements given to the general public and public
Scientologists. In the Guardian's Office, it brought into being the technique called
elsewhere "plausible denial." Using an acceptable truth at first meant avoiding
embarrassing aspects of the truth, and later, more simply, lying. The Church of
Scientology has the protection of its public image so deeply ingrained that its
representatives perhaps believe the lies they tell about their membership, Hubbard's
income, and past misdeeds. The WISE and ABLE front groups are a part of this ongoing
deception. The "acceptable truth" is their purported autonomy from the Church,
coupled with the idea that they act primarily out of social concern.
Church Scientologists also justify their incessant
attacks upon critics and perceived enemies through the courts as an ethical practice: the
greatest good for the greatest number of dynamics. So, in accordance with Hubbard's
dictum, the law is indeed used to harass. Of course, more directly harassive tactics have
also been used, usually but not always remaining just inside the law, and bearing a marked
similarity to the Campaign to Re-elect President Nixon's "ratfucking," made
public during the Watergate scandal. Disrupting meetings, making false allegations in
anonymous phonecalls, giving information from confidential counselling folders to the
police, stealing medical and psychiatric records, burglary, bugging, and infiltrating
government agencies.
The compartmenting of Scientology runs throughout the
organization and throughout the literature. And even in the compartments there are
hierarchies. Not only does the Scientologist not see Hubbard's statements with the
emphasis they have been given here, but some of the references are to obscure and secret
materials. The sequence in which information is presented is crucial. Having given an
initially favorable impression, it is easier to persuade someone to believe a slightly
irrational statement, and thence gradually to persuade them to believe ever more wildly
irrational statements. This all takes place in the setting of peer group pressure: as in
most cults, Scientologists are highly solicitous towards new members.
The sheer volume of material obscures Hubbard's true
intentions. The Technical Bulletins, the books and most of Hubbard's tapes deal
with the procedures of counselling. Most of the Church's public see mainly these issues,
and either receive auditing or train to become auditors. Policy Letters deal with the
Organization. Some public do "admin" courses, so they can apply Hubbard's
administration techniques to their own businesses.
There are many forms of internal directives, some
distributed to all staff, others only to Sea Org staff (the 4,000 or more Flag Orders fit
largely into this category), others only to Guardian's Office staff. Many are unavailable
to the public Scientologist, or indeed to anyone without a high enough position in the
Organization for which the directive was written. So there are B-1 directives which were
only available to individuals who had passed through a stringent series of filters.
Individuals evaluate information differently,
selecting different priorities. In such a quantity of material, there is usually a
preferable opinion, which can be used either to avoid or to enforce an excessive rule.
Moderate Scientologists will justify excesses as examples of Hubbard's frustration at
human incompetence.
Hubbard's utterances can be separated into several
categories. He wrote many short essays for release in Scientology magazines in the 1950s
and 1960s. These were designated "Broad Public Issue" (BPI), and included
"My Philosophy," where he spoke of having worked his way back from being
"permanently physically disabled," and said "one should share what wisdom
one has, one should help others to help themselves, and one should keep going despite
heavy weather for there is always a calm ahead." In "What Is Greatness" he
said: "The hardest task is to continue to love one's fellows despite all reasons he
should not. And the true sign of sanity and greatness is to so continue." (By this
standard, Hubbard could make no claim to greatness: he was petty and vindictive in the
extreme.)
Hubbard essays, supplemented by extracts from
lectures, are reprinted endlessly in Scientology magazines. They sell Scientology as a
cure-all, insisting that there is hope for everyone if they only embrace Scientology.
Inside Scientology there are a number of broadly known and often quoted Policy Letters.
The most important is "Keeping Scientology Working," where the Scientologist is
sternly admonished to police the use of Scientology and ensure that there are no
departures from Hubbard's teachings. A list of ten points is given for the protection of
"Standard Tech," among them "hammering out of existence incorrect
technology." This Policy Letter exists in all but introductory Scientology courses.
It is there to inculcate reverence to Hubbard as the "Source" of Scientology,
and to show the crucial role of the Scientologist's mission on Earth.
"The Responsibilities of Leaders" is another
well-known Policy Letter. It is usually referred to as the "Bolivar," because
Hubbard wrote it after reading a paperback biography of Simon Bolivar's mistress, Manuela
Saenz. Hubbard discussed Bolivar's mistakes at length, and then presented seven maxims for
the retention of power. Among these we find:
5. When you move off a point of power, pay all
your obligations on the nail, empower your friends completely and move off with your
pockets full of artillery, potential blackmail on every erstwhile rival, unlimited funds
in your private account and the addresses of experienced assassins and go live in
Bulgravia [sic] and bribe the police...
6 .... to live in the shadow or employ of a
power you must yourself gather and USE enough power to hold your own - without just
nattering to the power to "kill Pete".... He doesn't have to know all the bad
news, and if he's a power really he won't ask all the time, "What are those dead
bodies doing at the door?" And if you're clever, you never let it be thought HE
killed them - that weakens you and also hurts the power source...
7 .... always push power in the direction of
anyone on whose power you depend. It may be more money for the power, or more ease, or a
snarling defense of the power to a critic, or even the dull thud of one of his enemies in
the dark, or the glorious blaze of the whole enemy camp as a birthday surprise .... Real
powers are developed by tight conspiracies . . . pushing someone up in whose leadership
they have faith. 3
While this Policy Letter is available to all
Scientologists, many others are not. Confidential counselling, or Tech, issues are
distributed with care. The public Scientologist taking OT3 knows far less than an OT3
review (Class 8) auditor knows about the supposed OT3 incident. Only Sea Org members have
ever been allowed to train as Class 10, 11 and 12 auditors, or as NOTs auditors. Some
issues and tapes were restricted to Sea Org "missionaires" going from Flag to
raise the stars in the outer Orgs. There were also many confidential Guardian's Office
issues. Because of compartmentation, it is likely that no single individual in the Church
saw all of this confidential material. Sea Org members were not usually in the GO, so
their secret indoctrination was kept largely separate. People who were highly trained in
the Tech were not usually involved in administrative work, and almost never in Guardian's
Office work. The secret issues included tapes of Hubbard lectures made specifically for a
given audience. They differ markedly from the broadly issued material. For example, there
are confidential Public Relations issues which explain how to discredit critics. There is
no suggestion that the subject of criticism be investigated; only the critic.
The image that Hubbard wished to project becomes
clearer to the Scientologist as he receives more counselling and more training, and moves
into higher and ever more remote positions in the organization. The cognoscenti, the tiny
few who have received all the counselling techniques and reached the heights of
management, have a very developed view of the Commodore. He is a great spirit, responsible
through the millennia for many (if not most) of the real achievements of history, and,
indeed, those of the quadrillennia of prehistory. He was Rawl (the imprisoner of Xenu,
perpetrator of OT3), the Buddha, and Cecil Rhodes. He is reborn, life after life, to
benefit humanity, and in preparation for the great work of liberating mankind and all
intelligent life in the universe, from captivity. Most Scientologists feel that they have
served the Commodore in earlier lifetimes. Some even insist that they were with him on his
fictitious attacks on German submarines during the Second World War. Hubbard was
scientist, philosopher and messiah rolled into one. Scientologists forget that he was not
only a science fiction writer, but also a competent hypnotist. A very competent hypnotist.
FOOTNOTES
1. Alan Larson circular
letters, 17 June 1985, 19 August 1987
2. The Management Series
1970-1974, Hubbard, p.116
3. Organization Executive
Course vol. 7, pp. 357-8 |
