[extropy-chat] Cults/drugs

[Keith Henson]

At 07:45 PM 2/16/2006 +0000, Dirk wrote:

snip

>4) Caveat Emptor - I do not like the idea that people should be 'saved
>from themselves' when they do something you don't like. What
>consenting adults do amongst themselves is not my business, nor is it
>yours IMO.

Being deeply influenced by RAH, I held this position for decades, one might 
say I was cult-ish about it even.

And in *most* cases I still feel that way.

However, humans are _social_ primates.  To an extent that is not well 
understood yet, sanity is a group endeavor and so is the heavy reduction in 
the ability to think rationally when caught up in xenophobic war memes.

The practical problem with cults, particularly scientology, is that 
consenting adults pay drug level prices to get intense attention that 
releases their brain reward chemicals.  "So what?" you say, "Shrinks are in 
exactly the same game."  Well, the cult uses the drug level profits to pay 
lawyers to harass critics in court and PI thugs to harass them and stalk 
their kids.

The critics include ex members and anyone else who tries to get the word 
out about them.  Thus new cult victims don't have the information to make 
an informed choice before they start mainlining "auditine."

Add to that corrupting the courts, terrorizing law enforcement and framing 
people for crimes and getting the government to help harass.

Check out the stories about Paulette Cooper and Tom Klemesrud.

The net has been hard for them to control, but Google caved in on xenu.net 
just like they did to the Chinese government.

Fortunately we have Tom Cruise on our side (though he doesn't know it).

Keith Henson