[ExI] and speaking of exponential singularities...

[BillK]

On Wed, Jul 20, 2011 at 11:13 AM, Stefano Vaj wrote:
> Originally, Dianetics and Scientology may well have been both a
> practical joke and a way to make a decent living for their founder.
> But now? You are recruited, your personal life and estate is swallowed
> by the organisation, you climb the ladder, and find other people whose
> life and estate to swallow in a sort of social Ponzi scheme where
> there is no Ponzi actually becoming rich. In fact, the entire
> structure does not appear to serve any other purpose than its own
> survival.
>
> Compare that to the catholic church, who managed to upset (in this
> case some would say "corrupt") the worldview, value system and
> structure of an entire society for ages, and to maintain its influence
> on all aspects of life for almost two thousand years, even where and
> when its direct grip on people is eventually loosening.
>
> *This* is the way to go, as far as activism is concerned. :-)
>
> Not that of recruiting people to raise funds to pay a living for
> people raising funds to pay a living to people raising funds to pay a
> living...
>
>


That is a rather simplistic version of $cientology.

Agreed it was designed as a money-making scheme for the leader(s).
The current leader, Miscavige, is said to be worth over 50 million
USD, plus he controls all the funds, businesses and real estate of the
organisation.

But the idea was to devise an ever-growing multi-level marketing
scheme with incentives to continually expand. Members get 10% to 15%
commissions on the expensive courses that they sell to people. So they
can get a good living selling courses and incidentally growing the
business.

So people join and are persuaded verbally and monetarily to carry on
working for the business. No wonder it is difficult to break away.


BillK