Lurking reporters, please note: Virtually all of what follows from Barry is toxic malicious crap, his specialty. I'll be happy to explain any particular item or items to anyone who's interested.
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <turquoiseb@...> wrote : For the record, Steve, I have no interest in "bringing down" the TM organization, for the simple reason that it doesn't need my help. It seems intent on bringing itself down. I need only watch, and comment from the sidelines from time to time in a fashion that brings out the long-established cult tendencies of those who are watching their world -- and their belief system -- crumble about them. For example, as I pointed out yesterday, in all of this kerfuffle about Shuvender Sem's book, did *anyone* who still seems to feel an allegiance to the TMO deal with the *real* question raised by his actions in murdering someone right at "Ground Zero" of the supposed "Maharishi Effect?" Did *anyone* try to explain that, and make a case for the ME anyway? They did not. Instead they badrapped the people bringing the subject up again. I would suggest that the *intent* of this tactic is to try to *silence* those bringing up subjects that to *them* are uncomfortable, because they challenge the very things they believe in. I honestly don't think that some of these people are even consciously aware that that's what they're doing -- they just do it out of rote habit, because that's how they've seen everyone else in the TMO deal with criticism for so long and because they themselves have been doing it for so long. At the same time, and something you might want to look out for, too, another common tactic when dealing with a critic who has a history of bringing up these "uncomfortable" topics is to "challenge their motivations" for doing so, implying that there is something WRONG with them for doing it. This is Ann's primary tactic, and seemingly one of yours as well. I'm not trying to convince you to stop doing it, because on one level I think you (not Ann) are actually concerned that Michael is overfocusing on this pissant meditation organization that's going to fold in a few years anyway, and are trying to steer him towards more balance. But I am trying to clue you in to the fact that this is another well-known and well-studied cult tactic as well, and a hidden attempt to "silence the critic" or "shoot the messenger." After all, if you can convince people that this person is "unbalanced," then people are going to stop listening to the things they say, and treat them as less credibile. And, of course, you don't have to deal with the criticisms themselves. It's a copout...a form of taking the "low road." Wouldn't it be a little more impressive if all these people who still feel strongly about the TMO and still seem to believe that the ME is -- or even may be -- a real phenomenon spent a little time making a case for either, rather than trying to either demonize the critics or portray them as crazy? Wouldn't that display a little more...dare I say it?...creative intelligence? Just sayin'...
