Gadfly
Crusader
Seems that Scientologists DO have some things in common with nazis, terrorists, as well as other religious and political cults. There are some common ingredients in the recipe used to create suicide bombers as are used to create a scientologist or a moonie. This is per cult expert extraordinaire, Steve Hassan, who discussed this when I heard him speak last year at the Boston Megaraid hosted by the Anons.
Yeah, I actually view Stalin's Russia, Hitler's Germany, Mao's communism, modern North Korea, along with the Spanish Inquisition as "cults" that simply involved 1) many more people and 2) large centralized controlling power structures. In many other regards they are very much similar - in terms of the heavy stress on a specific ideology, on unwillingness to tolerate ANY other views, on severe restrictions on what can be read or viewed, severe punishment for going out of agreement with the "party-line", zero tolerance for "dissent", zero tolerance for "free speech", extreme propaganda, and so forth. While the severity of the physical harm often differs with the smaller modern "cult", when compared to these classic examples of political and religious dictatorships, many of the "psychological" factors are quite similar.
In modern societies, for a small cult, it is difficult to torture and murder people in the name of some ideology, and get away with it. I don't doubt that some would if they could. That is my opinion. I remember reading reports of how Miscavige and other senior Sea Org executives were LAUGHING & CHEERING when Robert Vaughn Young died. I don't doubt for a second that IF THEY COULD GET AWAY WITH IT, that they would have help "his end" along. Really, knowing the fanatical dedication of the over-the-top Scientologist, the only reason they don't "make it go right" and "terminatedly handle critics" (with R2-45) is due to the potentially distastrous PR and legal consequences. It has nothing to do with "morals" or "ethics" since the ONLY correct ethical decision for a Scientologist is what "protects and expands Scientology".
So, as with Scientology, the methods of control have increased markedly in terms of emotional, psychological and mental. But, intentional manipulation and control is oppressive regardless of what "name" you want to associate it with.
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