Good thread, TG1 . . . it should relieve a lot up angst, upset, grief and charge.
For me it's been an interesting exercise observing 56 years of $cn change and "development."
Reading these responses, one must remark that the responses by each of the individuals are symptomatic of the "era" of the experience being recounted.
In the period 1957-60, in Sydney, the feeling was one of camaraderie among all . . . this based on the feeling that we were lucky enough to have discovered a workable "science" we could use to help ourselves and our fellows to enlightenment with. It was a start-up "Franchise" and then the beginning of the HASI in mid-1960 in those days. Everybody was considered valuable . . . and of course wise
and so there was respect. And we just went about our business of serving the public who were wise enough to demand our service. In those days people ASKED to be on staff . . . almost as though seeking permission.
In the mid-sixties I was on staff in Melbourne. Again there was the spirit of team-ship and respect for each other as "on the ball" and enlightened, whether staff or public. The operating paradigm in those days was to help folks do better in their lives . . . whatever they did in life and/or however they chose to lead it.
Scientology in those days was "community." That was the scene in Oz, at any rate.
In London from around late 1965 till 1970 while publicly on lines or on staff before I went under cover for the GO, it was the same deal: there was respect and friendship between all who were "in the know" on the value of what we had.
Indeed, the basis of my success running Pub. Divs in London was that I respected and honored my FSMs because they were doing something valuable and helping not just our Org but doing the right thing to set society to rights. Indeed, my FSM team and I were producing more Div 6 stats than any Continental Zone of Orgs at the time. One of the things I got implemented was the HCOP that had been OUT . . . that of FSM Awards . . . there was hell to pay up lines getting it in, but it paid off: FSM were honored and rewarded, and we all won.
But 1968 was the beginning of the SO horror impacts on outer Orgs. It hit St Hill and the GO in the latter part of 1967 and London in April '68.
That's when the terror reign began. And that's when the mentality of them and us began to creep in and more and more intensify.
At FSO it was evident to a fair degree, but not too bad in 1979-80. But it intensified massively from then.
Coincidentally, I remember doing a trip around the US in April-June 1980 visiting all my US clients and calling into Boston Org along the way. I think I was the first or one of the first NOTs completions they'd seen. The instant think of the guys on staff was to have me as this "powerful OT, in-ethics guy" help them recruit on staff a a resistive individual to "see the light" and join staff. Man, those staffers were were solid on their rightness of the "right thing to do!"
With them present, I asked the guy, "What are you real deep down wants, dreams and aspirations for life?"
He mumbled something about being the musician he'd already had had some success at; at which point I said the the gang: "He should go do that. If you had me "overwhelm" him with my "OT powers" as you want, all you would have is a half-hearted disappoined staff member who would be off his basic true purpose and you'd be buying yourselves problems."
Man! Were they upset and disappointed with me!
It was my first experience of the new, seemingly, American scene of "all else is wrong than to be on staff as we are" thing. It was my first experience of the "them versus us" thing I would later see and which is now being expressed here on this thread.
By the time I was being Comm Eved in '82+, beginning in NYC, then Flag, etc., the "you are not one of us and therefore 'out-eth' and bordering on enemy" mentality from the SO was rampant.
Quite amazing to see how the fanaticism had developed and taken a hold of the SO and org structures . . . at least in the US where I was at that time.
In retrospect, it is to a degree understandable when you look at the incredible (even though unconscionably evil and stupid) sacrifices being inflicted on staff. It is understandable that they could think less of those who are not helping in the "noble cause" of saving the planet that they are on, and sacrificing and suffering so much to do so!
What a fuggen HOAX that whole paradigm and belief system is . . . Hubbard should burn in hell for a very long time for having created it and foisted it on his fellows: and all for his own evil self aggrandizement!
There is a lot more that could be written in analysis of the scene . . . but that will suffice for now.
RogerB