Academic paper: "Rattle their doorknob and they collapse": Propaganda strategies of the Church of Scientology

[ISNOINews]

Academic paper: "Rattle their doorknob and they collapse": Propaganda strategies of the Church of Scientology, by Sarah R. Lonelodge.

Note: This Ph.D. Thesis discusses both Freedom Magazine and the STAND League.

Date 2021-05
Author Lonelodge, Sarah R.
Ph.D.. Thesis, Oklahoma State University


"Rattle their doorknob and they collapse": Propaganda strategies of the Church of Scientology


https://shareok.org/bitstream/handl...kstate_0664D_17118.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

https://shareok.org/bitstream/handle/11244/330883/Appendix%20A.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

* * * * * BEGIN ABSTRACT * * * * *

Abstract

This project investigates two of the most prominent propaganda "arms" of the Church of Scientology (COS): Freedom Magazine and Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination (STAND). Both of these COS-run organizations function as seemingly altruistic groups that advocate for religious freedom and defend against discrimination, hate speech, bigotry, and more. However, when viewed as part of the context of the COS, including policies and purpose statements, both Freedom and STAND function as propaganda groups that attempt to legitimize Scientology among members and in the larger public. To ethically examine these groups, I present an in-depth analysis of the COS's structure, purposes, policies, practices, beliefs, etc. With these contextual components outlined, I argue that ethical analyses of Scientology and similar organizations/groups must include such elements which I refer to as the systemized context. Further, I suggest that the COS employs social justice initiatives only as propaganda and that legitimacy tactics and propagandistic initiatives are likely effective for members of the COS as well as many individuals in the public. Based on my analyses of Freedom and STAND, I theorize two concepts important to the field of rhetoric. The first concept is mimetic propaganda, which I define as the outward or superficial mimicry of conventional genre features that creates, in propagandistic materials, a sense of reliability for audiences though the content is highly problematic. The second concept is divine ethos, which I define as a unique reverence for a group or organization's leader that places this individual beyond reproach despite various forms of counterevidence or negative information. To illustrate these concepts and the necessity of systemized contexts in analytical frameworks, I discuss examples from within the COS and from outside organizations.

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[ISNOINews]

Sarah Lonelodge's academic page at East Carolina University.

English Department

Sarah Lonelodge
Teaching Assistant Professor


Sarah Lonelodge | English Department | ECU






* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *

Sarah’s dissertation, “‘Rattle Their Doorknob and They Collapse'”: Propaganda Strategies of The Church of Scientology,” analyzes and theorizes propaganda strategies within two sub-organizations of the Church of Scientology–the STAND League and Freedom Magazine.

* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *

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[HelluvaHoax!]

.

Haven't read all of it (yet) but it's a very accurate deep dive into how two of the cult's black ops bureaus weave their toxic web.

She had me at mimetic propaganda. . .

"Based on my analyses of Freedom and STAND, I theorize two concepts important to the field of rhetoric. The first concept is mimetic propaganda, which I define as the outward or superficial mimicry of conventional genre features that creates, in propagandistic materials, a sense of reliability for audiences though the content is highly problematic. The second concept is divine ethos, which I define as a unique reverence for a group or organization's leader that places this individual beyond reproach despite various forms of counter-evidence or negative information."​

​

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[Chuck J.]

Divine Ethos.

Nice phrase.

 

[PirateAndBum]

, I suggest that the COS employs social justice initiatives only as propaganda and that legitimacy tactics and propagandistic initiatives are likely effective for members of the COS as well as many individuals in the public.

Nail meet hammer.

 

[ISNOINews]

.

Haven't read all of it (yet) but it's a very accurate deep dive into how two of the cult's black ops bureaus weave their toxic web.

She had me at mimetic propaganda. . .

"Based on my analyses of Freedom and STAND, I theorize two concepts important to the field of rhetoric. The first concept is mimetic propaganda, which I define as the outward or superficial mimicry of conventional genre features that creates, in propagandistic materials, a sense of reliability for audiences though the content is highly problematic. The second concept is divine ethos, which I define as a unique reverence for a group or organization's leader that places this individual beyond reproach despite various forms of counter-evidence or negative information."​

​

.​

She had me earlier at:

Further, I suggest that the COS employs social justice initiatives only as propaganda and that legitimacy tactics and propagandistic initiatives are likely effective for members of the COS as well as many individuals in the public​

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Which is something that I have been trying to say for a long time.

Also, I have noticed that recently there are more academic papers that are critical Scientology.

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[HelluvaHoax!]

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.....
Also, I have noticed that recently there are more academic papers that are critical Scientology.
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Interesting!

Speculating on why that might be, the first scenario that comes to mind is the marginal, negligible or perhaps even questionable return on investment ("ROI").

What reward do they really get from all the effort/money compared to risk factors inherent in paying shills who might later blow the whistle or even recant? The cult did get some useful docs at some historical points to bolster their tax exemption gimmick. But, it seems that dead academic papers have served their purpose because of this: WHO READS SUCH CONTRIVED PABLUM?

At least in the cult's risk/rewards algorithm, the hiring of cutouts/shills and black ops operators in the form of dirty PIs who run fair game thuggery have an active and dynamic role in attacking the cult's enemies. In that equation, even if the victim is not intimidated or doesn't back off (abandon their criminal claim or civil lawsuit), at least the cult's most senior thug-in-charge can get some sadistic satisfaction and laughs about the fear/suffering their most hated "SPs" were forced to suffer.

But back to the academic papers, for a final note. Whatever time, effort and money the cult expended to get those scholarly shills to turn out what is essentially commissioned propaganda at best and oft times "Big Lies" and "Gaslighting" at worse—let's consider an alternative with far greater ROI. If cult management abandoned their pay-per-lie academic agitprop and instead directed the same amount of effort to recruit/reg ten (10) new donations into their untraceable non-profit slush-funds of $25M each, that would be a fast QUARTER BILLION DOLLARS.

What could a cult do with that much extra cash, compared to what a stuffy-fussy tweed-coated intellectual could render? Well, just consider for a few seconds how much lawyering could be bought for $250,000,000. Imagine what kind of influence pedaling could be bought for Washington DC and Hollywood and Silicon Valley law firms. Further, imagine what hungry politicians could be bought off in the halls of power or law enforcement.

That's where the cult is at its best, throwing big bucks at legal problems, terrorizing whistleblowers and using pocket change to buy off the "resistive cases" who need a few million bucks to settle and crawl under a rock.

CONCLUSION: Organized crime works best when they invest in lawyers and politicians and buy off people to make problems go away. it's how John Gotti won in three (3) massive federal crime prosecutions. The mafia just bought the result with payoffs, not even that much in the case of bribing a jury member. Likewise if one tracks the meteoric rise of the mafia in places like Las Vegas (where they had a stranglehold on all the casinos and all the major unions that ran the entire state), the top mafia families simply bought the best lawyering/politicking that money could buy---which turned out to be one person. A two-for-one deal! The mafia's lead trial lawyer was one and the same, Oscar Goodman, who also (a bit later) served as the Mayor of Las Vegas for a dozen years!

In any case it's a lot simpler to pay off politicians and judges and witnesses and whistleblowers than it is to get people to read excruciatingly tortured academic propaganda and lies. Scientology learned the same lesson when they stopped selling and delivering TRAINING and focused all their toxic might on just creating DONATION RACKETS that reaped billions. Like the mafia, it's a lot easier to sell donors glorious "STATUSES" and shiny buildings than it is to get them to go on course to read excruciatingly tortured religious propaganda and lies.


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[ISNOINews]

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WHO READS SUCH CONTRIVED PABLUM?

I do. Indeed, I just requested a link to another academic paper about Scientology.

Seriously, I believe that the paper linked in the OP is excellent. Other recent papers have been as well.

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[HelluvaHoax!]

I do. Indeed, I just requested a link to another academic paper about Scientology.

Seriously, I believe that the paper linked in the OP is excellent. Other recent papers have been as well.

/

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Oh, but I agree with you!!

I was referring to other PREVIOUSLY published papers by other authors, in years gone by. I would start to read them but once I began--the author's lack of understanding of Scientology and/or when I began to see what seemed like intentionally embedded misinformation to favor the cult—well then I couldn't sustain any interest to read further.

Sorry I gave the impression I was talking about Sarah Lonelodge's very insightful and impressively cross-indexed schematic on the COS (Church of Scheme-ology). After reading the abstract i pulled up the pdf doc and began scanning through it and it was quite impressive the depths to which she delved to get to the cult core! I will read the parts of it that are of particular interest as time allows.

I do not even put her work in the same category of the ones I refer to above. Perhaps i only tasted 1 or 2 rotten apples in the past papers I scanned and there were some excellent ones as well. I didn't have the patience to look for more.

As I read some of Sarah's outstanding analysis, I continued to wonder about the multitude of reading and researching she must have done to acquire such a broad understanding of Scientology's stealth gimmickry. The sheer number of hours for a non-Scientologist to conquer and pierce so many of Hubbard's intentionally deceptive and boobytrapped corporate veils was impressive!

And thanks for posting this thread, some of my faith in mankind has been restored. LOL.


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[ISNOINews]

As I read some of Sarah's outstanding analysis, I continued to wonder about the multitude of reading and researching she must have done to acquire such a broad understanding of Scientology's stealth gimmickry. The sheer number of hours for a non-Scientologist to conquer and pierce so many of Hubbard's intentionally deceptive and boobytrapped corporate veils was impressive!

Well, it appears that she spent seven or eight years getting her Ph.D.. Typically, two or three years would be spent on substantive classwork, leaving flour to six years to research and write her thesis.




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[Karakorum]

Sarah Lonelodge's academic page at East Carolina University.

English Department

Sarah Lonelodge
Teaching Assistant Professor


Sarah Lonelodge | English Department | ECU



View attachment 14633


* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *

Sarah’s dissertation, “‘Rattle Their Doorknob and They Collapse'”: Propaganda Strategies of The Church of Scientology,” analyzes and theorizes propaganda strategies within two sub-organizations of the Church of Scientology–the STAND League and Freedom Magazine.

* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *

/

Thank you, honestly.

You just made me aware of my own cognitive bias.

My first reaction to reading the title of the paper was: Yeah another scientific article pointing out the obvious fact that front groups are front groups.

But then I saw the photo of the young cute thing that wrote this and my brain instantly flashed a "Maybe that article isn't that silly after all?" message.

I'm literally laughing at myself right now.



Next time they will bring me to talk with some young cute female rep from some partner bank, I'm going to bring two elderly female colleagues so they could outvote me in case I fall victim to this sort of bias again

 

[ISNOINews]

Thank you, honestly.

You just made me aware of my own cognitive bias.

My first reaction to reading the title of the paper was: Yeah another scientific article pointing out the obvious fact that front groups are front groups.

But then I saw the photo of the young cute thing that wrote this and my brain instantly flashed a "Maybe that article isn't that silly after all?" message.

I'm literally laughing at myself right now.

If you read the Abstract, it is clear that the paper does much more than "point[] out the obvious fact that front groups are front groups."

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