About My Silence on Anonymous Vs. Scientology
Well - that's not going to happen.
No I don't like Scientology, no I don't like what it does to people, I recognize that it fundamentally preys on peoples' vulnerabilities in the hopes of exploiting their wallets, and I realize that their fear of the orthodox very likely led to the death of one of their unwilling members, and for all of this the "church" if it can be called that deserves reprimand, chastising, condemnation, and all negative attention it gets.
However, as soon as the internet world decided it wanted to create a war with Scientology on the grounds that it doesn't understand the cult, and it represents an easily attacked, largely defenseless victim, I had to bow out, and let the two war it out. Anonymous vs. Scientology is not a sincere protest - something that is becoming increasingly difficult to find in a day where an iPhone and a cardboard sign make you a civil rights activist - and really amounts to little more than show.
Not only will the marches amount to nothing, they are not carried out with the ultimately altruistic notions that people claim they are. They are not going off to battle the great tyranny of Scientology, they want to be seen making a direct attack on an establishment, and brings with it serious, problematic implications. Anonymous is growing from a simple website into attempting to become a kind of body with which to make statements, creating forums of information sharing on the internet political groups in a way that is highly frightening.
Armed with Guy Fawkes masks similar to those worn in V for Vendetta, Anonymous is interested in creating a "we vs. them" kind of battlefield on the bones of the victim that many claim they are protesting on behalf of, using Lisa McPherson's tragic death as an excuse to fight a battle that isn't necessary, and is brought up from a kind of belligerence that shows just how disingenuous the world of protests have become.
Much like many people these days, Anonymous made an enemy out of Scientology in the hopes that the cult would reciprocate, and thus Anonymous could claim aggrieved status, however Anonymous, much like the Chancellor Suttler that their hero in V for Vendetta condemns, they have created their own war, on an enemy that largely doesn't acknowledge them, perhaps in the hopes of showing the violent and frightening growth of internet communities, and for these reasons, I simply cannot support Anonymous's mindless, and unnecessary attacks on Scientology.
Published by Chadd De Las Casas
I was born in Valencia, California in 1987. It's ironic that I turned out to be a writer, since my first exposure to it was an essay about why I hate writing. I am also the owner of the Content Producers Wiki. View profile
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6 Comments
Post a CommentThe problem with Anonymous is that they don't really care. It may be a movement, but it is a movement of the extremely bored. They consider everything to be a joke, even crap like linking flashing, seizure-inducing banners on epilepsy websites.
...online organizations.
I am not saying Anonymous is an entirely moral institution--it was started based on the idea of being freed of all social and moral restraints--but they are cleaning up their act and Scientology has been dodging the law for far too long. In the aftermath of Operation Snow White--the largest infiltration of the U.S. government in American history--aproximately 90,000 church documents were siezed, many of them detailing ILLEGAL activities of the CoS. However, because Scientology maintains an endless supply of lawyers, the only people who were convicted of any crimes were those that Mr. Meisner, the informan that had led to the discovery of Operation Snow White, could personally identify as having been involved. I don't think Anonymous is a bunch of saints, but I do believe that what they are doing is worth supporting. Besides, Anonymous is now more of a movement than an internet group, taken into consideration that the demonstartors are a coalition of concerned citizens and various onlin
Meanwhile, Anonymous is calling the wrong people, and giving them death threats, brazen personal attacks, and generally harassing their homes. They are a website with zero oversight and zero accountability, set to attack an institution you disagree with theologically and philosophically. I despise the Church of Scientology, but it also has certain rights, and I feel that these wanton attacks, which are almost entirely selfishly motivated, are misplaced. There is no genuineness to them - else armed with these causes, there would also be "Anonymous vs. the Church of Jesus Christ for Latter Day Saints" "Anonymous vs. the Watchtower Group" "Anonymous vs. CAIR" - but there isn't. It's an entirely selfish, bull-headed approach that only encourages /b/ to step up and become an "active voice', something I can't condone.
he hoped they could be outlawed?
Chadd, I have to disagree with you on this one. The Church of Scientology recruits people through lies--no one would join if they knew all the facts--so Anonymous has the power to hurt them in that regard if nothing else. Also, Scientology is not in any way undeserving of these protests; they will do just about anything to silence their critics, they have forced members to stay in the "church", they carried out the largest infiltration of the US government in American history, they are connected to many suspicious deaths, and they are responsible for countless suicides. And I do not understand how you can say that it is wrong that Lisa McPherson's death should be among the charges Anonymous brings against Scientology when her death was a direct result of the churches refusal to allow her proper medical care. Would you prefer that they invoke the name of Noah Lottick, who's suicide note stated that he harbored no ill will against anyone except the Church of Scientology and that he hoped