1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: Also media. Hey everyone, Robert Evans here. It has been 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:11,039 Speaker 1: quite a summer. We've had two political conventions and I 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: am just drained. So again, we are taking a week 4 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 1: off and running a rerun this week. We do that 5 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: occasionally because everyone deserves time off, including every now and 6 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: then me. I did want to note this is an 7 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: old episode on the Latter Days of l Ron Hubbard, 8 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: one of our beloved podcast subjects, with Michael Swain and 9 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: Abe Eperson, two of my old friends from Cracked dot com. 10 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: They both have a podcast network called small Beans, which 11 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: you can back on Patreon and you can find whoever 12 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 1: podcasts are. And I also wanted to note and plug 13 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 1: my friend Michael's novel The Climb. It's an epic fantasy 14 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: memoir with some you know, magic realism elements to it. 15 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: You can google The Climb Michael Swain Patreon. You can 16 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: also look up The Climb wherever books are sold. I'm 17 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: seeing it right now on the Barnes and Noble website. 18 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 1: There's a bunch of other places that you can find 19 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: The Climb. So check out The Climb Michael swam Just 20 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: type that into Google and here's the end of l 21 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: Ron Hubbard whats l running my Hubbards. I'm Robert Evans. 22 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: This is Behind the Bastards, the podcast where we talk 23 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 1: about the very worst people in all of history. And 24 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: today is our super special conclusion episode of the life 25 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: of l Ron Hubbard. And with me today to talk 26 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: about the last ten years of the craziest man in 27 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: History's life is Michael Swam and Abe Eperson. 28 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 2: For having us. 29 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: I was making cheering and crowd sounds with my mouth. 30 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 2: Oh it's I thought it's not a mechanical. 31 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: I didn't do a good job. 32 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 3: I thought you just did that for every ten minutes 33 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 3: to like seep out all the saliva from your No. 34 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: No, you know what I do when I fuck something 35 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: up like that. Though, As I toss my throw in bagels, Oh. 36 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 2: Oh, I was aware of the throwing bagel trope. I 37 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 2: thought they were individually thrown A three. 38 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, he's angry, and they bounced right off the wall 39 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: and back to me. So I'm re armed with my 40 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:19,239 Speaker 1: throwing bag. 41 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 2: We're also in a room with dozens of panels. You 42 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 2: could have targeted. You targeted one right by someone's head. 43 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: Well, that's because the nature of the bounce means it 44 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: won't hit Sophie. If I took a board to her left, 45 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 1: it'll bounce right back to me. I'm an expert. 46 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 3: I love that you keep them contained in the bag though, 47 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 3: so your vigilanteism is at least kinde exactly like you're You. 48 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:41,919 Speaker 1: Get ants and rats and stuff. 49 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 4: That's how you get rats. 50 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I don't want rats inside the house. I 51 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: only want rats in the houses of my enemies. 52 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 2: There's only the government acceptable level of rat in this studio, 53 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 2: and I appreciate. 54 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: That, yeah, which is five. 55 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the max, same as peanut butter. 56 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: Which is why there's so many rats the open peanut 57 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 1: butter jars from back when I had. 58 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 2: Trying to rescue their rat friends who were in the 59 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 2: peanut butter jars. 60 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 3: See, I have five rats at home too, and I'm 61 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 3: in like a ratitude situation. 62 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: So I haven't seen that movie, but I think a 63 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: guy cooks rats into food and that serves them to 64 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: the people of friends. 65 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 3: Abes eating rats is the correct one. 66 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: Well, I mean the rent is too damn high in 67 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: the rat Now, did y'all both listen to uh the 68 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: three parter I did on the Life of l. Ron 69 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: Hubbard or L. R. 70 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 2: H I did. 71 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 4: Indeed. 72 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: Now I got to ask before we before we get in, 73 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,839 Speaker 1: were you surprised to learn that he in fact could fuck? 74 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 2: Oh? I was ready to immediately answer no to everything 75 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 2: you said, because I've done of like he's not the 76 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 2: most obscure bastard you've covered. No, I've done my own research. 77 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 2: But yeah, that was the one detail you found, the 78 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 2: one detail that was surprising too. 79 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 3: I also, I was very pleased because I'm like, it's 80 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:01,839 Speaker 3: not like he needed a win. 81 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 4: No, you no, Like he definitely didn't need a win. 82 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: Kind of nailed it. 83 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 3: But it's just kind of one of those like just 84 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 3: one of those things that like life just serves up 85 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 3: to you, like reality just says and circumstance yeah, and 86 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 3: you go, ah, yes, back to nihilism. 87 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 2: That's been Like you find out Milton Burle had a 88 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 2: foot long there and you're like why but okay. 89 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: Okay, I don't know if there's one thing that came 90 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: across in that book of a thousand Milton Berle jokes. 91 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 2: I had that as a kid man. You just flashed 92 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 2: me back to I haven't thought of it in twenty years. 93 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: And I remember thinking as a seven year old reading that. 94 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: I bet this guy had a fucking salami that could 95 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 1: have knocked at head. 96 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, well it was, says a little child, imagining. 97 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 2: That it was dedicated to his testicles for all the 98 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 2: weight they bear as a kid. I just didn't think 99 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 2: anything of that, you know. 100 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 1: It just seemed like a normal old comedian talking about 101 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 1: the balls, speaking of old comedians talking about their balls, 102 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 1: or not speaking of that at all. When we last 103 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: left el Ron Hubbard, he'd just come ashore in Florida. 104 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 1: After multiple years of shirking all the laws of land 105 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: and most of the laws of sea. Old, ill and 106 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:08,799 Speaker 1: as crazy as a cat with an inner ear infection, 107 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: Hubbard launched Operation gold Mine. This was his plan to 108 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,720 Speaker 1: create the Mecca of Scientology, an entire city dedicated to 109 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: the religion where scientologists could rule one another in other 110 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: people based on the enlightened principles of their glorious religion. Now, 111 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: you guys are gonna build a mecca to your own 112 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: personal religions. Where do you pick? 113 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 2: Oh? Boy, well, I'll you got see this as an 114 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 2: improv rule. You know you're on the spot. First answer, 115 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,480 Speaker 2: no censorship. What came to mind was Portland, Oregon. 116 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: No that's a great place to have a call. That's 117 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: where I played. 118 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 2: Because I'm seeing you, but also because i've often that's 119 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 2: been at the top of my list of other places 120 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 2: to live. When I went inn F I leave VLA. 121 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 2: But I also heard your episode about in part the 122 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 2: history of Portland. So I feel bad saying that. 123 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 4: I would put mine on top of Mount Rushmore. 124 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 2: Way better yet more time to yeah, well, I. 125 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:04,600 Speaker 4: Have more time to think. Yeah. In general on Mount Rushmore. 126 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 2: Question is would it be your face? Is your mecca 127 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 2: in the shape of your face? 128 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 4: Could be whatever funck I want? 129 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: Just you frowning down on four presidents. 130 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 4: On my ongoing battle to beat the president. 131 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: That is what we know about a well. L Ron 132 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 1: Hubbard was as I think we've established the craziest man 133 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: who ever lived. He's a contender in that. And as 134 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 1: the craziest man who ever lived, he picked the craziest state. 135 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: And I say this as a Texan. Nobody beats Florida 136 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,160 Speaker 1: in the in the crazy State lottery, it's got to 137 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: be Florida. And of course l Ron Hubbard picked the 138 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 1: city of clear Water, Florida. Now there was a downside 139 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 1: to this, which is that the site that el Ron 140 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: Hubbard and his minions selected for their faith's new capital 141 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: was already occupied by tens of thousands of people who 142 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: were not scientologists. So this was a problem, but not 143 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 1: an insurmountable one because l Ron Hubbard has had as 144 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 1: he had you know, most of our last apond. Oh, 145 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:01,720 Speaker 1: it's not a theory now, hasp. Oh he's still alive. 146 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: I hope his head's frozen in a jar. I'd like 147 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:04,720 Speaker 1: to see him get one more act. 148 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 2: I'd like to see him and Ted Williams head fight 149 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:08,239 Speaker 2: each other someday. 150 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 4: Sure, just rolling around. 151 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: It's one of those things where, after everything we went 152 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: through in the first three episodes, it's it's shocking to 153 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 1: me how much gas this guy had left. 154 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 2: In the This is only the last decade. 155 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: Right, This is the last like ten years of his life. 156 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 2: Home again. This is the Game of Thrones finale episode. 157 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 2: This is not the whole run. 158 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: Most dictators get a two part, maybe a three part like. 159 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 2: El Ron Hubbard. This is a five part wait. Yeah, so. 160 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 1: Clearwater, Florida, is located west of Tampa and north of 161 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: Saint Petersburg on the far edge of Florida's Midwest coast. 162 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: YEP it has a fine harbor, which was good because 163 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 1: al Ron Hubbard still fancied himself a commodore. And as 164 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: you pointed out there, Michael, the city's name Clearwater made 165 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: it a perfect fit with ol Ron Hubbard's religious cannon, 166 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: because of course clear is the state of being like yeah, yeah, 167 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: it's the whole goal in the scientology canon. In nineteen 168 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: seventy five, when it disguised el Ron Hubbard arrived with 169 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: his retinue, Clearwater was a sleepy retirement community. It went 170 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 1: by the nickname Sparkling clear Water, and a third of 171 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: its one hundred thousand citizens were over sixty five. It 172 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: was not a place that prided itself on hustle and bustle. 173 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: The town's most prominent building was the old Fort Harrison Hotel, 174 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: an increasingly decrepit monument to Clearwater's glory days. The hotel 175 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:26,680 Speaker 1: was empty and for sale. In October, the Southern Land 176 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: Sales and Development Corporation purchased the old hotel. The local attorney, 177 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 1: who represented the building's old owners, called it one of 178 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: the strangest transactions he'd ever seen. The building's new buyers 179 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: had paid two point three million dollars in cash, for 180 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: the building, and the fact that they had two point 181 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: three million in cash was literally all he knew about them. 182 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: The buyers would not even admit to having a telephone number, 183 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: good Little gold Smell, a grift code. 184 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:52,199 Speaker 2: It's almost impressive they didn't run a foul of Disney 185 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 2: operatives buying land out from Florida residence. 186 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 4: If there to. 187 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: Expand any group like crazier and wealthier than the Disney 188 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: Corporation in this period of time, it's the Church of Scientology. 189 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:05,439 Speaker 1: Now it's Disney. 190 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 3: I mean, we all have a lot, like humans have 191 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 3: a long history of just like, if you get enough 192 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,079 Speaker 3: people and put them in a spot, you can declare 193 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:12,679 Speaker 3: that yours. 194 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, which is exactly what I planned to do someday 195 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: in Oregon. 196 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 4: Like a bunch of people. 197 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: You guys saw that documentary Wild Wild Country. Yeah, like 198 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: that that literally is my goal minus poisoning that town. Probably. 199 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 2: I saw the first problem the important and I was like, 200 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:31,680 Speaker 2: it's kind of boring. They're not culty enough for my 201 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 2: like the part of me that wants to watch it. 202 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 2: And everyone said, something happens, So now I know what. 203 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 2: They poison a town. 204 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: Yet it they poisoned the shit out of a town. 205 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 2: We're past spoiler range. 206 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: I think they were kind of on the right though. Anyway, 207 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 1: let's move on past that the town. Yeah. Less than 208 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: a week later, the Southern Land Development Corporation bought another 209 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: of the city's landmarks, the Bank of Clearwater Building. They 210 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: paid five hundred and fifty thousand dollars, again in cash. Now, 211 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: residents started talking after this, and they talked even more 212 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 1: when a strange old man in a green jumpsuit showed 213 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 1: up in town and publicly announced that the Southern Land 214 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:03,079 Speaker 1: Company would be leasing the buildings to a group called 215 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 1: the United Churches of Florida. He claimed that the United 216 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 1: Churches would host religious meetings and seminars there. Now this 217 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 1: perplexed local journalists. They could find no records anywhere of 218 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: the United Churches of Florida ever existing. This was because 219 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 1: there was no United Churches of Florida, or Southern Land 220 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:21,959 Speaker 1: Development Company for that matter. Both organizations were, of course, 221 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,079 Speaker 1: fronts for the Church of Scientology. On December fifth, l 222 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 1: Run Hubbard officially announced Project Power three aka Operation Normandy. 223 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 2: I shave with that. That's it gets really close. 224 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: Those three blades. Yeah, yeah, you say that with a 225 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 1: full beard. Look, no one at this table shaves regularly. 226 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 2: The literature, the literature they handed me made me understand 227 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 2: that I am clean shaven. The scientology raiser works. This 228 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 2: is just my sin coming out of my Facebook. Yeahs shave, 229 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 2: I'm gonna get it out of it away. Yeah. 230 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:55,439 Speaker 1: Get you're shaved on the inside, which is where it is. 231 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 4: Yeah, little hairs, little thetans, it's all the same stuff. 232 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 1: Now. The purpose of Operation Normandy was quote to fully 233 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 1: investigate the Clearwater City and County area so we can 234 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 1: distinguish our friends from our enemies and handle is needed. 235 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: Hubbard's overall plan to accomplish this was quote to locate 236 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: opinion leaders, then their enemies the dirt scandal, vested interest 237 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 1: crime of the enemies with overt data as much as possible, 238 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:21,200 Speaker 1: then turn this over to United Churches, who will approach 239 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:23,079 Speaker 1: the opinion leader and get his agreement to look into 240 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 1: a specific subject which will lead to the enemy's crimes. 241 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 1: United Churches then discovers the scandal, et cetera, and turns 242 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: it over to the opinion leader for his use. Ops 243 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 1: can be done as a follow up to remove or 244 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: restrain the enemy. So Wow just gets right into it. 245 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: With how do we deal with our enemies that we're 246 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: gonna make. 247 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:43,560 Speaker 2: That's his tool is to blackmail so quick, Like he 248 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 2: doesn't like someone introduces you by pointing him across the 249 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:49,440 Speaker 2: room at a party, like, oh yeah, that's my friend 250 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 2: l Ron. He's got dirt on you. Damn. That was fast. 251 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:54,440 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, I mean he's like in his sixties at 252 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: this point. He's experienced. He knows, he doesn't pussy foot around, 253 00:11:57,679 --> 00:11:59,679 Speaker 1: like it's time. We're gonna make enemies, so we need 254 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: a plan to destroy them. 255 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 2: Our mob boat has reached land begin discovering everyone. Since 256 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 2: you know, like. 257 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 3: Video games where you're supposed to like you have like 258 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 3: offense and defense and you have to power them both up. 259 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 3: He's done this enough to know. He's like, well, it's 260 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 3: good to be ahead of the. 261 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 2: Curve on the defense. 262 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:19,079 Speaker 1: He's been playing for a long time exactly now. One 263 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,439 Speaker 1: of these enemies was a reporter for the Clearwater Son 264 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 1: named Mark Sableman. Mark had been sniffing around the Church's 265 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:27,320 Speaker 1: operations in Clearwater, and it revealed some evidence that suggested 266 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: the United Churches were really the Church of Scientology and 267 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,720 Speaker 1: so On January twenty sixth, nineteen seventy six, a church 268 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: official named Joe Liza wrote up a scheme to get 269 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: Mark fired. Quote. Have a woman elderly go into the 270 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: office and in grief and mis emotions, starts screaming that 271 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: she wants to see Sableman's boss. She goes in and 272 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 1: sees this man and screams and cries about Sableman's sexually 273 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:49,960 Speaker 1: assaulting her son or grandson. The woman takes a magazine 274 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: which is lurid and perverted, and throws it into the 275 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:53,960 Speaker 1: face of the man. Woman in screams, look what he 276 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 1: gave my son. Not to mention what the pervert did. 277 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:58,960 Speaker 1: Sob sob to my Johnny, I'm going to the police. 278 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,200 Speaker 1: If you can't do something of that pervert Sableman, I 279 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,719 Speaker 1: will see that they do something to you. So journalist 280 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,680 Speaker 1: reveals the very basic de tale that they're secretly buying 281 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: up land and this is. 282 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 2: Going yeah, and that at one point in time sab 283 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 2: sub to my Johnny. 284 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's literally how it's written. 285 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, sub sub to my Johnny. Yeah. 286 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 2: It's like a song you would hear at the sacap. 287 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 1: Or like it's it could be kind of like a 288 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 1: like a greeting too, like sab Sob Magennia. 289 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,720 Speaker 2: For next episode Johnny. 290 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 1: Sob and Majohnny's There We Go Yeah. Throughout later nineteen 291 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,680 Speaker 1: seventy five and early nineteen seventy six, Clearwater flooded with young, 292 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 1: uniformed Scientologists. They began renovating the Church's new acquisitions downtown. 293 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: Their presence was strange and discomfiting for locals, since the 294 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 1: newcomers refused to answer questions on who they worked for 295 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: and what they were doing. Hubbard himself supervised the construction 296 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 1: efforts from five miles away in a condominium complex in 297 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 1: the nearby town of Dunedin. During his few visits into Clearwater, 298 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 1: he posed as a photographer. His initial plan was to 299 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: sneak into a respected position in local society by posing 300 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: as a photographer, taking pictures to encourage local tourism. In 301 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 1: a letter to one member of the Guardian Office, which 302 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:10,679 Speaker 1: was the trunk of the Church of Scientology aimed at 303 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: protecting l Ron Hubbard, he wrote, quote, taking pictures of 304 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: beautiful Clearwater is the local button. My portrait of the 305 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 1: mayor will hang in the city hall. Never fear, okay pretentious. 306 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 2: First of all, it's clear that he was like well, 307 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 2: I'm not going to live there. Find me the nerdiest 308 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 2: sounding town. I gotta live in a JR. Tolkien named town. 309 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 2: I am el Rond. 310 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 1: After all, he is l Rond in Dunedin. 311 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, he's an elf who collided with a space telescope 312 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 2: Elron Hubble, right. 313 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 4: Which actually just turns out to be an orc. 314 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 2: But secondly, is he allowed back on land? I thought 315 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 2: he was gonna get arrest. 316 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, he's not allowed. That's why he's always in disguise. 317 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 2: So he's like on the I mean because I thought 318 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 2: the boat was his sort of final solved, yeah, evading LA. 319 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 2: But even in this late stage, he's like, I'm risking it. 320 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: He's risking it now he's being hidden. At this point 321 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: he has a whole team of people. The Guardian Office 322 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 1: is just there to keep people off his bad. 323 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 2: Would sound silly if you hadn't just dropped the KKK episode. Yeah, 324 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 2: they're like the Exalted Cyclotics. 325 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and the King Klegal. 326 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 2: Oh the Clavy, yeah, the clay like Clavy. 327 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: Unfortunately for l Ron Hubbard, the mayor of Clearwater had 328 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: no interest in being photographed by a strange old man. 329 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: He was deeply concerned with this army of anonymous invaders. 330 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: At one point he reached out to the United Churches 331 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:36,600 Speaker 1: and said, quote, I am discomfited by the increasing visibility 332 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: of security personnel armed with billy clubs and mace employed 333 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: by the United Churches of Florida. I am unable to 334 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: understand why this degree of security is required by a 335 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 1: religious organization. 336 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:47,720 Speaker 2: You see more like ufc AM. 337 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 4: I right, it's like a reasonable question. 338 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, it seems like he brought an army to our 339 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 1: sleepy retirement to and also why a. 340 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 2: Catholic priest walking out Cobblestone Street, like, oh, how you doing? 341 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 2: It's just smacking a night stick into his hands. That 342 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 2: is discomforting. Yeah, I think that's the perfect that. 343 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 1: Is that is the perfect word. It became clear that 344 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 1: the Scientologists would need to stage reveal of their organization 345 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: to the people of clear Water. In early nineteen seventy six, 346 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: they held a meeting at the Fort Harrison Hotel, officiated 347 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: by l Ron Hubbard himself. He wore a beret, caci 348 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 1: fatigues and headphones, and local religious leaders watched in wonder 349 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 1: and confusion as this bizarre man presided over the setup 350 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 1: of microphones and stage managed the production, with the press 351 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 1: conference down to the tiniest detail. He was introduced as 352 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: mister Hubbard, an engineer. 353 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 2: We could have caught him. Why didn't I get him? 354 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 1: One of the again, one of the like can through 355 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:41,880 Speaker 1: lines of any time you read about criminals in the seventies, 356 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 1: Like the FBI really wasn't very good at its job. 357 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:45,880 Speaker 1: I mean, you could debate whether or not they still are. 358 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: But everyone was kind of asleep at the wheel until 359 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 1: September eleventh, which you know is part of why September eleventh? 360 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 3: That wait, right, It's almost as if in the human narrative, 361 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 3: there's incoonfidence has always been with us, Yes, especially of 362 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 3: those of power. 363 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:03,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, shouldn't have been super hard to find el Ron Hubbard. 364 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 2: Now. 365 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 1: Five hundred local citizens attended the meeting, where they were 366 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:08,719 Speaker 1: shown the renovations downe to the Fort Harrison Hotel. Scientology 367 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 1: representatives tried to reassure them that the church was a 368 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 1: fundamentally friendly force with no nefarious aims towards their town. 369 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,480 Speaker 1: A spokesman for the church told them scientologists are people 370 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: who don't drink or violate laws. They are friendly and 371 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:23,119 Speaker 1: want to contribute. The very next day, the Church of 372 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 1: Scientology filed a one million dollar lawsuit against the mayor 373 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 1: of Clearwater, Gabrielle Cazares, suing him for libel, slander, and 374 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 1: a bevy of civil rights violations. A few days after 375 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:34,680 Speaker 1: announcing his presence in Florida and instantly suing the mayor 376 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 1: of the town, l Ron, Hubbard went out to get 377 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:38,919 Speaker 1: a suit tailored near Dunadin. It turned out that the 378 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:41,159 Speaker 1: tailor was a science fiction fan, and since Ron was 379 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:43,960 Speaker 1: a proud narcissist, he immediately revealed his identity to the 380 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: fan and told him he was staying nearby. The news 381 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: percolated through the local rumor mill, and before long it 382 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,360 Speaker 1: was common knowledge that the Profit of Scientology was hanging 383 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 1: out in Dunedin rather than clear Water. Now, at the time, 384 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 1: there were numerous pending lawsuits and investigations against the church. 385 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 1: The fact that Hubbard's location had been revealed by himself 386 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: made him in credit paranoid. Within days of revealing himself 387 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 1: to clear Water, he and his entourage fled twelve hundred 388 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,400 Speaker 1: miles north to Georgetown. Hubbard grew a beard and bought 389 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 1: a new wardrobe at from a local Salvation Army store. 390 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: One of his aides who'd been with him during his 391 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:14,199 Speaker 1: long boat journey, noted that it was strange because on 392 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: the ship he had all these phobias about dust and 393 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 1: smells and how his clothes had to be washed, but 394 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: all that vanished when we were living together in Washington. 395 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,880 Speaker 2: He goes boho, kind of a massage arc for him. 396 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, he had like a second religion family, like yeah, yeah, 397 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 3: oh man, it's they're just pests though, right, Like they 398 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 3: just anytime anyone might be a threat, they just throw 399 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 3: everything at them. 400 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 4: I'm gonna see you then. 401 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, didn't you hear they throwing at everyone in 402 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:46,440 Speaker 2: any area they're in before they get to know anyone. 403 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 1: But yeah, it's how you react to threats when you 404 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:53,119 Speaker 1: have infinite money and are is just a lunatic. 405 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:54,399 Speaker 2: And I think it's a sign of your own Like 406 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 2: I feel like from your previous episodes too. He walked 407 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:00,960 Speaker 2: around with a lot of darkness inside him, like there 408 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:03,840 Speaker 2: are some people who I think have done horrendous things 409 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 2: and it really goes off them, like water off the ducks. 410 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 2: Back his just sheer obsession with well, everyone's got dirt, 411 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,919 Speaker 2: everyone's got skeletons. The trick in life is just to 412 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 2: find the skeletons first. That's the act of someone who's like, yeah, 413 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,879 Speaker 2: I have the most skeletons, so many skeletons. 414 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 1: Is preemptively throwing my own baby, And if. 415 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 3: You say anything about these skeletons, I'm gonna create new skeletons. 416 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:35,160 Speaker 2: It's also incredible that he uh, I wish I could 417 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 2: have been there in his head in the moment he's 418 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 2: leaving the tailor's office when it turned from like it 419 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 2: was nice meeting a fan. I shouldn't have done that. 420 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 2: Oh hell, that was real bad al all the crime. 421 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:52,880 Speaker 2: Wait a minute, Lil ron, little rock. 422 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 1: So he grows to Georgetown and grows a beard like 423 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:58,199 Speaker 1: we all do at some point. Now, well, Hubbard hit 424 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: out in Georgetown, he continued to directive variety of clandestine 425 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 1: operations down in clear Water. His main goal was to 426 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 1: unseat Gabriel Kazaras, who had grown into a figure of 427 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:09,680 Speaker 1: almost luciferian importance to the scientologists, to lose that portrait. 428 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:12,760 Speaker 1: He still wants that portrait. Yet they were really worried 429 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,400 Speaker 1: about his moderate concern about them taking over his town 430 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,640 Speaker 1: with a paramilitary security force. According to the book Baar 431 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 1: Face Messiah quote. Scientologists had gone back to his hometown 432 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:25,160 Speaker 1: of Alpine, Texas, trawled through public records, nosed around the courthouse, 433 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 1: and even checked the headstones in the local graveyard without success. 434 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: But then it was disclosed that Kazaras would be attending 435 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: the National Mayor's Conference in Washington from eleventh or thirteen 436 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 1: to seventeenth March, and the Guardian's Office made hasty plans 437 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,800 Speaker 1: to give him a welcome. A scientologist posing as a 438 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:41,879 Speaker 1: Washington reporter sought an interview with Kazaras and introduced him 439 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 1: to a friend, Sharon Thomas, who offered to show the 440 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 1: mayor the sites of Washington. Miss Thomas was, of course 441 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:49,120 Speaker 1: working for the Guardian's Office. Driving with the mayor through 442 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:51,920 Speaker 1: scenic Rock Creek Park, she temporarily lost control of her 443 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: car and ran into a pedestrian, who crumpled dramatically. To 444 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,160 Speaker 1: the Mayor's horror, Miss Thomas accelerated away without stopping, leaving 445 00:20:58,200 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: the injured man lying on the road. 446 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:02,879 Speaker 2: Is the injured man also a plant? 447 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:05,639 Speaker 1: Yeah, he's a science Everyone involved as a scientologist, but 448 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:06,160 Speaker 1: the mayor. 449 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 4: So this is like a play for no one. 450 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:10,159 Speaker 2: It's like in the Simpsons when they put on a 451 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 2: play to convince mister Burns to fund the school or 452 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 2: some ship, like, yeah, I wonder if they rehearsed. 453 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:17,440 Speaker 1: Oh, they must have. 454 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,640 Speaker 4: They must have, and it's all for him to find 455 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 4: that important. 456 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 1: He had a team always practicing to fake a hit 457 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 1: and run just because he knew at some point I'm 458 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:29,199 Speaker 1: gonna need this. I'm got to be in those morning 459 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:30,200 Speaker 1: production meetings. 460 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, we're just right. 461 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 3: And he was talking last night about not feeling like 462 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 3: so great when he's like, he's not tall, so can 463 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:41,880 Speaker 3: we just like, let's build his platform, make him taller for. 464 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 2: Our shortest people. 465 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:45,640 Speaker 4: They were doing this shit. 466 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 2: I want to see the scenes that they rehearsed that 467 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 2: were cut, Like, okay, in case the mayor gets carried 468 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 2: off by a giant bird of prey, we have this 469 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 2: great scene worked out. It never happened. It just like 470 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:58,119 Speaker 2: slays on the cutting room floor. 471 00:21:58,320 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, with the beatings with. 472 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 4: So probably that's what I get the acting connection. 473 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 2: Now, Oh that makes sense. 474 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 4: So they had to do a lot of improv. 475 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:08,440 Speaker 1: We'll be getting a little more into that story. 476 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 2: Thomas Cruise, Yeah, that was his first role. 477 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, Now, the plan was to use this hit and 478 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:18,120 Speaker 1: run to discredit the mayor. A Guardian's office memo noted, 479 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 1: I should think the mayor's political days are at an end. 480 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: Of course, a fake hit and run committed by someone 481 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: else did not have the derailing effect on the mayor's 482 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 1: career that the Guardian's office at home. Yeah, but Hubbward 483 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 1: was ready the same day with another plan to try 484 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,160 Speaker 1: and convince Miami's Cuban population that the Mayor of Clearwater 485 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 1: was pro castro. So, like most of L. Ron Hubbard's 486 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 1: hairbrain schemes, this one did not bear fruit. The commodore 487 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,919 Speaker 1: cooked up ideas like I Hopcook's pancakes, poorly and constantly, 488 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 1: but all of his schemes were not half asked. And 489 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 1: while all this was going on, the Church of Scientology 490 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 1: was deep in the middle of the most ambitious scheme 491 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: of its history to date, Operation snow White. On November ninth, 492 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy five, an agent of the Church code named Silver, 493 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 1: walked into the Internal RESI New Service headquarters in Washington, 494 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:05,120 Speaker 1: d C. He entered the office of Attorney Charles Zuvrayan, 495 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:07,119 Speaker 1: although he had no legal right to be there, and 496 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 1: began taking documents. He made copies of hundreds of confidential 497 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 1: tax documents and then walked out the door with them. 498 00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:15,119 Speaker 1: Like the purchase of the Fort Harrison Hotel. This was 499 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:17,639 Speaker 1: done under the express orders of l. Ron Hubbard. The 500 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:19,920 Speaker 1: genesis of snow White had come in nineteen seventy three, 501 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: whilst Hubbard and his Sea Org were still trawling international waters. 502 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,720 Speaker 1: Multiple nations refused to let the Scientologists dock at their ports, 503 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:28,679 Speaker 1: and l. Ron Hubbard decided this was due to a 504 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: worldwide conspiracy to discredit his church, rather than its numerous 505 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:33,199 Speaker 1: numerous crimes. 506 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,159 Speaker 2: He tended to want to an asshole. 507 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 1: A conspiracy. 508 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 2: I'm an address up like Spider Man and ruin his 509 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:41,160 Speaker 2: good name. 510 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 1: Hubbard tasks Scientology's investigative arm, the Guardian Office, with countering 511 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:48,880 Speaker 1: this false information. The name snow White was picked because 512 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:51,719 Speaker 1: Hubbard claimed the government's case against him was, in essence 513 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:52,479 Speaker 1: a fable. 514 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 2: Now we call it Operation Fable. That's way cooler. 515 00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:59,359 Speaker 1: Well, he went with snow White all right. Under the 516 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 1: direction of his wife, Mary Hubbard, Operation snow White would 517 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:04,879 Speaker 1: grow into a sprawling infiltration of the US federal government 518 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 1: at every level. Agent Silver's theft of IRS documents was 519 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 1: just one part of the scheme. Agent Silver was really 520 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:13,680 Speaker 1: IRS Clerk Gerald Wolf, and in that capacity he was 521 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: able to steal more than thirty thousand pages worth of documents. 522 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 1: By the beginning of nineteen seventy five, the Church had 523 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:21,440 Speaker 1: actually succeeded in placing agents inside the I R S, 524 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 1: the US Coast Guard, and the DEA. Now this scheme 525 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,639 Speaker 1: was executed entirely by agents of the Guardian Office. They 526 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,879 Speaker 1: were trained to lie, or in scientology terms, outflow false 527 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,120 Speaker 1: data in order to worm their way into these federal organizations. 528 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:36,920 Speaker 1: That's a good synonym for lie. 529 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,159 Speaker 2: Wrap my head. Yea euphemism. 530 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:42,440 Speaker 4: Cinerga is the dishonesty. 531 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:45,400 Speaker 2: Also, your name's already Wolf, agent Wolf. 532 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 4: Wolf or I don't know, silver Wolf. 533 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 2: Agent silver Wolf, Red Fox. That was agent Red Fox, 534 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 2: snow Wolf. Why he's got a filthy sense of humor, 535 00:24:57,560 --> 00:24:58,920 Speaker 2: but he gets shipped done. 536 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: Speaking of fables, you know it's not a fable. 537 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 4: Products yea, your heart, your heart's sewing this man. 538 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 1: They're very you know what I don't need to see. 539 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:15,199 Speaker 1: I throw the bagels, they get right back to him. 540 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:16,960 Speaker 4: Hey, those are some products. 541 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, the services are real, but we are not. 542 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:23,960 Speaker 1: And the throwing bagels are real. My current throwing bagels 543 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:27,159 Speaker 1: are everything, bagels, kettle boiled and health baked, sliced, the 544 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: bagel that won the West. 545 00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 2: And they're bruising badly, which I didn't think bagels were 546 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 2: supposed to do. 547 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 1: The bagel that won the West? 548 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:34,720 Speaker 4: Did they didn't know that? Yeah? 549 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 1: Did these wipe out the Cherokee? 550 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:37,400 Speaker 2: Yeah? 551 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 1: Are these genide bagels that are. 552 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 2: Throwing on the walls. 553 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 3: They're everything, so they're definitely genocide. Plus I guess everything else. 554 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 1: That's not cool. 555 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 2: Thousands of American bison died with those bagels embedded in 556 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:50,439 Speaker 2: their skulls. 557 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: Sophie, I want bagels that didn't commit genocide. Yeah, fair, 558 00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:58,640 Speaker 1: Also these expired February twenty fifth. 559 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:01,480 Speaker 2: So I want us throwing bagels. 560 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 1: Actually, the expired ones work a little bit better. 561 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 2: So, uh, check out these ads. 562 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: We're back. I shouldn't have come back when I was eating, Yeah. 563 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 2: Right, when, Well, you fully control when you come back, 564 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:23,480 Speaker 2: so that was your choice and you can it. 565 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 4: That's number three for those keeping track. 566 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 1: I hit some equipment with that one, but Daniel says 567 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 1: it's fine. 568 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:35,320 Speaker 2: We've returned from examining the ads examining antiquated woodworking tool, 569 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 2: and I, for one will purchase one. 570 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:39,919 Speaker 4: Yeah, delicious products or services. 571 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:45,680 Speaker 1: Now what's not delicious is the throwing bagels that apparently 572 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 1: are genocide bagels. 573 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think they're genocide bagel. 574 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:52,200 Speaker 1: I would like to apologize to genocide victims for throwing 575 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: genocide bagels. 576 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:54,639 Speaker 2: I've heard a lot of words in my time on 577 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:57,480 Speaker 2: this earth. I've never heard the combination tasty, genocide. 578 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:00,240 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know. I don't eat bake, so 579 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 1: I just throw them, so I don't know if they're tasty. 580 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:04,919 Speaker 1: I can say these are the bountiest of the bagels. 581 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,680 Speaker 2: So you're not even vouching for these bagels as edible. 582 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:10,440 Speaker 1: That's why they're throwing, all right. 583 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:13,880 Speaker 2: I assume they're a throwing bagel could sort of retire 584 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:16,680 Speaker 2: and end its life in my little mouth. Is that 585 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:17,399 Speaker 2: not a possible. 586 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 1: I'm not going to say you can't, but that's not 587 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:23,320 Speaker 1: their purpose. Okay, they're everything bagels, so you can do 588 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:24,200 Speaker 1: anything with them. 589 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:28,440 Speaker 4: This bagel is my everything now, including jennocide. 590 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:31,119 Speaker 1: Yes, unfortunately, I guess, yeah, they really are. 591 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:33,199 Speaker 2: Well, if the bagel's everything, it's all good and. 592 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:35,440 Speaker 4: It's all on there. 593 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:42,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, that bagel both invented the seat belt and killed 594 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:45,760 Speaker 1: John Bana Ramsay and everything. It is the spirit of Christmas, 595 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 1: and is the spirit of Christmas as well as the 596 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:49,480 Speaker 1: spirit of Saint Louis. 597 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:51,639 Speaker 2: And is that right wing college kid who led the 598 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:54,360 Speaker 2: campaign against wearing seat belts and died in an accident 599 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:56,160 Speaker 2: that he wouldn't have lived through if he had worn 600 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 2: his seat belt. It's all in the bagel, people. 601 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:02,760 Speaker 1: We've gotten to invest in the philosophy of what an 602 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:03,880 Speaker 1: everything bagel. 603 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:06,160 Speaker 2: Is, the cream cheese is hitler. I don't ask why 604 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:07,360 Speaker 2: it's always been that way. 605 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:10,400 Speaker 1: I think we can all agree on all right, let's 606 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:13,640 Speaker 1: get back to Ron Hubbard's life. 607 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:14,560 Speaker 2: A little bit of bagel. 608 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 1: It's a little bit of bagel. So the Guardian Office 609 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: agents were infiltrating, you know, all these federal agencies, the IRS, 610 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 1: the DEA, the Coastguard. Much of the data gathered, like 611 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,359 Speaker 1: the IRS files copied by agents Silver was collected in 612 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: order to help the church deal with its mountain of 613 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:32,719 Speaker 1: pending audits. At this point, it was not a religious 614 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 1: institution in the legal sense of the word, but it 615 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:37,240 Speaker 1: was still refusing to pay taxes, so the IRS was 616 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:38,960 Speaker 1: not super happy. 617 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:41,200 Speaker 2: So it still had not secured the religious exemption. 618 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:42,840 Speaker 1: No that was not until much later. 619 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 4: Now. 620 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 1: The Guardian's Office also used their connections to the US 621 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 1: government to dig up dirt on their political enemies, particularly 622 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 1: journalists who dared to write about them. According to the 623 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: La Times quote, the Guardian Office saved the worst for 624 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: author Paulette Cooper of New York City, who's scathing nineteen 625 00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 1: seventy two book, The Scandal of Scientology pushed her in 626 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:02,680 Speaker 1: the top of the church's roster of enemies. Among other things, 627 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,240 Speaker 1: Cooper was framed on criminal charges by the Guardian Office 628 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: members who obtained stationary she had touched and then use 629 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 1: it to forge bomb threats to the church in her name. 630 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 1: You're like the Nazis or the Arabs. I'll bomb you, 631 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:15,000 Speaker 1: I'll kill you, warn't one of the rambling letters. The 632 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:17,440 Speaker 1: church reported these threats to the FBI and sent the 633 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 1: fury of the bureau crashing down on poor Paulette Cooper. 634 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:22,120 Speaker 1: She was indicted by a grand jury for making bomb 635 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 1: threats and for lying under oath about having made the 636 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:26,680 Speaker 1: bomb threats. The truth did eventually come out, but it 637 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 1: took two years and cost Paulette twenty thousand dollars in 638 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:32,840 Speaker 1: legal fees and six thousand dollars in psychiatric treatment. Now, 639 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:34,960 Speaker 1: Hubbard actually hated Paul that enough that he had the 640 00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:38,480 Speaker 1: Guardian's Office dedicated an entire operation to destroying her, code 641 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 1: named freak out. I found an article where she recites 642 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:43,560 Speaker 1: a small list of the things they did before reporting 643 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: those fake bomb threats to the FBI. 644 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 2: What are you doing today, honey, We're destroying this one woman. 645 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: We're destroying this lady. She wrote a book. 646 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, we're in Q two. I'm hoping by Q four 647 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 2: she'll be contemplating suicide. 648 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:56,640 Speaker 1: You know, that's the goal. You know, we all get 649 00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 1: a bonus if it happens before Q four? 650 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 2: Did the agents who infiltrated the irs, like ninety nine 651 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:04,200 Speaker 2: percent of the time have to just keep up their 652 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 2: cover by doing things returned? 653 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: I think? 654 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 2: So, I want to know if a scientologist operative ever 655 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 2: just processed my taxes by chance? 656 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: Well not if you were filing taxes in the late seventies. 657 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,720 Speaker 2: Yeah maybe, Yeah, that's I have a very bad tax cheat, 658 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 2: which is I've been filing taxes since before I was born. 659 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:23,080 Speaker 2: I'm hoping it'll pay off. 660 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:30,000 Speaker 1: I'm gonna stop paying taxes, say plus column. Here's Paul 661 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:32,960 Speaker 1: at Cooper quote. I soon got used to telephone death threats, 662 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:36,560 Speaker 1: harassing calls in lawsuits. I was occasionally followed, often conspicuously, 663 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:38,280 Speaker 1: as if to upset me, and people seem to be 664 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:40,600 Speaker 1: trying to gain access to my apartment. Then, in the 665 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 1: basement of my small building, I discovered alligator clips on 666 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 1: my phone wires, likely the remnants of a phone tap. Next, 667 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:48,040 Speaker 1: my cousin, who was also short and slim like me, 668 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: was in my apartment alone when a man arrived with 669 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 1: a flower delivery for me. When she opened the door, 670 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 1: the intruder pulled a gun out of the flowers and 671 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 1: put it to her temple. Fortunately, the gun jammed, misfired, 672 00:30:57,200 --> 00:30:59,160 Speaker 1: or was empty. The man then began to choke her, 673 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: and then when she pulled a way and screamed, he 674 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:03,440 Speaker 1: ran off. The police said afterward that they were mystified 675 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 1: because there appeared to be no motive for the attack. 676 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:08,280 Speaker 1: I quickly moved to a safer, dormant building, but soon 677 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 1: afterwards three hundred of my new neighbors received an anonymous 678 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 1: smear letter about me, outrageously describing me as a part 679 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:15,720 Speaker 1: time prostitute with venereal disease. 680 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 2: They really showed control with the part time though, they're like, don't. 681 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: Not a full time yea wow, Yeah, that's like that's. 682 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:29,320 Speaker 3: A you know, the reason why they choose part time 683 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 3: too is that they're like, she can't even be a 684 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 3: full prostitute. 685 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:35,720 Speaker 1: That's a different way to take it, but you know. 686 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 2: It's the one they took, Yeah, varsity sex work. 687 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 1: Yet yeah, she can't. She can't entirely subsist off of that, 688 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:44,840 Speaker 1: So she's got to do the writing books about scientology 689 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:45,720 Speaker 1: thing as an off game. 690 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 4: There's just wors lies and worst lies. 691 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 1: Yeah. Now, much as I do love talking about the 692 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:52,520 Speaker 1: wacky schemes of l Ron Hubbard, it's important to remember 693 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: that for every botched fake hit and run, which is 694 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:57,880 Speaker 1: just genuinely whimsical and funny, someone like Paul Atte Cooper 695 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,880 Speaker 1: was subjected to insane, almost unimagined torment for the crime 696 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:04,680 Speaker 1: of writing a book that angered l four. Well, it 697 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:07,160 Speaker 1: seems like it might have been actually just a torture technique, 698 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:08,880 Speaker 1: like where they were never planning to shoot her, but 699 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 1: like that's a thing that you'll do. Like I talked 700 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:13,040 Speaker 1: to someone who was in an Iranian prison and torture 701 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,400 Speaker 1: for a while, and fake executions were a common thing. 702 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 1: The ciated it too with people who captured in Iraq, 703 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:19,400 Speaker 1: where you put a gun to their head and pull 704 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:21,600 Speaker 1: the trigger but it's not loaded, because like that just 705 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:23,480 Speaker 1: really fucks with people, I guess. 706 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 2: Because he went on to Choker and it makes you 707 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:27,920 Speaker 2: imagine like he really was sent a killer, but a 708 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 2: jam is also pretty unlikely. 709 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, like as a torture rehearsal, like uh like just 710 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 4: just to fuck her up. 711 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:37,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, like like yeah, they'll execute a prisoner of 712 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 2: war with a son that has no bullet right to 713 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:49,040 Speaker 2: like to be psychological. Now. 714 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:51,800 Speaker 1: Meanwhile, back in Operation snow White, over the months and year, 715 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,640 Speaker 1: Scientology spies had made their way into the Department of Justice, 716 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:57,480 Speaker 1: placing an operative as the secretary to an assistant US 717 00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:00,400 Speaker 1: attorney who handled them mountain of Foyer requests by the 718 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 1: Church Freedom of Information Act requests. This was the surface 719 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:07,400 Speaker 1: legitimate goal of Operations snow White. Hubbard framed it as 720 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:10,240 Speaker 1: a perfectly legal blizzard of freedom of information requests aimed 721 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 1: at trying to figure out just why so many people 722 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:14,480 Speaker 1: thought the Church of Scientology was a nefarious entity. 723 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:18,040 Speaker 2: Now, because yeah, I'm usually pro Foyer. Toya has been 724 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:19,680 Speaker 2: a force for good mostly yep. 725 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:22,640 Speaker 1: Not in this case. So because many of these Foyer 726 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:25,800 Speaker 1: requests pertained to records that were critical and ongoing investigations 727 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 1: into the church's rampant criminal activity, the church would be 728 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:29,840 Speaker 1: denied the right to see them, which is, you know, 729 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 1: part of how FOYA works. The church's man and the 730 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:34,600 Speaker 1: Justice Department would be able to like know when they 731 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:36,520 Speaker 1: were like okay with the request of this document, it's 732 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:38,200 Speaker 1: being denied, and so he would get a copy of 733 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:40,239 Speaker 1: the document they were getting denied and then smuggle them 734 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:41,880 Speaker 1: out to church authorities. So this is why they were 735 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:45,840 Speaker 1: placed in what sent everyone was on, Yeah, exactly. 736 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 2: Now. 737 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:49,800 Speaker 1: The IRS was l Ron Hubbard's greatest nemesis outside of 738 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:52,240 Speaker 1: the concept of psychiatry, and they were where his guardian 739 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:54,800 Speaker 1: office focused most of its efforts. At one point, an 740 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:57,680 Speaker 1: office operative managed to bug an IRIS conference room by 741 00:33:57,720 --> 00:33:59,760 Speaker 1: wiring a re quarter into a wall socket that allowed 742 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:02,840 Speaker 1: him to listening on agency meetings via his car's FM radio. 743 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 1: And another point two scientologists use their faked IRS credentials 744 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,320 Speaker 1: to get inside government archives and photocopy documents related to 745 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: the Church. Now, the head of Operation snow White was 746 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:14,840 Speaker 1: again Mary Sue Hubbard, and when it all came crashing 747 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:17,439 Speaker 1: down spoiler, she is the one who would take legal blame. 748 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:20,240 Speaker 1: But basically everyone who has studied the Church or Hubbard 749 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 1: agrees that he was the center of the whole conspiracy. 750 00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:22,879 Speaker 2: Yeah. 751 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:26,759 Speaker 3: It's almost like people who are scared that everything is 752 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:30,360 Speaker 3: conspiracy make conspiracy. 753 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:31,600 Speaker 1: Do nothing but create conspiracies. 754 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:35,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, because the worldview and it's it seems like every 755 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:39,880 Speaker 2: everything is the mafia. Like everything works like the to 756 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:42,759 Speaker 2: get you right, it's the same, you just shift the. 757 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:46,840 Speaker 3: Blank and there's the you know, concept of the lieutenants 758 00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:48,400 Speaker 3: or made men kind of stuff. 759 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:51,440 Speaker 2: Avon's in the clink for a year, but we got 760 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:54,600 Speaker 2: Stringer on the outside. He can run messages to weibe 761 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:56,680 Speaker 2: whatever you need. Yeah. 762 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:00,000 Speaker 1: And in l Ron Hubbard's case, he's he's Avon Barksdale. 763 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:01,319 Speaker 2: I guess he never. 764 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 3: Spends time in a secon because he's a mythical He's 765 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 3: more of a mythic figure. 766 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:07,359 Speaker 2: Yeah. I do think this is also the first time 767 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:10,239 Speaker 2: I've heard of spy work that is too boring to 768 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:11,359 Speaker 2: contemplate doing. 769 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:13,479 Speaker 1: Oh my god, Like, do you want to be a spy? 770 00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, dude, Okay, go into this I R S office 771 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:20,480 Speaker 2: and install a bug. That's kind of cool. Now, sit 772 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:21,920 Speaker 2: in a van and listen to what I r S 773 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:23,320 Speaker 2: people say all day. 774 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:25,840 Speaker 1: Drive around listening to the I r S radio. 775 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:27,960 Speaker 4: Are we cops. 776 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:30,640 Speaker 1: Kind of the opposite of cops? 777 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:36,880 Speaker 2: New cops Spock cops backwards spot cops. 778 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:38,600 Speaker 1: That's not how that works the cops. 779 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:42,799 Speaker 2: It is cops backwards spot because there's illogical. 780 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:45,960 Speaker 1: I've always said that that Commander Spock is the opposite 781 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:49,040 Speaker 1: of a copy. Yeah, you know why. 782 00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 2: The blue uniform. No, that does. 783 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:57,160 Speaker 4: Profser I'm looking for the fun. 784 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:00,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, I really didn't have anything there. You're just hoping 785 00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:02,520 Speaker 1: something I was opody was. 786 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,160 Speaker 4: Somebody comedy? Now, yeah, and we failed. 787 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:09,920 Speaker 2: Logical you do for your badge guns. 788 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:14,600 Speaker 1: Right back at my feet? 789 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:15,359 Speaker 4: Number four. 790 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:17,800 Speaker 1: I you know, I hate the genocide they were complicit in, 791 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:21,600 Speaker 1: but they're damn good. Shove throwing bagels, really good throwing bagels. 792 00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:25,440 Speaker 2: Friday and slip shoving bagels, those are different bagels. You 793 00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:29,160 Speaker 2: need a littler bagel. Most orifices are small bagel bytes, 794 00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:30,439 Speaker 2: good for show. 795 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:34,040 Speaker 1: I put bagel bites. The throwing bagels can be big. 796 00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 1: Shoving bagels need to be small enough to fit in 797 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:37,319 Speaker 1: most holes to just. 798 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:38,719 Speaker 4: Kind of ease in there. 799 00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:40,839 Speaker 2: Call me old fashioned, but I like just a good 800 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:43,520 Speaker 2: old fashioned walking bagel, a little walk around town. 801 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:47,040 Speaker 4: Just you can grab on it. Yeah, not gone too 802 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:50,040 Speaker 4: much on the outside. That's a good walking bagel. 803 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:50,800 Speaker 2: Back to evil. 804 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:53,719 Speaker 1: I was ready to shoving bagels more because you know, 805 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:55,960 Speaker 1: if it's bagel bites, they make their own loop. 806 00:36:58,200 --> 00:36:58,759 Speaker 2: Do they? Now? 807 00:36:59,360 --> 00:36:59,960 Speaker 1: Back to science. 808 00:37:02,239 --> 00:37:03,799 Speaker 2: Michael Meisner, Yeah, real good. 809 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 1: Michael Meisner, who was the fake victim of the fake 810 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:09,280 Speaker 1: hit and run aimed at destroying the mayor of Clearwater, 811 00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:11,680 Speaker 1: was also a major part of Operation snow White. He 812 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:14,279 Speaker 1: personally broke into the Department of Justice several times and 813 00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:17,040 Speaker 1: organized the copying of tens of thousands of secret files. 814 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: Under Meisner's direction, decoding equipment was installed to provide direct, 815 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:24,040 Speaker 1: secure communication between church headquarters in the Clearwater and the 816 00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:28,040 Speaker 1: Guardian's office in Los Angeles. After Virginia o Ron, Hubbard 817 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:33,399 Speaker 1: himself wound up hiding next on Overland Avenue in Culver City, California. Literally, yeah, 818 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:35,239 Speaker 1: that was about a block away from my first home 819 00:37:35,280 --> 00:37:35,960 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles. 820 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:36,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, me too. 821 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's where Hubbard hit after he decided he'd spent 822 00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:41,719 Speaker 1: too much time in Georgetown and he had to get 823 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:42,680 Speaker 1: out of the East Coast. 824 00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:43,400 Speaker 2: Wow. 825 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:43,879 Speaker 3: Yeah. 826 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:47,680 Speaker 1: Yeah. So in mid nineteen seventy six, with Operation snow 827 00:37:47,719 --> 00:37:49,399 Speaker 1: White at its height and Hubbard living in his third 828 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:52,560 Speaker 1: undisclosed location since returning to dry Land a year ago, 829 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:55,360 Speaker 1: Mary Sue Hubbard finally joined back up with her husband 830 00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:57,680 Speaker 1: to warn him about some major problems not related to 831 00:37:57,719 --> 00:37:59,840 Speaker 1: the fact that they were conducting the largest infiltration of 832 00:37:59,840 --> 00:38:01,480 Speaker 1: the federal government US history. 833 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:02,279 Speaker 4: See. 834 00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:04,280 Speaker 1: It turns out that living on a series of boats 835 00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:06,640 Speaker 1: and searching for gold for like a decade, committing a 836 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:09,040 Speaker 1: vast and dizzy and crey of financial crime, spying on 837 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:11,320 Speaker 1: the government, living in a series of safe houses is 838 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:13,000 Speaker 1: kind of bad for someone's family life. 839 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:15,440 Speaker 2: He blew up those imaginary submarines. 840 00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:18,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, he did blow up those submarines. 841 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:23,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, claiming it And didn't the racist guy do 842 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:23,480 Speaker 4: it too? 843 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:24,000 Speaker 2: Yes? 844 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:27,359 Speaker 1: Yes, theged like Rockwell, they made the same lie. 845 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:30,480 Speaker 3: So it's almost like there's a it's a continuity of 846 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:34,040 Speaker 3: liars and like wanting to be awesome and making your 847 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:34,439 Speaker 3: own mess. 848 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:36,439 Speaker 1: You know that song Everybody Wants to Rule the World. 849 00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:39,040 Speaker 1: It's like that, but with blowing up a Japanese summer. 850 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:42,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, Yeah, it's like cred in those circles. 851 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:43,200 Speaker 1: Yeah. 852 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:44,520 Speaker 2: So yeah. 853 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:46,719 Speaker 1: Things were not great with the Hubbard family at this 854 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:49,799 Speaker 1: point in time. His daughter Diana's marriage was falling apart, 855 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:52,160 Speaker 1: his son Quentin was ostensibly in the Sea York, but 856 00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 1: was constantly out of pocket and battling crippling depression, And 857 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:58,280 Speaker 1: worst of all, al Ron Hubbard's daughter Susette was dating 858 00:38:58,360 --> 00:39:02,640 Speaker 1: non scientologists. Now, Mary Sue suggested that all of these 859 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:04,840 Speaker 1: problems could be solved by providing the family with a 860 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:07,520 Speaker 1: little bit more stability. So, using some of the church's 861 00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:10,640 Speaker 1: literally infinite funds, they bought a gigantic compound in southern 862 00:39:10,719 --> 00:39:14,600 Speaker 1: California named La Quinta. The family moved in that October. 863 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:17,840 Speaker 1: For a while, all was well. The Commodore's messengers noted 864 00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:19,760 Speaker 1: that he seemed to be much more relaxed and happier 865 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 1: after moving into his new ranch. This did not last long. 866 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:27,439 Speaker 1: On Wednesday, November seventeenth, nineteen seventy six, Hubbard received dire 867 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:29,800 Speaker 1: news his son Quentin had been found dead in his 868 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:32,920 Speaker 1: car in Las Vegas, the victim of a successful suicide. 869 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:37,200 Speaker 1: Mary Sue wept. L Ron Hubbard screamed that stupid, fucking kid, 870 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:39,719 Speaker 1: That stupid fucking kid. Look at what he's done to me. 871 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:43,919 Speaker 2: Whoop, Yeah, what happened to blame in the Thetans dude. Yeah, 872 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:48,000 Speaker 2: like he should fall to his knees and go theta Duz. 873 00:39:50,840 --> 00:39:53,120 Speaker 4: I will stole my boy state Thetans. 874 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:56,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that's tragic. 875 00:39:56,680 --> 00:40:00,400 Speaker 1: Yeah. According to bear Face Messiah quote, the Guardian's office, meanwhile, 876 00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:03,400 Speaker 1: had moved swiftly to handle the situation. It's local representative 877 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:05,320 Speaker 1: in Las Vegas was a pit boss at the Sands 878 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:07,520 Speaker 1: Hotel by the name of Ed Walters. I had been 879 00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:09,759 Speaker 1: working as a covert operator for about eight years, he 880 00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:12,279 Speaker 1: said him. I had secretly tape recorded a psychiatrist and 881 00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:14,640 Speaker 1: got him to talk about lobotomies to try and discredit him. 882 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:16,560 Speaker 1: And I had bugged the meetings of the Clark County 883 00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:19,400 Speaker 1: Mental Health Association. Things like that. I worked on anything 884 00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:21,680 Speaker 1: that ORG considered to be a threat to the Hubbards. 885 00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:22,799 Speaker 2: Who's he saying this too? 886 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:24,680 Speaker 1: This is what he said to the author of Bare 887 00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:25,440 Speaker 1: Face Messiah. 888 00:40:25,680 --> 00:40:28,040 Speaker 2: Okay, so you he presumably got Yeah, he. 889 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:30,840 Speaker 1: Left the church at some point. He was just a 890 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:34,680 Speaker 1: classic casino pit boss slash spy for the Church of Scientology. 891 00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:36,640 Speaker 2: There's your connection right here. 892 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:39,800 Speaker 4: So what info is he getting though? Look stuff like this. 893 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:41,800 Speaker 1: They want dirt on a psychiatrist. So he gets this 894 00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:46,480 Speaker 1: guy drunk and bugs him talking about committing LOBOTOI yeah, yes, I. 895 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:49,080 Speaker 2: Guess lebotomy is are pretty cool. We should do more. 896 00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:57,920 Speaker 1: You ching another goodass day for Ed Walters. So anyway, 897 00:40:58,000 --> 00:40:59,799 Speaker 1: this is a Walters again quote. When they found out 898 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:01,600 Speaker 1: Hinton was here, I was told to get a hold 899 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:03,720 Speaker 1: of all of his medical files. There was apparently evidence 900 00:41:03,719 --> 00:41:06,000 Speaker 1: that he had had a homosexual encounter shortly before he 901 00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:07,759 Speaker 1: was found, and they didn't want anything like that to 902 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:09,880 Speaker 1: get out. There was a girl scientologist working in the 903 00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:12,120 Speaker 1: hospital in a very secure position, and she got all 904 00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:14,239 Speaker 1: the reports on Quentin and gave them to me, and 905 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:17,120 Speaker 1: I handed them over to the Guardian's office. Quentin was 906 00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:19,360 Speaker 1: cremated the next day. Those who knew him suggest that 907 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:21,799 Speaker 1: he probably just wanted out of scientology, but couldn't think 908 00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:23,759 Speaker 1: of a way to do so without ending his own life. 909 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:27,480 Speaker 1: According to Ed Walters, you don't just leave something like scientology. 910 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:29,919 Speaker 1: You quit and then instantly become an enemy. He knew 911 00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 1: his father violently attacked anyone who betrayed him, and he 912 00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:34,160 Speaker 1: knew that the Guardian's Office would be after him as 913 00:41:34,200 --> 00:41:36,399 Speaker 1: a trader. He had grown up in scientology and would 914 00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:38,560 Speaker 1: have been tremendously afraid of the world out there, full 915 00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:41,000 Speaker 1: of wogs and evil people. I guess he just couldn't 916 00:41:41,040 --> 00:41:41,400 Speaker 1: handle it. 917 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:44,520 Speaker 2: Now, el Ron Horvard probably would have yelled the same 918 00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:47,400 Speaker 2: thing if he had less scientology instead of killing or 919 00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:48,080 Speaker 2: what has he done to me? 920 00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:50,239 Speaker 1: Yeah? What has he done to me? Right? It's one 921 00:41:50,280 --> 00:41:53,080 Speaker 1: of those things. It's crazy because like, of course they 922 00:41:53,120 --> 00:41:54,800 Speaker 1: have some people in Vegas, like He's like they have 923 00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:57,239 Speaker 1: this pit boss in Vegas, and they have like a 924 00:41:57,360 --> 00:41:59,279 Speaker 1: lady working at a hospital. But like, I feel like 925 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:01,080 Speaker 1: at this point you get the feeling that at this 926 00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:03,120 Speaker 1: point in the church's history they have people like that 927 00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:04,240 Speaker 1: in pretty much every. 928 00:42:04,160 --> 00:42:05,600 Speaker 2: City, every major city. 929 00:42:05,719 --> 00:42:09,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, they've got scientologists scattered around who they can trust 930 00:42:09,520 --> 00:42:10,799 Speaker 1: to like, yeah, we need you to get some pull 931 00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:12,839 Speaker 1: some medical records for us, We need you to bug 932 00:42:12,880 --> 00:42:15,080 Speaker 1: this conversation, we need you to get this guy waste 933 00:42:15,160 --> 00:42:15,520 Speaker 1: or whatever. 934 00:42:15,680 --> 00:42:18,360 Speaker 3: That's almost the more baffling part, because I can I 935 00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:21,319 Speaker 3: can wrap my head around the concept of crazy people 936 00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:23,080 Speaker 3: doing crazy stuff because they. 937 00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:26,880 Speaker 4: Want to be awesome. Yeah, but the fact that they 938 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:28,720 Speaker 4: convince in mass. 939 00:42:29,239 --> 00:42:31,400 Speaker 3: All these people have different walks of life that are 940 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:34,080 Speaker 3: applicable in the way of like, oh I can get 941 00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:37,759 Speaker 3: I can get information from them, Like that's just what 942 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:39,560 Speaker 3: is that demographic. 943 00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:41,120 Speaker 1: Well, instance, you got to keep in mind one of 944 00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:42,759 Speaker 1: the things he's saying at this point in time, this is, 945 00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:45,560 Speaker 1: you know, the Cold War is pretty ornery in like 946 00:42:45,640 --> 00:42:47,600 Speaker 1: the late seventies. This is not that long before Red 947 00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:50,439 Speaker 1: Dawn comes out, So fears high, fear is high. 948 00:42:51,120 --> 00:42:51,760 Speaker 4: Elroon Hubbard. 949 00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:54,480 Speaker 1: One of the ways he's billing scientology is like this 950 00:42:54,719 --> 00:42:56,759 Speaker 1: is the tech, which is like his term for their 951 00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:58,919 Speaker 1: their religious stuff, that this is what's going to save 952 00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:01,840 Speaker 1: the world. This is going to like make a nuclear 953 00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:04,560 Speaker 1: war possible. So he like, all of you are like 954 00:43:04,719 --> 00:43:07,680 Speaker 1: as as like the guardians of this sacred knowledge that 955 00:43:07,719 --> 00:43:10,680 Speaker 1: I've brought from space. All of you are like integral 956 00:43:10,760 --> 00:43:13,360 Speaker 1: in saving the world. So these people like view themselves 957 00:43:13,400 --> 00:43:17,160 Speaker 1: as secret agents, you know, in the cause of the 958 00:43:17,239 --> 00:43:19,960 Speaker 1: salvation of humanity. Which if you're just like a pit 959 00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:21,880 Speaker 1: boss or a lady work in the mid level position 960 00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:23,919 Speaker 1: at a hospital and you want some excitement in your life, 961 00:43:24,560 --> 00:43:26,680 Speaker 1: it's cool, right, Like you get to be a secret 962 00:43:26,760 --> 00:43:29,400 Speaker 1: spy bug, these evil psychiatrists or whatever. 963 00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:34,160 Speaker 2: Also ironic that the only place he didn't be foul 964 00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:38,480 Speaker 2: with horrendous crimes is space, Like this only place he's 965 00:43:38,520 --> 00:43:40,520 Speaker 2: innocent the undergrounds. 966 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:43,280 Speaker 1: Oh he did try to. He wrote letters to NASA 967 00:43:43,400 --> 00:43:45,200 Speaker 1: saying that like, you're not going to get into space 968 00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:45,879 Speaker 1: without our help. 969 00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:49,160 Speaker 2: That's why I mentioned it is. I bet your bottom 970 00:43:49,239 --> 00:43:51,759 Speaker 2: butt that this is a guy who genuinely wanted to 971 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:53,920 Speaker 2: go to space. You know, I mean I used to 972 00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:56,279 Speaker 2: read a sci fi books because I write all sci 973 00:43:56,360 --> 00:43:59,480 Speaker 2: fi books, and it was genuine. He loves space, He 974 00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:02,239 Speaker 2: loves and space. We're all grateful that he didn't make 975 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:02,600 Speaker 2: it there. 976 00:44:03,040 --> 00:44:05,560 Speaker 1: No, it didn't need l Ron Hubbard. You know what 977 00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:08,520 Speaker 1: else doesn't need l Ron Hubbard? The wonderful products and 978 00:44:08,600 --> 00:44:11,640 Speaker 1: services that support the show with they're advertising dollars. 979 00:44:11,719 --> 00:44:13,480 Speaker 2: Why would they They're fully actualized. 980 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:17,439 Speaker 1: They're fully actualized. I've heard about these these services, yes, 981 00:44:17,560 --> 00:44:20,000 Speaker 1: and the products. Uh huh. All right, well, let's all 982 00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:28,960 Speaker 1: hear about them some more. We're back now. I want 983 00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:32,280 Speaker 1: to be clear here. When I quoted mister Walters earlier, 984 00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:34,440 Speaker 1: he said that l. Ron Hubbard's son was scared of 985 00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:37,239 Speaker 1: a world filled with wogs and evil people. Now, my 986 00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:39,719 Speaker 1: Australian listeners will note that the word wog is a 987 00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:42,400 Speaker 1: racial slur in that country, but it also has a 988 00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:45,520 Speaker 1: totally separate meaning in scientology, so Walters was not being 989 00:44:45,600 --> 00:44:48,040 Speaker 1: racist against anyone there. L Ron Hubbard used the term 990 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:50,440 Speaker 1: wogs to refer to normal people who were not members 991 00:44:50,440 --> 00:44:52,480 Speaker 1: of his sweet ass space cult. He to find a 992 00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:56,840 Speaker 1: wog as quote muggle and it sounds like, yeah it is, 993 00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:00,160 Speaker 1: and it's yeah, Hubbard said, a wog is quote a 994 00:45:00,239 --> 00:45:03,120 Speaker 1: common everyday garden variety humanoid. He is a body, he 995 00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:06,279 Speaker 1: doesn't know he's here, et cetera. He isn't there as 996 00:45:06,280 --> 00:45:08,440 Speaker 1: a spirit at all. He is not operating as a Thetan. 997 00:45:08,920 --> 00:45:10,399 Speaker 4: He's such a special boy. 998 00:45:11,040 --> 00:45:12,080 Speaker 1: He's not a special. 999 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:15,080 Speaker 2: Operating as a thet Yeah. I still don't even because 1000 00:45:15,160 --> 00:45:16,879 Speaker 2: I thought you were trying to get rid of the theme. 1001 00:45:17,080 --> 00:45:19,640 Speaker 1: Well, but you are a Thetan too, right, I think? So, 1002 00:45:19,840 --> 00:45:22,040 Speaker 1: like you're not operating, you don't realize you're a space 1003 00:45:22,080 --> 00:45:23,799 Speaker 1: ghost and try to inside a meat sock. 1004 00:45:24,239 --> 00:45:26,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, there's good Thetans and there's cheating themes. 1005 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:30,239 Speaker 2: So and you're saying they had locations all across the 1006 00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:31,160 Speaker 2: us at this time. 1007 00:45:31,239 --> 00:45:32,400 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, they're fucking everywhere. 1008 00:45:32,440 --> 00:45:34,400 Speaker 2: Man, sounds like there's space ghost. 1009 00:45:34,480 --> 00:45:38,400 Speaker 1: Coast to coast. All right, well, the episode's over. 1010 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:40,080 Speaker 2: That that joke's all we needed. 1011 00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:41,839 Speaker 1: See you guys next week. 1012 00:45:43,160 --> 00:45:45,279 Speaker 2: I'm sorry we pre wrote that. We're all scientology. 1013 00:45:46,440 --> 00:45:47,360 Speaker 4: We talked about. 1014 00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:49,279 Speaker 1: Really selling it. 1015 00:45:51,880 --> 00:45:53,000 Speaker 2: Hey, that wasn't an actor. 1016 00:45:53,080 --> 00:45:54,760 Speaker 4: That's that's true. 1017 00:45:54,880 --> 00:45:59,279 Speaker 1: That might have been Tom Cruise. Probably not, definitely not. 1018 00:45:59,440 --> 00:46:02,040 Speaker 1: Shouldn't be landering a rich millionaires. 1019 00:46:02,120 --> 00:46:05,160 Speaker 2: He also runs too fast to ever believably be hit 1020 00:46:05,239 --> 00:46:08,520 Speaker 2: by a car, and I just wouldn't buy it. 1021 00:46:08,960 --> 00:46:10,759 Speaker 1: I also think if he if he came after you 1022 00:46:10,840 --> 00:46:13,560 Speaker 1: wanted to kill you, he probably do the job. Oh yeah, 1023 00:46:13,560 --> 00:46:16,600 Speaker 1: I feel like Tom Cruise could have very easily been 1024 00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:19,160 Speaker 1: a special Forces guy or a murderer for hire. 1025 00:46:19,360 --> 00:46:20,960 Speaker 3: I mean, this is the kind of guy that with 1026 00:46:21,120 --> 00:46:23,880 Speaker 3: his fuck off money, he just has like a compound 1027 00:46:23,920 --> 00:46:25,800 Speaker 3: where he learns martial arts, where. 1028 00:46:25,640 --> 00:46:27,040 Speaker 1: He learns how to destroy things. 1029 00:46:27,400 --> 00:46:30,880 Speaker 2: So you were worried about the legal ramifications of slandering 1030 00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:33,239 Speaker 2: him by saying he might have been that guy, But 1031 00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:37,400 Speaker 2: you immediately also want to say he's probably good at murdering. 1032 00:46:37,800 --> 00:46:39,400 Speaker 1: I mean, I think I think he would be the 1033 00:46:39,440 --> 00:46:40,280 Speaker 1: first to admit. 1034 00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:44,920 Speaker 2: That he would be hypothetically a great murderer. 1035 00:46:45,800 --> 00:46:48,040 Speaker 1: When you talk to guys who like do like train 1036 00:46:48,120 --> 00:46:50,560 Speaker 1: Hollywood actors for gun stuff, the two people they note 1037 00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:53,279 Speaker 1: as being like these guys don't really need any help 1038 00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:55,120 Speaker 1: is Tom Cruise and. 1039 00:46:57,040 --> 00:47:01,080 Speaker 4: The all big movies he's been. He had to shoot guns. 1040 00:47:01,160 --> 00:47:03,400 Speaker 2: And if you see him behind the scenes, he's just 1041 00:47:03,520 --> 00:47:04,000 Speaker 2: tries hard. 1042 00:47:04,080 --> 00:47:08,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, heah, he works really hard. Yeah, he's a great guy. Now, 1043 00:47:08,719 --> 00:47:11,400 Speaker 1: you remember those two Scientology agents who orchestrated the Department 1044 00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:14,840 Speaker 1: of Justice breaking back in seventy six. Well after eleven 1045 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:17,120 Speaker 1: months on the lamb, in early nineteen seventy seven, one 1046 00:47:17,160 --> 00:47:19,120 Speaker 1: of them broke and became an informant to the FBI. 1047 00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:21,239 Speaker 1: The bureau had been on his case for the break in, 1048 00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:23,279 Speaker 1: but the full story of the church's infiltration of the 1049 00:47:23,360 --> 00:47:25,880 Speaker 1: US government was complete news to them. They opened a 1050 00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:30,000 Speaker 1: massive investigation into scientology sweeping infiltration of the United States government. 1051 00:47:30,480 --> 00:47:33,439 Speaker 1: The investigation would culminate in a June nineteen seventy seven 1052 00:47:33,560 --> 00:47:35,440 Speaker 1: raid that is still one of the largest raids in 1053 00:47:35,520 --> 00:47:38,120 Speaker 1: the history of the FBI. One hundred and thirty four 1054 00:47:38,200 --> 00:47:42,040 Speaker 1: agents with crowbars and sledgehammers, tore through Scientology, HQ, and DC, 1055 00:47:42,400 --> 00:47:45,080 Speaker 1: as well as their offices in Los Angeles. They carted 1056 00:47:45,080 --> 00:47:47,480 Speaker 1: away tens of thousands of documents, including the plans for 1057 00:47:47,560 --> 00:47:50,960 Speaker 1: Project Normandy, revealing the church's secret goal to establish area 1058 00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:53,799 Speaker 1: control in the city of clear Water. The resulting court 1059 00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:56,759 Speaker 1: case led to eleven scientologists, including l Ron Hubbard's wife, 1060 00:47:56,800 --> 00:47:59,359 Speaker 1: Mary Sue, being convicted and sentenced to up to five 1061 00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:02,000 Speaker 1: years in federal prison. L Ron Hubbard was named by 1062 00:48:02,040 --> 00:48:04,520 Speaker 1: the grand jury as an unindicted co conspirator, a term 1063 00:48:04,600 --> 00:48:07,239 Speaker 1: we all know very well now, but the seas file 1064 00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:09,800 Speaker 1: should not link him directly to any crimes. He maintained 1065 00:48:09,840 --> 00:48:12,279 Speaker 1: his innocence up until the very end. According to the 1066 00:48:12,440 --> 00:48:15,560 Speaker 1: Justice Department quote, the crime committed by these defendants is 1067 00:48:15,560 --> 00:48:18,800 Speaker 1: of a breadth and scope previously unheard of. No business office, 1068 00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:21,080 Speaker 1: desk or file was safe from their snooping and prying. 1069 00:48:21,360 --> 00:48:25,240 Speaker 1: No individual or organization was free from their despicable conspiratorial minds. 1070 00:48:25,440 --> 00:48:28,760 Speaker 1: The tools of their trade were miniature transmitters, lockpicks, secret codes, 1071 00:48:28,800 --> 00:48:31,320 Speaker 1: forged credentials, in any other device they found necessary to 1072 00:48:31,360 --> 00:48:36,080 Speaker 1: carry out their conspiratorial schemes. By the way, it's worth 1073 00:48:36,160 --> 00:48:38,200 Speaker 1: noting that while this is happening at the height of 1074 00:48:38,239 --> 00:48:41,480 Speaker 1: the Cold War, the Soviet government never managed to infiltrate 1075 00:48:41,520 --> 00:48:44,239 Speaker 1: the United States and nearly as comprehensive or extensive a 1076 00:48:44,280 --> 00:48:46,000 Speaker 1: fashion as the Church of Scientology did. 1077 00:48:46,680 --> 00:48:48,640 Speaker 2: It seems like they should have been trying to infiltrate 1078 00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:50,600 Speaker 2: the Church of Science. It's like, talk to the people 1079 00:48:50,600 --> 00:48:52,759 Speaker 2: who really are making progress. 1080 00:48:53,000 --> 00:48:55,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, they now, those are the facts of the case 1081 00:48:56,000 --> 00:48:57,759 Speaker 1: as they exist in reality, But they are not the 1082 00:48:57,840 --> 00:49:00,360 Speaker 1: facts of the cases admitted by the Church of sciencelogy. 1083 00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:02,880 Speaker 1: In the immediate aftermath of the raid, they accused the 1084 00:49:03,000 --> 00:49:05,920 Speaker 1: FBI of Gestapo like brutality, which would be true if 1085 00:49:05,960 --> 00:49:08,320 Speaker 1: the Gestapo handed out five year sentences from massive and 1086 00:49:08,360 --> 00:49:11,600 Speaker 1: sweeping and filtrations of the Third Reich. Rather than just shooting. 1087 00:49:11,280 --> 00:49:13,880 Speaker 2: People, they had crowbars. 1088 00:49:13,920 --> 00:49:18,920 Speaker 1: They had crowbar The Stand League builds itself as an 1089 00:49:18,920 --> 00:49:22,279 Speaker 1: advocacy group of scientologists fighting bigotry against their religion. The 1090 00:49:22,400 --> 00:49:26,120 Speaker 1: name is an acronym for scientologists taking action against discrimination. 1091 00:49:26,520 --> 00:49:28,560 Speaker 1: You have to use the in and against for the acronym, 1092 00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:32,400 Speaker 1: which is a really great acronym. We all cut corners 1093 00:49:32,440 --> 00:49:36,360 Speaker 1: now and again. I use expired throwing bagels like nobody's perfect. 1094 00:49:37,000 --> 00:49:39,600 Speaker 1: I found an article published on the stand League's website 1095 00:49:39,640 --> 00:49:42,000 Speaker 1: about the snow White Program. Here's how they describe it. 1096 00:49:42,760 --> 00:49:44,840 Speaker 1: The snow White Program refers to the program written by 1097 00:49:44,880 --> 00:49:47,480 Speaker 1: Scientology founder el Ron Hubbard in nineteen seventy three for 1098 00:49:47,560 --> 00:49:50,080 Speaker 1: the purpose of legally correcting and expunging the plethora of 1099 00:49:50,160 --> 00:49:53,000 Speaker 1: false government reports about the Church of Scientology, it's leaders 1100 00:49:53,040 --> 00:49:54,880 Speaker 1: and members through strictly legal means. 1101 00:49:56,520 --> 00:49:59,760 Speaker 2: It's for legal legal twice yeah. Ps. 1102 00:50:00,200 --> 00:50:03,840 Speaker 3: Legals think about the word legal and think of me. 1103 00:50:04,520 --> 00:50:07,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. The Stanley asserts that Elroon Hubbard did not remotely 1104 00:50:07,560 --> 00:50:11,720 Speaker 1: contemplate anything illegal, of course not. Who's famous law follower 1105 00:50:11,880 --> 00:50:14,320 Speaker 1: l Ron Hubbard, who's got two thumbs in his legal 1106 00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:15,799 Speaker 1: this guy guy. 1107 00:50:16,239 --> 00:50:17,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, I gotta get back on my boat. 1108 00:50:17,920 --> 00:50:19,839 Speaker 1: Now I'm going to kidnap my baby again. 1109 00:50:21,320 --> 00:50:24,320 Speaker 2: Oh my wife though, damn it sucks. How she sucks? 1110 00:50:24,480 --> 00:50:24,719 Speaker 4: Yeah? 1111 00:50:25,200 --> 00:50:26,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's rough. 1112 00:50:27,680 --> 00:50:30,279 Speaker 1: Now it is impossible to disprove that to a point 1113 00:50:30,320 --> 00:50:32,320 Speaker 1: of certainty, which is why l Ron Hubbard himself was 1114 00:50:32,400 --> 00:50:35,040 Speaker 1: never convicted of anything. But I want to emphasize this, 1115 00:50:35,520 --> 00:50:36,160 Speaker 1: come the funk on. 1116 00:50:36,320 --> 00:50:38,600 Speaker 2: We all know all of this information. 1117 00:50:38,800 --> 00:50:39,319 Speaker 4: It's true. 1118 00:50:40,239 --> 00:50:41,960 Speaker 1: Now we're not done with the story of l Ron 1119 00:50:42,000 --> 00:50:44,080 Speaker 1: Hubbard yet. And in our next episode, which I'm very 1120 00:50:44,160 --> 00:50:46,279 Speaker 1: excited for, we're going to talk about the last phase 1121 00:50:46,320 --> 00:50:48,920 Speaker 1: of his life where he became an autor filmmaker and 1122 00:50:49,040 --> 00:50:49,480 Speaker 1: a singer. 1123 00:50:49,719 --> 00:50:53,160 Speaker 4: Hell yeah, hell yes, hell you believe. 1124 00:50:53,080 --> 00:50:54,319 Speaker 1: L RH hasn't as much? 1125 00:50:55,200 --> 00:50:58,480 Speaker 2: Then it doesn't even Battlefield Earth? 1126 00:50:58,719 --> 00:51:03,560 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, Oh buddy, does it involve Battlefield? Yeah? 1127 00:51:04,280 --> 00:51:06,640 Speaker 2: What a juicy treat. At the end of so many 1128 00:51:06,680 --> 00:51:09,040 Speaker 2: people come on the show and at some point in 1129 00:51:09,080 --> 00:51:11,919 Speaker 2: the hour ago, Yeah, this has been really depressing. Thanks 1130 00:51:11,960 --> 00:51:14,279 Speaker 2: for having me. Yeah, I feel like you got all 1131 00:51:14,400 --> 00:51:16,040 Speaker 2: the sad stuff out of the way. I mean, that's 1132 00:51:16,080 --> 00:51:18,840 Speaker 2: been sad shit. But man, the next one's gonna be 1133 00:51:18,920 --> 00:51:19,319 Speaker 2: a tree. 1134 00:51:19,480 --> 00:51:21,759 Speaker 1: It is gonna be a treat. But before we close 1135 00:51:21,800 --> 00:51:23,520 Speaker 1: this episode out, I'd like to talk a little bit 1136 00:51:23,560 --> 00:51:26,919 Speaker 1: more about the town of Clearwater, Florida. Now, the Fort 1137 00:51:26,960 --> 00:51:29,440 Speaker 1: Harrison Hotel was renamed by the Church of Scientology to 1138 00:51:29,560 --> 00:51:32,880 Speaker 1: flag Land Base. After renovations were finished, it became and 1139 00:51:33,000 --> 00:51:35,640 Speaker 1: is today the chief training center for scientologists studying the 1140 00:51:35,760 --> 00:51:39,160 Speaker 1: highest levels of whatever the hell scientology is. Since nineteen 1141 00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:41,920 Speaker 1: eighty three, scientologists have died at Flag Base. One of 1142 00:51:41,960 --> 00:51:44,120 Speaker 1: those dead was a young woman named Lisa McPherson, who 1143 00:51:44,160 --> 00:51:46,359 Speaker 1: died of a blood clot caused by dehydration in bed 1144 00:51:46,440 --> 00:51:49,120 Speaker 1: rest after seventeen days locked in Room one seventy four 1145 00:51:49,200 --> 00:51:52,440 Speaker 1: of the former hotels. Josephus Heavineth was found dead in 1146 00:51:52,480 --> 00:51:54,600 Speaker 1: a bathtub in his room. The water was hot enough 1147 00:51:54,640 --> 00:51:56,880 Speaker 1: to have burned his skin off. The official cause of 1148 00:51:56,960 --> 00:51:58,840 Speaker 1: death was drowning, but the coroner noted that he was 1149 00:51:58,880 --> 00:52:01,360 Speaker 1: found with his head above the water line. Herbert Faff 1150 00:52:01,480 --> 00:52:03,480 Speaker 1: died of a seizure in the hotel after he ceased 1151 00:52:03,480 --> 00:52:06,240 Speaker 1: taking his seizure medication in favor of a Scientology approved 1152 00:52:06,320 --> 00:52:07,080 Speaker 1: vitamin program. 1153 00:52:07,239 --> 00:52:09,879 Speaker 2: And this is the hotel from the shining you're describing this, Yeah, 1154 00:52:09,920 --> 00:52:11,680 Speaker 2: that's essentially hotel. 1155 00:52:11,600 --> 00:52:12,920 Speaker 1: What they turned this building into. 1156 00:52:13,320 --> 00:52:15,960 Speaker 2: Go in room one seventy four, don't. 1157 00:52:16,600 --> 00:52:19,160 Speaker 1: In nineteen ninety seven alone, the Clearwater Police received one 1158 00:52:19,239 --> 00:52:22,040 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty emergency calls from Flag Base. At no 1159 00:52:22,120 --> 00:52:25,279 Speaker 1: point were they allowed to enter. For most of Scientology history, 1160 00:52:25,360 --> 00:52:27,359 Speaker 1: the church was in constant arrears for failure to pay 1161 00:52:27,400 --> 00:52:30,319 Speaker 1: state and local property taxes. Scientology was brought to court 1162 00:52:30,440 --> 00:52:32,480 Speaker 1: numerous times by the city and the irs for this 1163 00:52:32,880 --> 00:52:35,759 Speaker 1: Luckily for the church, they eventually succeeded in having Scientology 1164 00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:38,440 Speaker 1: to cleared a religion, which granted them tax exempt status. 1165 00:52:38,760 --> 00:52:41,200 Speaker 1: The way they did this was pretty fascinating. They basically 1166 00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:44,880 Speaker 1: bombarded the IRS as an organization and individual IRS executives 1167 00:52:45,040 --> 00:52:47,719 Speaker 1: with lawsuits until they got their way. We'll probably talk 1168 00:52:47,719 --> 00:52:50,600 Speaker 1: about that in the Tail in a later episode. According 1169 00:52:50,640 --> 00:52:52,400 Speaker 1: to a recent report in the Tampa Bay Times, the 1170 00:52:52,480 --> 00:52:54,960 Speaker 1: Church of Scientology currently owns more than two hundred and 1171 00:52:55,000 --> 00:52:58,120 Speaker 1: sixty million dollars in property in downtown clear Water. Most 1172 00:52:58,120 --> 00:53:00,360 Speaker 1: of these buildings are empty and undeveloped, and many in 1173 00:53:00,400 --> 00:53:02,880 Speaker 1: Clearwater blame the church for the fact that downtown Clearwater 1174 00:53:02,960 --> 00:53:06,720 Speaker 1: has remained incredibly underdeveloped compared to downtown Saint Petersburg and Tampa. 1175 00:53:07,280 --> 00:53:09,160 Speaker 1: The church is able to exercise a huge amount of 1176 00:53:09,160 --> 00:53:11,400 Speaker 1: control over the city of Clearwater due to their ownership 1177 00:53:11,480 --> 00:53:13,879 Speaker 1: of much of its downtown area and then economic power 1178 00:53:13,960 --> 00:53:17,960 Speaker 1: of their religion. According to FSU News quote, Scientology leader 1179 00:53:18,040 --> 00:53:22,240 Speaker 1: David Miscavige introduced a retail strategy to Clearwater's Community Redevelopment Agency. 1180 00:53:22,520 --> 00:53:24,600 Speaker 1: The plan requires use of not just property owned by 1181 00:53:24,640 --> 00:53:26,560 Speaker 1: the church, but at also every property in a three 1182 00:53:26,600 --> 00:53:29,480 Speaker 1: block by four block area that encompasses all of downtown. 1183 00:53:29,800 --> 00:53:32,200 Speaker 1: The plan involves attracting a few major retail brands and 1184 00:53:32,239 --> 00:53:34,920 Speaker 1: then filling open spaces with hand picked businesses, similar to 1185 00:53:34,960 --> 00:53:37,359 Speaker 1: an outdoor mall. The proposal will give the church total 1186 00:53:37,400 --> 00:53:39,680 Speaker 1: control over the downtown area in regards to development and 1187 00:53:39,760 --> 00:53:42,600 Speaker 1: management of properties. The church's redevelopment plan has not yet 1188 00:53:42,640 --> 00:53:46,320 Speaker 1: been made public, nor will it be subject to a vote. Cool, 1189 00:53:46,560 --> 00:53:47,480 Speaker 1: why do you need that? 1190 00:53:47,920 --> 00:53:47,960 Speaker 3: Like? 1191 00:53:48,080 --> 00:53:51,239 Speaker 2: Why? I don't understand what the area he's like? This 1192 00:53:51,480 --> 00:53:53,800 Speaker 2: church is important to me. I made trillions of dollars, 1193 00:53:53,880 --> 00:53:56,800 Speaker 2: but I need area control. What's area control? Well? I 1194 00:53:56,920 --> 00:53:59,800 Speaker 2: want to decide if there's a Sparrows or you know, 1195 00:54:00,239 --> 00:54:02,759 Speaker 2: an old spaghetti factory there. Well, and this is wanted 1196 00:54:02,800 --> 00:54:05,000 Speaker 2: to be what I wanted to be. This is who 1197 00:54:05,080 --> 00:54:06,080 Speaker 2: gives a ship, dude. 1198 00:54:06,360 --> 00:54:09,960 Speaker 1: This is the decision of his predecessor. Because for l 1199 00:54:10,080 --> 00:54:12,800 Speaker 1: Ron Hubbard taking over this town which the church controls 1200 00:54:12,880 --> 00:54:15,520 Speaker 1: like forty years later today, this was like a two 1201 00:54:15,640 --> 00:54:18,279 Speaker 1: week project for him, right like he was he was 1202 00:54:18,400 --> 00:54:21,400 Speaker 1: there for like a month or so. El Roonn Hubbard 1203 00:54:21,480 --> 00:54:23,480 Speaker 1: himself never spent more than a couple of days actually 1204 00:54:23,560 --> 00:54:26,359 Speaker 1: inside the city limits. Of clear Water, like they still 1205 00:54:26,440 --> 00:54:28,120 Speaker 1: control this and it was just sort of a vague 1206 00:54:28,160 --> 00:54:29,800 Speaker 1: plan of his for a couple of weeks before he 1207 00:54:29,920 --> 00:54:31,920 Speaker 1: moved up to Georgetown Town. 1208 00:54:32,560 --> 00:54:35,040 Speaker 4: I like it with these mythic figures. 1209 00:54:35,120 --> 00:54:39,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, like uh uh, the entire sea org is just 1210 00:54:39,200 --> 00:54:42,920 Speaker 3: like whatever he said, what beautiful drippings came out of 1211 00:54:43,000 --> 00:54:46,680 Speaker 3: his horrible mom You need to make that a religion. 1212 00:54:46,520 --> 00:54:49,040 Speaker 4: Because there's only so much that he said. 1213 00:54:49,360 --> 00:54:51,040 Speaker 1: I mean, he said a lot, but it's like there's 1214 00:54:51,040 --> 00:54:53,120 Speaker 1: still people in Clearwater who have to deal with the 1215 00:54:53,320 --> 00:54:57,040 Speaker 1: consequences of l Ron Hubbard's passing fancy right, yeah every day. 1216 00:54:57,400 --> 00:54:59,359 Speaker 4: Well, I guess we have to justify this ship. 1217 00:55:00,160 --> 00:55:02,560 Speaker 2: So kind of want to go there now because I 1218 00:55:02,640 --> 00:55:07,560 Speaker 2: didn't know there existed like a company town for scientology. Yeah, sure, 1219 00:55:07,920 --> 00:55:11,320 Speaker 2: I gotta imagine, because they're freaking annoying to be around. 1220 00:55:11,960 --> 00:55:14,680 Speaker 2: They must have pushed out anyone who had an easy 1221 00:55:14,719 --> 00:55:17,680 Speaker 2: opportunity to leave or felt like so by now forty 1222 00:55:17,760 --> 00:55:20,359 Speaker 2: years later. I just want to go to a town 1223 00:55:20,400 --> 00:55:22,560 Speaker 2: where you're like ninety percent there and everyone around you 1224 00:55:22,600 --> 00:55:25,840 Speaker 2: as a scientologist at all time, or another person gawking 1225 00:55:25,960 --> 00:55:27,320 Speaker 2: at all the scientologists. 1226 00:55:27,360 --> 00:55:29,680 Speaker 3: I wonder, I wonder if there's ever at the time 1227 00:55:29,880 --> 00:55:33,520 Speaker 3: like he would listen to music or like it was 1228 00:55:33,600 --> 00:55:36,279 Speaker 3: really the stand up comedian and would like watch it 1229 00:55:36,400 --> 00:55:38,719 Speaker 3: and stuff. And then everyone was like, I guess that's 1230 00:55:39,360 --> 00:55:41,319 Speaker 3: another god amongst us. 1231 00:55:41,880 --> 00:55:43,759 Speaker 1: You get the feeling from l Ron Hubbard that he 1232 00:55:43,880 --> 00:55:46,839 Speaker 1: did not consume a lot of other people's media, right. 1233 00:55:47,000 --> 00:55:47,759 Speaker 4: That's probably true. 1234 00:55:48,040 --> 00:55:50,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, we will be talking about Star Wars a little 1235 00:55:50,080 --> 00:55:50,880 Speaker 1: bit in the next episode. 1236 00:55:50,920 --> 00:55:51,480 Speaker 4: I can't wait. 1237 00:55:51,640 --> 00:55:54,319 Speaker 1: This is gonna be It is gonna be great. But first, 1238 00:55:54,440 --> 00:55:55,680 Speaker 1: you know what else is going to be great? What 1239 00:55:56,080 --> 00:55:58,880 Speaker 1: is y'all plugging your pluggables? Oh yeah, yeah, we're in 1240 00:55:58,920 --> 00:55:59,400 Speaker 1: the Pizzo. 1241 00:56:00,200 --> 00:56:02,560 Speaker 2: Please to the zone. 1242 00:56:02,840 --> 00:56:04,239 Speaker 4: I thought that's the pizza zone. 1243 00:56:04,360 --> 00:56:08,319 Speaker 2: What's the cookie with that? That's a pazuki the p zone, 1244 00:56:08,520 --> 00:56:11,960 Speaker 2: and we'll blast you with theka full of pazookies. 1245 00:56:11,960 --> 00:56:14,000 Speaker 1: All right, guys, we have things we do throwing bagels 1246 00:56:14,000 --> 00:56:18,680 Speaker 1: around the table. Oh god, you're under the bagels now. 1247 00:56:20,040 --> 00:56:22,920 Speaker 2: My associate ape here and I have a little outfit 1248 00:56:23,120 --> 00:56:25,960 Speaker 2: called small Beans. It's a podcasting network and is about 1249 00:56:25,960 --> 00:56:29,359 Speaker 2: to branch into web video, and I think it's very 1250 00:56:29,400 --> 00:56:32,000 Speaker 2: important that you find out more about that at patreon 1251 00:56:32,040 --> 00:56:34,160 Speaker 2: dot com. Slash small Beans or on the small Beans 1252 00:56:34,200 --> 00:56:36,680 Speaker 2: YouTube channel, because we're right now in the process of 1253 00:56:36,760 --> 00:56:41,239 Speaker 2: producing a little show where four friends sit around analyzing 1254 00:56:41,280 --> 00:56:46,319 Speaker 2: pop culture, accompanied by illustrations and clip packages. And there's 1255 00:56:46,360 --> 00:56:49,040 Speaker 2: a good chance that a lot of your audience likes 1256 00:56:49,080 --> 00:56:51,600 Speaker 2: that show because it feels familiar to that. I'm exciting. 1257 00:56:52,680 --> 00:56:55,040 Speaker 1: This sounds familiar to another show that I know you 1258 00:56:55,160 --> 00:56:55,400 Speaker 1: were on. 1259 00:56:57,120 --> 00:57:00,840 Speaker 2: Any other Well, this is the launch of a legally 1260 00:57:00,960 --> 00:57:07,320 Speaker 2: distinct show from all other shows called off off Hours, 1261 00:57:07,640 --> 00:57:11,640 Speaker 2: Off Hours, off doing your off hours, the analyze. 1262 00:57:11,719 --> 00:57:14,480 Speaker 1: Analyzed pop culture. Hey, this is Robert Evans cutting in 1263 00:57:14,560 --> 00:57:18,080 Speaker 1: from the future. When we recorded this episode, Off Hours 1264 00:57:18,320 --> 00:57:21,000 Speaker 1: was was not yet done. It was just a dream 1265 00:57:21,160 --> 00:57:26,520 Speaker 1: and Michael and Abe's beautiful, beautiful eyes. But now it 1266 00:57:26,720 --> 00:57:29,000 Speaker 1: is in fact a reality and you can watch it 1267 00:57:29,280 --> 00:57:32,760 Speaker 1: right now on the internet if you go to YouTube 1268 00:57:33,960 --> 00:57:37,040 Speaker 1: and look up off Hours. If your life got rebooted? 1269 00:57:37,120 --> 00:57:39,960 Speaker 1: What kind would it be? On the small Beans channel, 1270 00:57:40,760 --> 00:57:43,600 Speaker 1: please check it out Off Hours, If your life got rebooted? 1271 00:57:43,640 --> 00:57:45,800 Speaker 1: What kind would it be? It's it's it's a fun show. 1272 00:57:46,200 --> 00:57:49,240 Speaker 1: It's important to me because all of my friends are involved, 1273 00:57:49,280 --> 00:57:52,120 Speaker 1: and because internet comedy, if you don't know, is having 1274 00:57:52,200 --> 00:57:55,200 Speaker 1: some hard times these days, and Michael and Abe and 1275 00:57:55,880 --> 00:57:58,240 Speaker 1: a good group of many of my former coworkers who 1276 00:57:58,240 --> 00:58:00,920 Speaker 1: are all great people, are trying to keep it alive, 1277 00:58:01,800 --> 00:58:04,440 Speaker 1: keep it user supported. Uh you know, you know, avoid 1278 00:58:04,520 --> 00:58:07,320 Speaker 1: having to do ads, avoid a lot of that mess, 1279 00:58:07,480 --> 00:58:09,640 Speaker 1: and and try to make beautiful content that makes people 1280 00:58:09,720 --> 00:58:12,840 Speaker 1: laugh and makes the world more bearable. So please go 1281 00:58:12,960 --> 00:58:15,320 Speaker 1: to the small Beans channel on YouTube. Check out the 1282 00:58:15,360 --> 00:58:18,120 Speaker 1: first episode of off Hours, share it with your friends, 1283 00:58:18,960 --> 00:58:22,200 Speaker 1: donate to small Beans, and and keep the world laughing. 1284 00:58:22,880 --> 00:58:25,200 Speaker 2: That's all I do, is you research horror. 1285 00:58:25,640 --> 00:58:27,600 Speaker 3: The reason we chose that name is because it's the 1286 00:58:27,640 --> 00:58:30,200 Speaker 3: acronym is oh, like, oh, I might want to watch. 1287 00:58:30,080 --> 00:58:34,600 Speaker 2: This and then have fun fun friends, fun with friends. 1288 00:58:34,720 --> 00:58:37,040 Speaker 4: Funds is oh fun with friends, Oh, fun with friends. 1289 00:58:37,040 --> 00:58:41,040 Speaker 2: And it's you know, after your work hours, like after hours. Yeah, 1290 00:58:41,600 --> 00:58:42,240 Speaker 2: it after hours. 1291 00:58:42,480 --> 00:58:44,040 Speaker 1: It's the kind of thing I would watch when I 1292 00:58:44,120 --> 00:58:46,080 Speaker 1: put down my throwing bagels for the day and I 1293 00:58:46,200 --> 00:58:47,600 Speaker 1: pick up my relax in bagels. 1294 00:58:47,760 --> 00:58:52,040 Speaker 4: Right, yeah, yeah, just unwined with the soothing dulcet tone. 1295 00:58:52,280 --> 00:58:54,680 Speaker 2: I am pitching a Fraser episode that I think will 1296 00:58:54,720 --> 00:58:56,240 Speaker 2: convince you to throw a bagel or two. 1297 00:58:56,280 --> 00:59:00,200 Speaker 4: It's yeah, okay, yeah, he might be bad as you 1298 00:59:00,320 --> 00:59:01,360 Speaker 4: might be bad, guys. 1299 00:59:01,840 --> 00:59:05,960 Speaker 2: So many surprises like that and more at patreon dot 1300 00:59:06,000 --> 00:59:08,040 Speaker 2: com slash small beans, small. 1301 00:59:07,760 --> 00:59:12,320 Speaker 1: Beans all right, I'm Robert Evans. You buy shirt te 1302 00:59:12,480 --> 00:59:16,640 Speaker 1: public behind the you can buy you. You can also 1303 00:59:16,840 --> 00:59:19,360 Speaker 1: just buy shirts and other places if you want a shirt. 1304 00:59:20,160 --> 00:59:23,520 Speaker 1: It's legally required in many outdoor areas in the United 1305 00:59:23,560 --> 00:59:29,160 Speaker 1: States because of the fucking president. Or you can listen 1306 00:59:29,280 --> 00:59:32,000 Speaker 1: to my other podcast It could happen here. If you 1307 00:59:32,040 --> 00:59:34,200 Speaker 1: want to be sad, it will. It will make your 1308 00:59:34,280 --> 00:59:38,000 Speaker 1: day worse with knowledge. Listen to it. And I have 1309 00:59:38,160 --> 00:59:41,840 Speaker 1: a Twitter in an Instagram at Bastards pod well Sophie 1310 00:59:42,320 --> 00:59:45,680 Speaker 1: runs both of those. I don't understand Instagram. It frightens 1311 00:59:45,720 --> 00:59:49,520 Speaker 1: and confuses me. But you can look at those things. 1312 00:59:50,160 --> 00:59:52,400 Speaker 1: They exist, They're in the world. We have a website 1313 00:59:52,440 --> 00:59:54,040 Speaker 1: behind the Bastards dot com where you can find all 1314 00:59:54,080 --> 00:59:56,200 Speaker 1: the sources for this, including bare Face Messiah, which you 1315 00:59:56,200 --> 00:59:58,920 Speaker 1: can find free online. I think it's out of copyright. 1316 00:59:59,000 --> 01:00:01,160 Speaker 1: I don't know. I did buy a copy of it, 1317 01:00:01,240 --> 01:00:02,960 Speaker 1: but you can also find it for free online. 1318 01:00:04,160 --> 01:00:06,200 Speaker 2: The chance the church got a little of your money, 1319 01:00:06,720 --> 01:00:07,439 Speaker 2: Well no they don't. 1320 01:00:07,440 --> 01:00:09,760 Speaker 1: They didn't publish that book. They do not like that book. 1321 01:00:10,880 --> 01:00:14,120 Speaker 1: It's a hell of a read, though, Like the speaking 1322 01:00:14,160 --> 01:00:16,440 Speaker 1: of cutting room floors. As we were earlier, the number 1323 01:00:16,440 --> 01:00:19,480 Speaker 1: of LRH stories that I didn't include in this podcast 1324 01:00:19,640 --> 01:00:22,600 Speaker 1: just because I couldn't make a fourteen hour podcast about 1325 01:00:22,600 --> 01:00:26,040 Speaker 1: al Ron Hubbard fucking wild. Anyway, I'm going to throw 1326 01:00:26,120 --> 01:00:29,680 Speaker 1: some bagels. Y'all, continue your commute or your poop. Yeah, 1327 01:00:31,800 --> 01:00:37,680 Speaker 1: the episode's over. Behind the Bastards is a production of 1328 01:00:37,760 --> 01:00:40,760 Speaker 1: cool Zone Media. For more from cool Zone Media, visit 1329 01:00:40,800 --> 01:00:44,360 Speaker 1: our website cool zonemedia dot com, or check us out 1330 01:00:44,440 --> 01:00:47,360 Speaker 1: on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 1331 01:00:47,400 --> 01:00:48,080 Speaker 1: your podcasts.