A bit of local news now, courtesy of our local cage liner, the Times-Union:
During most of her 25 months as a student of self-improvement programs run by the Colonie-based NXIVM organization, Becca Friedman felt like she was in a dream, but, she said, it became a dreadful nightmare.
“It felt like a very safe, very safe environment,” she said. “It did not end well.”
[...]
“Yeah, I think it’s a cult,” Friedman said at the dinner table of the modest home she shares with her family and a few pets not far from the funky downtown of Woodstock. “I definitely acknowledge there are good parts to it. … You have to have a good hook. They had me hooked but not enough.”
The organization that Friedman is talking about is called NXIVM (usually pronounced “nexium”), a self-help, self-esteem and executive development organization based here in Albany. Anybody who’s been paying attention realizes that there is a tremendous amount of crap that gets sold under the labels of self-help and management training. Still, I wanted to keep an open mind, so I visited the NXIVM site to see how they described themselves:
NXIVM is a new ethical understanding that allows us to build an internal civilization and have it manifest in the external world. It allows us to explore our most fundamental nature and to begin to redirect our power of creation, a power that we all possess in a very human sense. It is a place where humanity can rise to its noble possibility.
…aaaand my mind just closed.
Cult-watcher Rick Ross maintains a roundup of news articles about NXIVM. Reading through, it seems that NXIVM is headed by long-haired guru Keith Raniere (above), who goes by the name “Vanguard.” The organization is bankrolled by Sara and Claire Bronfman, heirs to the Seagram’s Liquor fortune, a pair of rich sisters seeking spiritual fulfillment with daddy’s money. Much of that money goes to folks like Roger Stone, a Republican political consultant, in order to defend the group’s abysmal reputation and smear its enemies.
If I were to post this as fiction, you folks would accuse me of writing tired cliches.
It’s hard to be sure of anything beyond the basics. Rumors and counter rumors are all over the place. From here, NXIVM seems like a low rent Scientology, though perhaps without the science-fiction novel at its core. According to one rumor, the biggest stars they’ve managed to attract are Allison Mack and Kristin Laura Kreuk: Chloe and Lana, respectively, from Smallville. Not Travolta or Will Smith, but they probably have much stronger draw among the young female demographic.
(Photo Credit: Patrick Dodson)
… a pair of rich sisters seeking spiritual fulfillment with daddy’s money.
Another argument in favor of inheritance tax.
No, that’s not an argument. That’s you not liking that the world is unfair, since you feel you could spend the money better, you feel that they shouldn’t have it.
If someone decides to leave their money to their children with no spending cap and no strings attached, and no requirements for some finance education, its their business, not yours.
That’s some really big government you’re wanting there, buddy. Fucking with people’s last will through taxes? I don’t like it.
it could be treated as income, since, from the perspective of the inheritor, it more or less is. Taxation’s never over 50% except in Scandinavia, so the kids would still get a tidy whack, and the rest gets redirected to roads, schools and emergency preparedness.
More like wars, international bases, bureaucracy, and pet projects(from both parties).
The thing I’m mainly concerned about though is family businesses.
Most people who start businesses start them late in life. In their 40, 50s, etc. If they start them early, its usually part time at first, and then full time a few years later if the business is successful.
Point is, by the time the business fleshes out, they’re old. They work maybe 10 or 15 years, then they retire or die.
I know literally a dozen people with family farms. My 60 year old parents started a business 5 years ago and its now starting to flesh out. Do I want to take it up once they get to old or, while its hard to think about, pass away? I honestly don’t know.
The government will answer it for me though, if they take half, I sure as hell can’t afford to buy the business back from uncle sam, I’m not even 20 yet.
So what happens? Everything my parents worked for dies when they do. Potential jobs are lost with the business.
Now, if you’re talking about just taxing cash, or certain other assets, that’s something I still don’t like, but its debatable.
I don’t like the idea of creating a new tax or law just for a rare issue, but an inheritance tax might be a good revenue.
Remind me again how a cult differs from any other wacky religion (i.e. -insert any religion or denomination of any religion here-). They have a good hook, then end up taking one’s money, brainwashing adults and children, and making absurd promises regarding personal wealth or spiritual enlightenment and sooner or later (hopefully) a follower wakes up to realize s/he has been duped. Is it social acceptability and large numbers of followers that makes one wacky supernatural belief system a religion while another gets labeled cult?
A religion is a cult with a good PR firm.
Maybe this will help;
http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=1958
The point is that it is difficult to know where the demacation line is between a cult and a religion, a get rich quick/ponzi scheme/self help group etc. But some organisations, which are not strictly cults, may have offshoots which are.
Yeah, okay I could apply any one of the criteria to the Catholic church. Not picking on the Catholics here, they would apply equally to any nondenominational fundamentalist xian church as well.
from your link:
“Totalitarian control – cults attempt to have total control over their members” – check! birth control anyone? Dancing? If you think religion isn’t about control, try marrying the person you love, if that person happens to be the same gender.
“Secrecy – cults tend not to be upfront about their entire belief system” – check! Nobody gets the full story, they’re preached the Bible piecemeal from the pulpit.
“Separation – cults use methods to separate their members from former social networks..” check! “be not unequally yolked” has been used numerous times to separate new believers in fundamentalism from friends/family.
“Mind Control – cults are very manipulative” check! Fundamentalist churches rely on emotionalism and music and many other tactics to brainwash followers. The Catholic church relies on mostly guilt, I guess.
“Self-Contained Belief System – The cult system tends to be absolute, the leader has perfect authority and exclusive knowledge…” check! Need I point to the pope? Need I bring up other charismatic mainstream leaders?
My original question was a bit tongue in cheek, but the more I think of it the more serious the question becomes.
Most “self help” groups would probably qualify as cults. They are all bunk based on new age bullshit and/or poorly though out pseudo-psychology. The ones that will last will be the cultish ones because they will be the ones that will keep people in them.