Sunday 22 November 2015

Truth Mobs? No Thanks!

The Truth mob is a sad and annoying side effect of the Truth movement; in the background links at the bottom I provide a detailed history of my interaction with them. Truth mobs break out spontaneously at random locations on Facebook or in blog and YouTube comments boxes. They draw in attention like a magnet, gathering enthusiastic personnel with the ease of a rolling snowball. People who are completely uninvolved third parties transform instantaneously into raving single-minded zealots, fanatically dedicated to their chosen side; and of course outraged against the other side with equal fervour. Before long, honourable men and women who were busy campaigning to free the world from the dangers of GMO food, geoengineering, false flag terrorism and government organized child abuse, will drop everything they are doing in order to take up arms in their Truth mob's cause. They will sit in front of a keyboard and monitor for hours, typing acres upon acres of text, post abusive tableaux on the timelines of their enemy and send underhand messages in an attempt to destroy their target's reputation. Along with the focus of their ire, Truth mobbers will also lunge at anybody who refuses to join them in their frenzy; and this is about to happen to me... yet again. Ben Fellows is somebody who first came to the attention of the Truth movement in 2012 when he spoke out over the deliberate self-sabotage of the security system at the London Olympics, see: http://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/g4s-olympic-security-fiasco.html. He was working for G4S at the time. He is also a part-time actor and has stated publicly that when he was involved in a drama project about twenty years ago, he was sexually assaulted by Kenneth Clarke, the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, and regular Bilderberg Group member. Clarke denies the allegations and had Ben prosecuted for attempting to pervert the course of justice. Ben was cleared of all charges, see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-33724010, but Clarke has been subjected to no further investigation (No surprise there, see: http://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/new-judge-for-child-abuse-inquiry.html). Ben organized a conference where I was due to speak, but unfortunately he had to cancel it, see: http://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/benx-conference-cancelled.html.

Then Ben Fellows came up with another idea. He and his partner Jackie Clarke would travel to India to seek an audience with the Dalai Lama. He set up a GoFundMe.com page to raise money for the expedition saying: "My name is Ben Fellows and I am an investigative journalist and filmmaker based in Birmingham in the United
Kingdom. I am raising funds for myself and my partner Jackie, who is supporting me with her own funds as well, to travel to see the Dalai Lama in India. This is a spiritual journey as I have been persecuted by my own government for speaking out against paedophiles and child abusers. So I am now seeking advice about what we can do to deal with this problem from His Holiness, as I believe he is a very wise and educated man who was chosen for a reason to lead his people.", see: https://www.gofundme.com/t89b5tt8. However not everybody seems to think that this is a good idea. I received a message from two separate people on Facebook... that online battlefield again, warning me that Ben Fellows is trying to exploit vulnerable people by defrauding them of money on false pretences. "Don't you think this is awful, Ben?" they asked me. I replied "Of course!" and demanded details from them. The two ladies informed me that the fraudulent nature of what Ben Fellows is doing comes from the fact that he's asking for money to fund a trip to India... Yes, I quickly spotted that logical flaw as well. I replied: "What's the problem? Ben's asking for money to go to India and he and Jackie are on their way to India." The reply I got from the two ladies was a long tirade about a subject completely unrelated to the point we were previously discussing. It didn't take long for a very familiar picture to emerge. Just like with David Icke and Sonia Poulton, or the Kent Freedom Movement and Danielle la Verité (see background links below), these two ladies had been having a personal dispute with Ben Fellows and had therefore aggrandized it into a fantasy scenario in which Ben Fellows is a bad person generally on a professional level. Many a Truth mob is generated thus. The two ladies criticized Ben and Jackie because in the last few days Ben and Jackie have been posting photographs of themselves from Austria, Hungary, Turkey and a few other places. What's wrong with them stopping to see the sights on their journey? These are countries they've probably never been to before and may well never get another chance to visit again. You can hardly expect them to travel through these exotic lands on a high speed train with blindfolds on, can you? I think Ben Fellows' idea to try to get help from the Dalai Lama is an excellent one. The Fourteenth Dalai Lama has himself had to seek refuge from political persecution too, and is reputed to be very intelligent and wise. I read one of his books on Buddhism and it was really interesting. I wish Ben and Jackie all the very best for their expedition to India. I hope they get some good advice and maybe encourage the Dalai Lama to get involved with the quest to stop the institutional abuse of children that is poisoning the world.

There are warning signs along the road to a Truth mob and I advise you to heed them. You probably already recognize them and just need to understand what they mean in full. Comments boxes beneath a Facebook post becoming heated, posters becoming verbally aggressive. You know that before long this thread will cross over that line in which a chain reaction of meaningless insult begins. After that happens, the comments eventually become a self-sustaining downward spiral of ego-battling abuse; and by then all rational discourse becomes impossible. A pleasant and interesting exchange of ideas and information degenerates into the online equivalent of a bar room brawl. The only solution is to get out of the conversation before it falls over that event horizon. I would also ask HPANWO readers to be aware of their own thoughts and feelings whenever conflicts like this arise. Introspection is a very important skill to learn. Watch your own mental landscape and analyse it as if you were somebody else looking at you. How do you know that you yourself are not being drawn into a mentality that could lead you to become a foot soldier for a Truth mob? Seven vital questions to ask are:
1. How crucial is the resolution of this conflict to the world at large?
2. At a fundamental level, is this conflict one of personalities rather than wider issues affecting the wellbeing of the world beyond?
3. Is your involvement in this conflict taking you away from your usual research and activism, your work on issues such as UFO's, TV Licensing, chemtrails, the Bedroom Tax etc?
4. Do you find yourself feeling confusion and hostility towards people you otherwise would feel no resentment towards, when they decline to stand by you in your activities with this conflict, even when they do not support the other side either?
5. Does the leader of your chosen side in the conflict explain calmly and rationally and in a dignified manner their case against their opponent, or do they just get angry and use lots of derogatory adjectives or rhetoric about them?
6. If you express doubts or ask questions of your leader about your side's cause, have you ever been threatened or felt put under pressure by them, or others on your side, as a result?
7. Has your leader or anybody else on your side chided you, in any way, even just through veiled threats, forced misunderstanding and misjudgement or passive aggression; for friendships you might have with people on the other side, personal relationships, or involvement with websites and organizations those on the other side are also involved with?
I have informed the two ladies concerned that I am rejecting their call to arms. If they feel so wounded by Ben and Jackie then they should talk to a solicitor; otherwise shut up and leave me out of it. I would also request that if anybody else out there feels the need to stir up a Truth mob and wishes to approach me as a potential recruit; please don't waste your time. Go and play your little schoolyard games with somebody else.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Ben, this type of thing is very unfortunate. I stand by your point of view. What I would be more concerned about is not the money he is requesting as it seems he has been through proverbial 'Hell' and back and is obviously in a logistical (as well as psychological) mire but actually who he is going to see, namely the Dali Lama. Of course, it is his choice to seek advice from whoever he wants and indeed to request financial help from whoever he likes but like those that requested you to join their mob were doing so out of their own ulterior motives and judgements instead of out of concern for Ben Fellows desire for some spiritual fulfilment/emotional release. The Dali Lama-CIA Exploitation of Buddhism and the Tibetan people is common knowledge to some informed individuals, most Tibetans do not recognise the Dali Lama as their leader, and know nothing of the so called 'pro-Tibetan movement' in the West and have no interest in it. The following link is a good write up on the subject and there are a few others online too:

https://thesanghakommune.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/freeing-tibet-from-the-western-imagination/

Out of concern for Ben, I would recommend he save his money for his own sakes and that of his detractors.

I wish Ben all the best

Anonymous said...

Just to add Ben, my above views and that of other researchers regarding the Dali Lama are ours respectively. What one wishes to do with that information (or not) is entirely up to them. All research is merely to open up further avenues of understanding albeit probably not comfortabl ones. As somebody deeply interested in 'Eastern' philosophy (It was never Eastern or Western) especially with Ch'an/Zen/Buddhism it is a subject I have researched well and drawn the same conclusions.

Best Wishes

Ben Emlyn-Jones said...

Hi X. It's always good to look at both sides of the story and so I';m glad you posted the link. I personally enjoyed the DM's book. This is not to say that the DM is any kind of angel. History has a habit of making angels and demons out of its figures. Winston Churchill, Mother Theresa and Nelson Mandela were not PURE good. Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin and Genghis Khan were not PURE bad.

Ruby Paul said...

Like many before him on an epic quest to consult an "oracle"- he may find the journey itself , and those he meets on the way, provide many answers, and throw up many meaningful questions.
Truthseeking is a journey, not an end in itself. We should not be afraid to ask, ask ask the universe for help and support in this quest. All the best to Ben.

Ben Emlyn-Jones said...

That's right, Ruby. I'm reminded of Alan Watt's "Music as Life"

Anonymous said...

Its certainly created a stir! Poor Ben Fellows. He could never have guessed the storm waiting to hit him.
Is Ben Fellow's a Liar?
http://guerrillademocracy.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/is-ben-fellows-liar_24.html

I like to think he isn't, but of-course, regardless of whether he is or isn't, the damage has already been done.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Regarding Ben Fellows and Jackie Clarke's recent trip to India, I am trying to reach both of them to ask that they repay the money they borrowed during their stay in the country. They met my wife who was working their as an NGO helper and told her they were penniless and needed urgent help as they couldn't contact anyone as they had no phones. She paid for their food, accommodation, local travel and their return flights back to Europe. My wife later found out that they had mobile phones, money and even accommodation supplied by the British Consulate. Ben wrote in an email that he would repay the money once he returned to the UK but so far he has been avoiding our attempts to reach him. If he continues to ignore our requests for him to repay his debts then we shall be forced to take legal action to reclaim the money he owes us. I would be grateful if anyone who has contact with him to please share this message so that he can reply to the messages we have sent him (via his gmail, etc). Thanks Phill GB

Ben Emlyn-Jones said...

Hi Anon. I can tell Ben he's had an email from "Phil GB", but if he is avoiding you I don't think that will help. If you believe Ben and Jackie have committed any kind of fraud then I suggest you take action without stating it in public messages which might influence any court case.