True Believers
I first read this book as a high school student in the late 1960s. It was fairly well known book at that time. Eric Hoffer was a longshoreman by trade and considered the working man's philosopher.

This book is part of a body of literature--particularly social psychology literature--that came out in the 50's and 60's about authoritarian personalities. This was the era of the famous Milgram experiments where students were instructed to inflict pain--or at least, thought they were inflicting pain--at the behest of an authority figure. Berg was no doubt influenced by what he heard in his sociology classes. Unfortunately, he knew just enough to be dangerous.

I allow Hoffer (whose book I read a second time after leaving COG/TF) some credit for giving me enough critical thinking tools to see through Berg and the cult BS. Lenny Bruce was the other big influence that may have contributed to my inability to "get it". I've always had a bent toward irony and black humor and had trouble taking some things--like Berg's prophesies of doom--very seriously.

For those who are interested in what Dr. Navarro wrote above but do not speak Spanish, copy the the text into Babel Fish and select 'Spanish to English'. The translation is pretty bad (machine translations always are), but it is at least understandable. In his post are portions of the Story of Davidito relating to Angela Smith, info about Navarro confronting Borowik, mention of the Mo Letter detailing Alf and Sara giving young Davida to Berg for sexual relations, etc.

The last paragraph, as translated by Babel Fish, reads as follows:


Dr. Navarro, thank you for the offer. We are very interested in these materials. You may wish to contact Peter Frouman as I believe he has a better knowledge of Spanish and more personal history with The Family in Argentina than other xFamily editors.

translation
Huasito also refers to allegations of sexual abuse of minors by FEDES' husband and wife project managers, Family members who had run the PPC (Poster Production Center?). Meanwhile, the FCF's FEDES project is aimed, as usual, at youth and children.

Para Hector
Hector, la razon por la cual salio la palabra "poster" es que estaban utilizando un programa de computadora para traducir. La mayoria de la gente aqui no habla castellano porque vivieron en otros "campos." Curiosamente, entre los que escriben en los sitios web, los ex-miembros que vivieron en sudamerica estan en la minoria.

Te fijaste en lo que puso "Huasito" sobre el trabajo actual de Steve Colon en Chile, y los abusos sexuales de menores?

Cuando mis cuñados ya han vuelto a Portugal yo puedo trabajar sobre las traducciones de los articulos para Ingles.

When my inlaws have returned to Portugal I can start work on translating these articles into English

I wish to offer to Xfamily the research that I did on the trials that were carried out in Argentina. To do this research I made files about the themes of Physical Abuses, Sexual Abuses, Immoral Doctrines, crimes committed, relationship with the Mafia, Religious Prostiutution, etc.

I also made a "Glossary" so that the words used in the Mo Letters could be understood, as well as with the biographies of the principal personalities, leaders and victims of the sect

Guest asks:

I woulkd like to have more information in Spanish, and the illustrations of the Mo letters. It is to place them on my web site about occultism and sects (cults), which was recently hacked, that is, all information woulkd be welcome.

With regards to the cult, it seems good to me that the people who have committed all types of crimes should be imprisoned, even so I do not like the term "immoral", since there are as many types of "Morals" as there are people.

I think that the abuse of minors, kidnap, brainwashing, tax fraud, violence, etc. are bad.

Nevertheless, I am 100% behind sexual freedom, lesbianism, poligamy, swapping partners, etc.

People such as those in this cult, makes me feel content not to be a Christian...if this is what is meant by "Christianity", I prefer to be anything else, even a Satanist (I am Agnostic).

Re: No llores por mi Santiago

Re: Steven Colon