Beware the Dark Side

With Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith less than a week away, perhaps the time is right to pose the following question - Is Exopolitics the Dark Side of the Ufological Force?

Yes.

It threatens to corrupt everything that is good within ufology - it undermines the search for the truth; it turns the scientific and historical methods on their heads; it is populated by dark characters of questionable repute, in the form of Whistleblowers (the late William Cooper being perhaps the most notorious, a ufological Darth Maul without the nifty wardrobe; Bob Lazar, Philip Corso, Michael Wolf also qualify - the list goes on and on); it replaces evidence with dark conspiracy theory.

Worst of all, it spreads dissension within the ranks, a veritable fifth column of Ufoligical Sith.



So, you might ask, if Exopolitics is the Ufological Dark Side, is there an Exopolitical Palpatine? Steven Greer pops to mind, but his power is clearly in decline (call him Count Dooku). No, if there is an Exopolitical Palpatine, it surely must be Dr. Michael Salla, who just seems to be hitting his stride.

His Dark-side "methodology" threatens to corrupt ufology, perhaps beyond repair (unlike some, I still hold out hope for the "Old Ufological Republic").

The latest manifestation of this can be found at his website, http://www.exopolitics.org/Exo-Comment-30.htm, where he talks about how to ask the "right questions in UFO research and Exopolitics" (see how he neatly links UFO research and Exopolitics, implying they are the same thing, when they are not... Beware, young Jedi everywhere).

What kind of questions shouldn't be asked, according to Dr. Salla?

Well, he states that one should never ask an alleged Whistleblower "Where are documents proving your service record or employment history?" He also says one should never question a Whistleblower as to inconsistencies in either documents that outline their service or employment records, or the claims that they are making. Never question the fact that no public records exist verifying educational claims. Never ask why no other independent witnesses have come forward to corroborate the Whistleblowers claims. Never suggest that the Whistleblowers might simply be seeking to make a buck, or may be self-aggrandizing publicity seekers. And so on.

Of course, the questions that Dr. Salla says we should not be asking are precisely the questions that real, objective researchers should (and do) ask.

As Palpatine does in the Star Wars films, Dr. Salla offers people the easy way out. Eschew the old methods, he says, because they don't work, or they don't work quickly enough. Join the Dark Side of research. It's easier. It's faster. It will confirm your pre-existing beliefs. It will lead to the truth.

Like Palpatine and the Dark Side, it's a seductive offer, made to people who are frustrated by the seeming lack of progress in ufological research, and who are frustrated by the in-fighting amongst ufologists.

It's also the wrong path to take.

It won't lead to the truth.

It can only lead to the further marginalization of those who study the UFO phenomenon; it can only lead to a dark Ufolgical Empire of blind belief, bereft of critical thought, logic, and reason.

Beware...

In the interests of preserving the Republic, here's some advice for those young ufological Anakin Skywalkers out there, who might be tempted by the Exopolitical Dark Side.

Take everything the Exopolitics-types tell you, and then do the opposite.

And, a final piece of Ufological Jedi wisdom:

"Patience, young Jedi - Rome wasn't built in a day."

Paul "Obi-Wan" Kimball