UFO$, Inc. - Volume 3

Whitley Strieber. So much could be said about his role as a leading figure in UFO$, Inc. given that he's been at it for so long, creating and selling memes that have taken firm root in the broader popular culture, always without a shred of evidence to back it up, in increasingly outlandish scenarios. I think his work can best be summed up with his latest escapade, which is helping to keep the Roswell Slides Scam alive in conjunction with fellow UFO$, Inc. board members, including Linda Moulton Howe.

If you want something that will make your stomach turn and your head spin at the same time then have a listen to Strieber, Howe, and slides promoter Jaime Maussan on Strieber's program recently, as they try to resurrect the slides story. It's appalling and fascinating in equal measure. You can tune in for what Strieber calls "the most astonishing Dreamland I have ever done" here.

But like a very small-scale Bilderbergers-like group, UFO$, Inc members are always willing to work with their colleagues in order to allow everyone to profit.

Paul Kimball

UFO$, Inc. - Volume 2

Richard Dolan is the king of ufological sleight-of-hand. One of thousands of people possessing a Masters Degree in History from some small liberal arts college, Dolan managed to turn himself into "Ufology's historian" in just over a decade, all while building a nice little multi-media congolmerate with him as the centerpiece. 

How has he done it? Well, he wrote a book about the history of UFOs that was a combination of fact recitation, just enough wild-eyed speculation to bring in the true believers, and copious footnotes - the apotheosis of quantity over quality. But in the land of the blind, the one eyed historian proved to be king. He followed that up by doing anything and everything that would get allow him to build his brand, which was that of the reasonably articulate, well-educated (by ufology's standards), young-ish, and good looking researcher. What followed? More books, of course, usually just repeating the same themes that he has written about before, mixed in with some television gigs and now his own radio show (the flagship of the KGRA internet network), and a publishing company (that he called Richard Dolan Press, which is quintessential personal branding).

He's kept this all going by getting more and more outlandish with his claims over the years as he has refined his branding to the only place he could really take it and be successful - over-the-top conspiracy theorizing about anything, usually by quoting anonymous "witnesses" and "sources." Most recently he wound up on the stage at Mexico City with the Roswell slides promoters, a decision which blew up in his face within just a couple of days. Whereas some of the others involved apologized, however, Dolan did what all good corporations do - he issued some bland statements about how none of it was really his fault (conveniently forgetting any and all statements he made in support of the event and the slides before May 5th), and urged everyone to move on as quickly as possible... even as he steadfastly refused to offer anything even remotely resembling an apology for agreeing to be part of an event that was a money-milking sham.

But that's how UFO$, Inc. rolls. 

Paul Kimball