Saturday, Sep 6, 2008
Why not stay and fight from the States?
Well, I would have gotten a certain amount of PR and done a certain amount of damage to [the church] had I gone back and gone to jail there. But there's a justification for being here. In spite of the fact that there's more risk and that it generates even more criminal problems for me, nonetheless, being here has the potential to generate more heat on Scientology.
Have you been in touch with the American courts?
Oh yeah, I talked to the probation guy down there this morning [Thursday]. I just updated him on where I was and what was going on. He didn't have much to say.
You seem to enjoy being a martyr for the cause.
Other people hold me up as a martyr. I'm not a martyr; I just kick ass.
But it must feel good to be in the spotlight. How much of what you're doing has to do with the a desire for attention?
It's a minor factor. The social strokes are reward for doing good stuff -- I wouldn't deny that. People work hard to get the Nobel Prize. I'm not going to get the Nobel Prize. I'm not going to get any kind of prize. But I'm a known person because I've been involved with this stuff for a long time.
How much have you spent on your case?
I've spent about $35,000.
How long do you plan to stay in Canada?
Forever. If the U.S. government decides that what I did was not within the framework of free speech, if the [U.S.] State Department supports the government of Riverside County in what I'm arguing is an abuse of human rights, then I ain't going back.
So what happens next?
Well, there's going to be a review of the situation. Because when you apply for refugee status on the basis of human rights, your lawyer is your advocate and the Canadian government is your opposition.
An immigration review board adjudicates this thing. And in order to do this, by treaty and custom, the Canadian [authorities] go to the State Department. They have to go in and investigate, and come up with the transcripts and motions and all of that. They need it in order to defend themselves, to prove that what went on was a fair and unbiased problem.
So the State Department sometimes does this [itself], and at other times [it has] the Justice Department do it. But I suspect that when they start doing this thing -- and they realize that there were severe violations of protocol -- what may well happen is that they may march through Riverside County, Calif., and deal with [the church].
What's the goal of your efforts?
The ultimate goal is to reform or completely destroy Scientology. It's completely undemocratic.
Do you feel like you're getting anywhere with this, in the big picture?
Oh yes, yes indeed. This is the endgame. I don't know whether we're years away or months away or even weeks away. But the problems that Scientology has at this time are legion. Let's put it this way: a [Scientology] event that for years had been attended at a fairly high level had 40 percent of the people show up that they expected.
Where'd you get that number?
From people who were there. We have spies with Scientology -- disaffected Scientologists -- all over the country.
It all sounds so cloak-and-dagger.
Oh, it's definitely that. For example, we think there's a pretty fair chance that Scientology will try to do a snatch-and-grab situation up here, where they come after me.
Are you saying that you're afraid you'll be kidnapped?
Sure.
So are you just staying at that same house -- the one where you're talking from?
No. I'll be living at a number of safe houses here. I'm also taking perhaps as [much] as a billion dollars of electronics work out of California.
Are you talking about a business that's already established in California?
No, it's a huge development project, a huge development and production project. But I'm not going to go into detail about it. You'll find out. If it works, you'll find out about it shortly.
Since when are you the kind of person who protects secrets?
OK, I'll give you this. Let's just call it a billion-dollar-scale, cryptic stealth surveillance technology. That'll keep them guessing.
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