by miner 6 Replies latest watchtower scandals
I've been hearing some about the stock WT owns in a company that produces products for the military. It seems to be a matter of public record, but I am curious why the American (world) press doesn't jump on what would seem to be such an embarrassing scandal.
Is it such a well-kept secret, or does the general public simply not care what the guys in Brooklyn are up to?
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| The Watchtower’s Investments in Warfare Technology |
"The first casualty of war is The Truth." Purpose Of This Article The purpose of this research article is to determine whether the Watchtower Society (WT) owns shares of common stocks of armament-related industry and if positive, determine if they perform business transactions with the U.S. Department of Defense.
Background The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society Inc. (WT) portrays itself as a pacifist, neutral, non-profit religious organization and a "direct channel to God". As a sign of respect to God, Watchtower’s members – the Jehovah’s Witnesses – must not accept blood transfusions, take part in any political, governmental or military organization and can not perform business transactions with such institutions. Under some prophetic speculation, the WT teaches its members that the United Nations is the embodiment of "The Beast" spoken of in the Bible's book of Revelation and that Earth is "Satan’s kingdom". The WT claims that the only safe group to be, grow and reach salvation is the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. The WT demands from its members high moral, social and "Christian" standards while condemning immorality and materialism.
Once the new recruits accept the idea that the Watchtower is a "direct channel" of communication to God, they are told to accept every word coming from the headquarters located in Brooklin, NY. Questioning the doctrine or breaking any of its rules is equated to doubting the word of God himself and it is often severely punished by disfellowshiping (expulsion), which means this person must be shunned and ostracized by his/her own relatives and friends. Preventing independent thinking trough fear and guilt is a very effective thought-stoping process which allows the indoctrination process to implant more phobias and further the individual's need to belong and seek "shelter" under the mother organization, the Watchtower.
Main Information Sources (Accessible trough enclosed hyperlinks, some of which are repeated as a reference to the cited statements. Note: In some cases the referred documents are extensive so electronic word searches are recommended.).
SEC filings by REGI US Inc. reveal partial ownership by the Watchtower Society of at least three related companies:
| Partnership relations between these companies are so tight they have called themselves "Sister Companies". Rand Cam Engine Corp. is a privately-held company and not much data was available. Reg Technologies Inc. is a Canadian investor’s group that since 1986 has financed most of the research done on the Rand Cam™ engine. Rand Energy Group Inc. was created in October 1986 and it is controlled by both Rand Cam Engine Corp.; Rand Energy Group Inc. controls Regi U.S. Inc., which is ultimately controlled by its main investor: Reg Technologies Inc. Both the private and common stocks held by the Watchtower Society on the "Sister Companies" were donated. The focal point of this group is to market a new engine technology called Rand Cam ™ (RC™). Finances REGI U.S., Inc. was incorporated in the State of Oregon, USA on July 27, 1992. The basic research and development work done on the RC™ engine and other products is being coordinated and funded by Reg Tech.REGI US Inc. was created in 1986 and it does not own properties. They currently utilize office space leased by Reg Tech in a commercial business park building located in British Columbia, Canada. REGI’s only assets are their intangible assets, being patents and intellectual property rights. They do not have employees other than a Marketing Corporate Director and a design engineer. The majority of prototype construction and testing costs continues to be borne by potential licensees and manufacturers. REGI owns 5,073,200 shares and plans to sell shares as needed to meet their ongoing funding requirements if traditional equity sources of financing prove to be insufficient. REGI US Inc. has not generated any revenues nor profitable operations since inception and has a severe working capital deficit as of April 30 th 2002, of $5,308,000. In September 21 st 1994, Reg Technologies Inc. announced that REGI US Inc. (its subsidiary) had started trading on the OTC Bulletin board (Symbol RGUS) but the actual SEC registration is dated 06/06/1996 (REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 33-96974). Insiders of REGI now currently hold 6,017,850 common shares, representing control of approximately 53.31% of the total voting power. Accordingly, the present insiders continue to elect all of their own directors and generally control their affairs. Patents, Rights & Agreements
Some of REGI’s patented products derived from the RC™ Technology are: A compressor, a pump, the Cold Turbine Engine Generator and the Rotary Diesel Engine prototypes. Following are some agreements made public:
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The US Navy officials who evaluated the prototype’s performance did not only approved it, but SWARM concept was quickly expanded far beyond whale-watching and into developing UAVs that can be easily reconfigured to accommodate a multitude of payload and mission requirements over hostile territory, and recently it was renamed Silver Fox for its debut in the Gulf War II. One new concept on board the Silver Fox is the "Global Positioning System (GPS) Jamming Situational Awareness" for Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS); This information is then passed to the GPS-guided weapon prior to launch. The Silver Fox then provides data directly to the projectile in flight (NAVSYS CORP.) to support this back-up navigation mode. As an example, imagine that a swarm of Silver Fox planes is patrolling and one is shot down by a hidden missile launcher. A second plane, recognizing the absence, searches the area and finds a suspicious building. A third spots the hot afterglow of the missile launch with its infrared camera, confirming the sighting. Next, the two planes transmit their data to a fourth Silver Fox plane equipped with a transceiver, which broadcasts all images to central command for analysis. If officers agree that the planes have identified an enemy surface-to-air missile launcher, they can instruct a fifth Silver Fox plane to "paint" the target with laser light that will guide the smart bombs sent to attack it.
These are just two of the numerous Defense awards available to develop the use of Silver Fox (SWARM) for surface to air missile (SAM) site continuous monitoring. An important feature of the "swarm" concept is that one operator will be able to operate 10 or more drones as compared to current technology, which requires 10 to 20 operators to operate one drone.
The Silver Fox was deployed in April to aid marine corps in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Observers said the drones for the most part performed well on field duty. "We sent an ONR team into the theater to deploy the Silver Fox following its transition from the original design," said Captain John Hobday, a naval reservist and director of Tech Solutions. Regarding its current mission, Rear Admiral Cohen said: "It's now being tasked to help our Marines on the ground." It isn't the only tactical UAV slated for testing during the second Gulf War. But the Fox has capabilities the other drones in its class lack. That task may change yet again, as more Silver Foxes are built. "If you could design a little weapon that weighs half a pound," the Office of Naval Research's Mittleman mused, the drone could become more than a mere observer. "The Silver Fox could become a robotic fighter, dealing pain from 500 feet."
Discovery Channel reports that eight Silver Foxes currently are receiving heavy use on the battlefield, and none has been shot down yet. While Senator John McCain (Arizona)" stated that "ninety Silver Fox systems were deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom with great success." [Click HERE for videos on the most recent Silver Fox (SWARM) flight tests in Arizona.]
Discussion REGI’s first press release dated May 11, 1994 opens up with enthusiasm to have a product with which they can tap into an annual $20 Billion market and plans to align the U.S. Department of Defense as their first customer:"We believe that Mr. X’s extensive expertise in government relations and advanced technologies marketing will be a valuable asset to marketing the Rand Cam™ projects and raising substantial funds for REGI U.S., Inc." "We are currently making presentations to the U.S. military which could result in additional government funding if the diesel engine prototype meets with its approval."
Now lets consider some of the products REGI's experienced military contract negotiator handle and their targeted markets:
Machine Vision Technology (MVT). The "Sister Companies" own the Canadian rights to MVT. This system is currently under development by the Carnegie Mellon University (experts in artificial intelligence). The MVT device records images by their spectral "signature" and is used in various industrial and medical applications. Examples include: electronic component analysis, signature identification, optical character recognition, handwriting recognition, object recognition, pattern recognition, materials inspection, currency inspection and medical image analysis. But they have an ongoing project to adapt it for warfare purposes: When on board an airborne vehicle, it allows for highly selective discrimination among objects or targets of nearly identical spatial or even spectral signatures. Its inventors call it "Intelligent Transportation System". The system is far more complex than GPS-guided missile technology and it reportedly holds great promise for military applications because it can discern between nearby friendly and enemy vehicles even when camouflaged. A simulated battlefield scene was set where they placed tanks of the same color, but their armor had different spectral signatures. A background consisting of other tanks, vegetation, sand and water was used in testing the device. The suppression algorithm was able to tell the difference between tanks and therefore, identify enemy tanks.
It is beyond question that the WT's "Sister Companies" own a limited sublicense to market and distribute Machine Vision Technology in Canada and, although this system is being tested for the military, it was NOT evident to this researcher whether this technology has been sold and/or used for "smart bombs" manufacture by any nation.
Nevertheless, REGI's original plan was well specified, as their first news release in May 1994 declared:
"U.S. Reg Technologies, Inc. plans to license Hercules, Inc. for Department of Defense applications in consideration for the development and commercialization of the Rand Cam™ Diesel Engine, and other benefits to Reg Technologies, Inc."
Note that this accord with Hercules was not a partnership but an agreement. Then in 1995, Hercules Aerospace Company merged with Alliant TechSystems Inc. Alliant completed the drawings on the Diesel Engine under a contract signed with REGI US Inc. The designs and drawings were paid and no royalties are to be to be paid to Alliant.
It is remarkable that Watchtower’s "Sister Companies" have signed several agreements with various companies focused on warfare technology confirming once again REGI's targeted market; Just consider some of REGI’s manufacturing clients:
is a key supplier of engineering, logistics systems integration services to the U.S. Department of Defense. It delivers "perfect quality parts for weapon systems." The 42 H.P. diesel Rand Cam™ engine for remote piloted helicopter applications is currently being completed by Radian Milparts and testing is expected shortly.The Silver Fox (SWARM) project has recently gained additional support from the US House of Representatives as in May 10th 2002, Arizona’s Congressman Jim Kolbe announced :
"…the programs that support our armed forces in the fight against global terrorism in the 2003 Defense Authorization Act passed the House early this morning."…"These programs, critical to our national security, received the necessary authority in the defense bill for us to continue conducting the War Against Terrorism. This bipartisan bill recognizes that we are a nation at war, and provides the manpower, the equipment, and the technology that the United States military needs. Southeastern Arizona plays a pivotal role in our national security, and I am pleased that our requests were accepted".
Two of his accepted requests are:
SWARM UAV Program: $5 million above the president’s request for these lightweight, low cost and expendable UAVs for ship perimeter defense, marine mammal detection, submarine detection, and tactical support for ground troops and special operations forces developed at Advanced Ceramics Research in Tucson.
Royalties
This is the escense of the contract signed between REGI and Advanced Ceramics (ACR): "We agreed that a 5 year contract will also be granted to ACR for the Rand Cam concept motors for the commercial and military rights for the applications developed under the Navy contract for 10 H.P or less. [...] We will receive a royalty fee of 5% of the purchase price for the commercial and Navy applications".
How much money does this mean? Lets see:
"The $500,000 SBIR grant funding the local UAV project will pay off for the Navy, as well as for Advanced Ceramics. "Orders booked in the first quarter are nearly $8 million," Mulligan said. "In less than a year it has really grown to be quite a business." "In its current prototype phase the handcrafted fiberglass and foam Silver Fox units run about $20,000 each. With injection-molded components and ramped-up production, the price should drop to about $ 5,000 by 2003, and fall to below $2,000 by 2004. Starting in 2004, 10,000 Silver Fox (SWARM) planes will be produced annually." This means sales totaling about $20 million dollars annually for warfare royalty payments of $1,000,000 to REGI U.S. and to the Watchtower. And this is in addition to the royalty payments from military manufacturer RADIAN: "Radian will pay Reg a six (6) percent royalty on the sales of engines, parts and service utilizing Rand Cam Technology used in UAV's, including 6% of all funding received from the Government and Military sources to develop and manufacture the Rand Cam technology."
The WT Society may not have asked for its donated shares, but has retained ownership nonetheless, and while the Donor retains voting privileges, the WT Society gets the direct financial benefit (and probably, tax exemptions as a religious organization). In the following scanned letter, the WT declines ownership of the Sister Companies and state that "The Watchtower Society was erroneously listed as a stockholder..." (The introductory paragraph was removed in order to protect the recipient's identity).
The letter above plainly contradicts their own SEC legal filings filed during the last 16 years:
Conclusion Confirmation of the Watchtower’s possession of such investments and subsequent contributions to warfare technology are not inconsequential. In fact, it has a profound effect on Jehovah Witnesses’ confidence on their leaders. It is interesting that if a Jehovah’s Witness questions WT’s contributions to warfare technology, or any other activity or policy for that matter, this person would be severely punished with disfellowshipment (expulsion) and the victim’s friends and relatives would be forced to ostracize and shun him/her as "a test of loyalty to Jehovah."Why is this problem being "fixed" just after it became public? This seems a pattern as the WT also "fixed" [withdrew from] their secret NGO membership with the UN only two days after it became public. The Watchtower admits trading stocks is easy: "Today orders to buy or sell stock can be placed over the telephone, through the Internet, or in person. The broker then needs to execute the order on behalf of the investor. If the stock is traded on a traditional trading floor, the brokerage office directs one of its floor brokers to buy or sell stock for the investor. In recent years some exchanges have adopted a completely electronic trading system, where trades can be made seconds after the order is placed with a broker." Yet as of May 2003, the Watchtower still retains ownership of the Sister Companies' shares. Why?
This evidence strongly indicates that the WT's Governing Body are lying, while condeming any one else who lies or question their policies. But let's look at the Watchtower's official definition of "lie":
Measured by the same moral and doctrinal standards they impose on its members, there is simply no proper justification to holding on to the "Sister Companies’" shares and profit. Ignorance of their possession can not be an excuse either because, as a chief share-holder, the WT Society has received no less than 52 SEC filing copies plus -at least- 60 official news releases by REGI updating them on their company’s progress. And this is in addition to the thousands of financial reports, memos and other internal correspondence required to operate such corporations for more than 16 years.
It is frightening that the WT leaders reserve themselves the right to seek profit in this manner and at the same time they hold to being "conscientious objectors". Clearly, the WT’s risk of being involved in warfare technology transactions has been superseded by the greed of tapping in the reportedly $20 billion in annual sales market. This previously secret WT’s economic venture exhibits a rawness of ambition, optimism, overconfidence and greed unlike anything imagined by its unsuspecting members. How could the Governing Body justify - even to themselves - profits from such stock dividends?
As Randall Watters once wrote:
"The Watchtower Society seems unique in that it denounces investments in the old system and its journal Awake! for many years claimed that it was 'free' to publish 'truth' because of being "unfettered" by commercial interests. In times past, the Society has even forced branches to divest interests in various profit-making investments. After which, they even held Conventions where they read a resolution apologizing to Jehovah for their 'sin' and publicly repented of this 'unclean' act before all onlookers. Now let’s think about this for a minute: 5,371,000 shares valued at $0.437 per share equals $2,347,127 in stock ownership. This is just one company we know about. But, the interesting situation is that the Watchtower Society owns 50% in the US corporation as reported, even if not a 'majority' interest. Is this not a clear powerful position to influence company policy? Even if the British Columbia company holds the major role, would not a powerful voting block such as this, at least help 'influence' the actions of what the company builds and sells? And even though the voting is by proxy, it is done by the person who donated the stock to the Society. Therefore, would not his votes reflect sympathy and loyalty to the Watchtower Society teachings, policies, and beliefs unique to Jehovah's Witnesses?"
Patriotism aside, during this times of war, the WT Society continues to hold stocks on the "Sister Companies" and, while they are still not a huge success within the Department of Defense, it is a clear double standard and fits in with being grossly hypocritical with its own doctrine and its honest members. The Watchtower believes you are not entitled to know this truth. That is the issue.
The first casualty of war is The Truth.
I am surprised too, that this didn't get more attention, how the Watchtower likes to cover their ass. It was a donation !!!!!!!!!
Hi.
Maybe this will help.
http://www.escapethewatchtower.com/Watchtower_military_links.htm
Good luck on your quest.
The matter of fact is that the WT is deep in it but I think that the press has not jumped into it because it is not illegal to own those stocks. Unlike child abuse, it is not newsworthy to the general public, just to its own or ex-members.
it is not newsworthy to the general public, just to its own or ex-members
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I'm with Gerard on this one. (not that it has any meaning if I am or not. lol )...just my $ 0,02.
Most Witnesses don't know about the involvement of the WT in the military. And because there's not much publicity, added to the fact that the Witnesses are not to communicate with "apostates", they hope this issue will slowly go away. That's what the WT hopes for. Then they can just mosy along their happy way..(are we gonna let them?)
Sometimes it just boggles the mind how they can be so deceiving. I can understand why some people just wave it away. "As bad as you guys say the WT is? It's impossible. It can't be this bad? Can it?" Surprise!!
Most people cannot handle this. They go into some kind of denial. Stay close to Jehovah's Org. Don't have any communication with "apostates"
Guess it's easier to stick your head in the sand than it is to face reality (whatever that is).
andy.
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After all I have learned about the watchtower in the last couple of years I've come to a conclusion TA DA !!!....here it is....being no part of the world to the GB really means just not having any holidays and hating anyone who isn't a jw. They have a very strange god.
