ok the u.s gov't stopped the wt from selling books in feb 1991 fact. at the time it cost the wt any were from 3.2 cents to 3.7 cents for one mag paper ink, electric labor and all. fact. at the time the wt was selling the mag's for $.25 cents that is any were from 600-800% profit on each mag. at over 20 million printed a week . you are talking about .21 cents times 20 million . thatr is 4.2 million profit a week just on mags.4.2 x 52 weeks a year is 218.4 million a year. this is not hay. it took the wt till the year 2000 to stop selling the mag's in australia, again because of tax laws. in the last year i have spoken to many jw's here in new york that are from jamacia, peru, columbia, el salvador, and i ask them does the wt still sell the mag's in their countries ? and of the dozens i have spoke to they all say yes the wt STILL SELLS THE MAG'S IN THEIR COUNTRIES. so you figure it out what the wt is doing . they will sell were ever they can get away with it....john
"The Four Presidents of the Watchtower Society"
by RR 51 Replies latest jw friends
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family_man
JC, Now were talking. This is very helpful information. Can you corrovorate? How can I prove this to loved ones who need more proof aside form the obvious reasons found in over a century of WT lies w/in their own literature.
Many (ACT) 'AS IF' they don't get it. Why? Do I really need to draw up a blueprint as to the why? It's pretty obvious, if you know what I mean. And I think ya do, sir.
SF, Honestly I have no clue what you are talking about. So forgive for being naive.
I have never been a JW (never will be). I literally only found out about the Borg a week ago (still in complete shock) - in an effort to get my wife to research this org before commiting ...she wouldn't so I took initiavtive... something smelled fishy from the first KH I attended 3 years ago. And I've only been a few times since - with an open heart - in our desire to worship toghether -- as a falmily -- as it should be. I don't know what turned me off more the transparent circular logic, the suspicious referencs from obscure sources over decades old, ore the eiry illustrations I found in the WT's "literature" [for lack of a better word].
Anyway my point is I'm pretty ignorant right now to the inner workings of WT and I need proof on top of the obvious to make my point across to my wife,,,, b/c as we all know they are masters of the brainwash... so in order to exhaust some flimsy theries I have to play devil's advocate...
But back to your quote. Please elaborate.
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family_man
DISCLAIMER. I'm not that bad a speller ... just a poor editor
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SYN
Family_Man, I used to live in Johannesburg, South Africa, until only a few weeks ago, and the arrangement over there when I left a couple of years ago was definitely a direct sales relationship - if you wanted literature, you had to PAY the guy at the counter for the exact value of the literature. We even had to pay for tracts, although they were only a few cents each!
However, I agree with most on this thread that the main market for the Tower's literature is not people in the field, but the PUBLISHERS! Think about it - even if Johnny M. Publisher doesn't sell the four Watchtowers he buys every month in the Field, the actual money that he paid for them will still get to the Society.
This doesn't mean that the Tower is enjoying a perfect commercial relationship with the Publishers. Bethel and all of the other printing shops the Society runs are not cheap to operate by any means - this is why they're currently downsizing and amortizing their printing operations, to cut out the fat and leave only lean meat. They're even rumoured to be selling very valuable property in Manhattan.
Don't forget that the Governing Body, whilst not technically living in drug-lord Fifth Avenue penthouse suites, still wear very expensive tailored suits, have a private plane (the real purpose and utility of which has never been brought to light for the average publisher...in fact, the very existence of this plane is not known to more than a handful of Witnesses...surprise surprise!), and so forth.
Only an IRS audit could ever really uncover (possibly) how much money these guys have, and what they're doing with it. My personal feeling is that as of this moment, the Tower isn't exactly highly profitable...but they're still making money, nonetheless...
Regards,
[SYN]
Follow The Money Class -
johnny cip
hi sf skally. i love your knowledge of the wts as you know . but some times your posts are not easy to follow>>just a thought. love john. family man if you want to follow the wt money trial i would start at freeminds then go from there all that i have posted on the wt and $$$$$$$$$$$ has been known for years . it's just a question of finding it , if i could recall everything i learned about the wt i would be an genious. good luck with your family... john
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gumby
This book is not doctrinal, but deals with personalities, and shows without-a-shadow-of-a-doubt that Society is nothing more than a pubishing house, and the ....................................Jehovah's Witnesses are its salespeople.
I'd like to know exactly WHO the "society" is in this quote? WHO are these individuals and WHAT are there names? Are there 5 of them......10.........50? Are these men concious of all this claimed publishing gold mine? What will these greedy shisters do with all this coniving money they are making off of their "Salsemen"?
Sorry to sound like a sarcastic bastard RR........but sometimes I totally disagree with many claims against the witnesses others make, when they don't ring true to me. I think the 'Society" believes in the organisation as much as the salsemen. The GB knows they are full of shit in many ways.......but they are not the "Society".
This quote makes it sound as though some at bethel are nothing more than greedy buisnessmen who do not REALLY believe in the organisation they are in as gods channel who is doing a theocratic work
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willyloman
Those arguing that the WTS can't be a "business" because there is no one benefiting gets any money are overlooking a basic human condition.
People will work for money, or they will work for power and prestige. If they are incredibly lucky, they get both, but there are lots of folks who work for what the economists who study these things refer to as a "psychological wage" or PW. An example of PW is a government bureaucrat who makes a mid-five figure income but who gets 4 or 5 weeks of vacation, a dozen sick days, half a dozen "personal days" and is paid for 12 to 18 "holidays" a year, and is perhaps even on a non traditional work schedule that provides Fridays off. After 20 or 30 years of this (with virtually no fear of every being fired or laid off), they get a pension equal to half or all of their salary for as long as they live. In exchange for all this, these people show up at 8:00 on the nose and are heading for the elevator at 4:59 each day.
Their neighbor makes less money, works more hours, gets little sick pay, no more than 2 weeks vacation a year, and maybe five or sick paid holidays. They are expected to stay until the work is done, often take work home with them or come in on weekends to stay abreast of the enormous work load. They are working this hard because layoffs have forced them to do the work of two or three others in order to keep their jobs. They have no job security and can be laid off or fired on a whim, and many of them will be.
Contrast this with those who live and work at Bethyl in some position of authority. All their needs are cared for and they are given power and prestige far beyond their level of education or training. If they toe the party line, they have jobs for life. They travel and live better than the vast majority of publishers who pay their way. They are accorded almost god-like respect when they show up at a company function; people stand in line to give them money and accord them hospitality. They will do whatever is necessary to protect cash flow and position.
This is their PW; a psychological wage worth more than money.
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gumby
So then......we can assume these "society people" are truely a group of certain men in brooklyn with names and faces......who have no intrest in the religious claims of the group. These men simply dream up of ways to publish more material and get them sold, so these "society people" can live the life of luxury. Gee....it's all so clear to me now.....
Gumby
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Blueblades
.I'm reading the book, " The Four Presidents of the Watch Tower Society."And I have read all the books mentioned by Gary and agree that even now the publishers are involved in sales and money is still coming in however small a donation is given, whether from the public or the publisher who is paying for the public.The end result is the same.
It may differ from country to country,and as Minimus is saying, the publishers don't ask for a donation and are practically giving the literature away,so that he don't consider them as sales persons anymore,like it was in the past.But,some are still selling the literature as noted by other posters.Really the history of the Society has been one of publishing and selling even outdated doctrines etc.It doesn't matter!
I see the point that Minimus is making for the present situation, and yet I see the point that Gary is demonstrated as the history of the "Publishing Corp."Advertse, Advertise, Advertise" = "Sell, Sell, Sell."
Blueblades
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PopeOfEruke
I think that the "real" money is in the real estate, especially in the estate willed to the Society by the poor old Dubs who die off.
And......the Literature is just a "front" for the mega-bucks being made in the real-estate market. As the WT Society is now registered as a Charity in almost every country, the "literature" serves as the "bible-based training/information service" or whatever bullshit name they give it to get them qualified as a "charity". The Charity status then lets them get all the real-estate money AND whatever profits they generate from the literature as a tax-free charity, and then its bled offshore back to Brooklyn or the Bahamas or where-ever the money is stashed.
Sometimes I really wish there was a God, who would get these evil bastards and wipe them off the face of the planet. No such luck...........looks like its up to us.
Pope