Long ramblinng post...consider yourself forewarned.
The time I have had to sit quietly, gather my thoughts and present them has been at an all time premium. Starting last January I began working for a friend of 20 years or so. Because he and I have such a deep friendship it never really seemed like work. We spent a lot of time talking in depth and explored different areas of our deepest thoughts.
At the time he was reading 1984 by George Orwell. It was being read to us on his iPod, I forget were he got the copy, probably Audible or some thing like that. I caught several pages and ultimately convinced him to begin having the book read to us again from the beginning.
One of the passages I found to evoke a sense of déjà vu;
“Even when he is alone he can never be sure that he is alone. Wherever he may be, asleep or awake, working or resting, in his bath or in bed, he can be inspected without warning and without knowing that he is being inspected. Nothing that he does is indifferent. His friendships, his relaxations, his behavior towards his wife and children, the expression of his face when he is alone, the words he mutters in sleep, even the characteristic movements of his body, are all jealously scrutinized. Not only any actual misdemeanor, but any eccentricity, however small, any change of habits, any nervous mannerism that could possibly be the symptom of an inner struggle, is certain to be detected. He has no freedom of choice in any direction whatever. On the other hand his actions are not regulated by law or by any clearly formulated code of behavior.”
And another:
“Winston's heart sank. That was doublethink. He had a feeling of deadly helplessness. If he could have been certain that O'Brien was lying, it would not have seemed to matter. But it was perfectly possible that O'Brien had really forgotten the photograph. And if so, then already he would have forgotten his denial of remembering it, and forgotten the act of forgetting. How could one be sure that it was simple trickery? Perhaps that lunatic dislocation in the mind could really happen: that was the thought that defeated him.”
The mind fuck!
I explained to him that although the book and it’s characters where indeed different from my experience, however, the overall theme was hauntingly familiar. He had prior knowledge of my time incarcerated in Straight Inc. yet he never connected the dots until he began reading 1984 and having a graduate of Straight Inc. at his immediate disposal.
He asked me once why I never discussed it (Straight Inc.) with him in any great detail. I explained to him at the time, 20 years ago, he would not have really comprehended that which I spoke. But now into his third reading of 1984, his vague memories of the Seed (which he did not attend) and his fascination with conspiracy, coupled with his familiarity with the Semblers, Betty and Debbie (Brent’s wife) mostly…Straight Inc was the topic of many of our conversations.
As I said he is a conspiracy enthusiast and has a wide knowledge of MK11 (or whatever), Timothy Leary, Robert Anton Wilson and a host of others…our days were filled with discussion of how little regard the government had/has for us.
He also has Hepatitis C. During his search for alternative treatments he found that the drug considered most effective and definitely most expensive has a patent held by a Jewish interest. Later he found that the Hepatitis C also has a patent held on it by the same Jewish interest. The mark up for the medication, that is from manufacture to crossing the pharmacists counter was 1800%
Once I explained to him the role Mel Sembler played in Straight Inc. and the animosity I along with many others held towards him. He went into a diatribe of government conspiracies and how Mel Sembler, along with his wife Betty were mere minions, simple pawns in a grand scheme.
Straight Inc., along with its predecessor (The Seed) were not merely grass roots organizations developed to help troubled youth. There was a reason why there were no professional staff members, no psychologist, psychiatrists, MD’s or nutritionists. There was a reason we endured 12-hour days, there was a reason for the sleep deprivation, restriction of bathroom privileges, rations of water. A separate society, dare I say a secret society was being developed. There was a reason for keeping us in a constant state of fear and not allowing natural bonds of trust to develop with our “caretakers”.
Straight Inc was allowed to practice as long as it did because of powers that be allowed it to occur. Mel Sembler jumped back onto the bandwagon, his son Brent and daughter, Diane were Seedlings. (making Mel an expert) Mel Semblers son stayed at “The Wards” while the Wards eldest son was held at the Seed. I got that information directly from Shirley Ward. But once back in the helm, Mel’s slimy nature along with Betty’s penchant for society functions brought in a whole new focus on Straight Inc and the idea of warehousing kids to the upper elite crusts of society at the time, further embedding the idea of warehousing as an option in societies eyes. Hence the idea of, “They deserved it” if they simply just can’t “Say No”…public ridicule is it not?
To think, or entertain the thought that the Seed, Synanon, or Straight Inc. (and those that followed) were simplistic grass roots effort to help drug afflicted children is just a case of wishful thinking.
By the time these entities came into place … The CIA and the NSA (along with collegiate bodies) had long studied communist reeducation camps for Mao Tse Tung, the Korean techniques and the Stalinist reform camps. And by in large they found that they worked…for the government. The reformed however didn’t fare so well.
This wouldn’t be so bad if it were simply a conspiracy theory, one that could be debated…or if it could be questioned to have existed at all. Sadly, however this is beyond reproach…it happened, it was studied. Doesn’t take a lot of effort to Google!
I doubt that a grass root operation could just spring up and almost replicate verbatim- techniques, methods and ideologies used so successfully in the past and ignore the predictable/probable results… that would come about much later down the road.
It is at this point a crime was committed; as I see it…It is at this point the victimization begins. The amounts of people behind this thing called Straight Inc were enormous. The amount of thought and discussion had to have been intense. Yet I am left to believe…and accept that NO ONE person thought of the after effects three-four decades later?
Seems to me that at this point someone has a light bulb, shaped like a dollar sign, blink over their head. The verging ethical questions quickly subside into obscurity…on a collective level. Someone sold it and some bought it….and we were the commodity.
The idea of franchising followed quickly, and the rest is infamy.
Another thing…
I do not subscribe to the idea our records were simply lost or destroyed. When I was discharged from the submarine corp. Straight Inc. was mentioned as “information withheld”…(but that’s what I was told to do by my recruiter…lying bastard). The information was withheld for their purpose, they knew all along I went thru Straight Inc….and there is no paper trail? Yeah…ok. Unlike the book 1984, there are no real “memory holes”. The whole idea that we were not observed and reports/results passed on…just strikes me as bullshit.
The question then becomes; who has the records? Then, why do they have the records?
Before dismissing the idea…pause for a moment…think.
Mel Sembler…Politics…Greed…Government…Secrecy…and Public Approval.
What can’t be done with a group of kids held under the conditions we were? What kind of studies? Better yet, what about the results of studies? To think the government wont glean in on any source of information it can access without notice is naïve. George Bush was Director of Central Intelligence and head of the Central Intelligence Agency from 30 January 1976 to 20 January 1977.
Mel Sembler and the Bush’s go way back. H.W. Bush was Vice president when Nancy Reagan and Princess Diana made their presence. And the most moronic Anti-Drug slogan was born…Just say NO!
I wasn’t there…I had long since “graduated” when the First Lady and Lady Di showed up….But I would bet my last doughnut that Mel Sembler with Betty in toe, were there. The HUGE Celebrity auctions held…Liz Taylor and all, to benefit Straight Inc. I would bet my last cigar Mel Sembler was there.
I am thinking while I compose this post that my words may be perceived as mere theory by some aging, disgruntled conspiracy theorist…That and more! Having held a series of dots for three decades and slowly connecting them I am convinced of a conspiracy probability! All along this took place in plane old open view. (well, except what you see, hear and do here remains here…maybe because it’s criminal?)
What to do with this conviction remains unclear. I have emotional damage, scars that certainly paid for many, many buildings, supermarkets, banks, Walgreens, ambassadorships and ranks of privilege.
Speculation or Conjecture? Yeah, maybe both…retribution for a stolen adolescence probably not…
Peace? Ultimately, yes. I think it is not only possible, but inevitable. The subject of Straight Inc however is not unlike a tuning fork lodged into the depths of my soul. And when struck, that tuning fork resonates for weeks at a time. With a vibrating soul, I go about my daily routine with as much focus as I can muster. Some days are better than others and certainly the opposite is true. But between each vibration of the tuning fork there is a stillness. It is during this stillness I find peace… This peace seems to be there before the fork is struck and after the vibrations cease. Which leads me to idea of the inevitability of peace…. Providing of course no one strikes the gawd damn tuning fork! Peace does seem to be a bit fickle in that way. I think I would rather have peace than any retribution Mel Sembler could ever afford. Nature has a funny way of dealing with shit heads and Natures sister…Karma, is just simply a down right cold hearted disfiguring bitch with an incredible sense of timing. He will meet the sisters again and again. And when father time takes Mel away…I will piss on his grave. Yet the satisfaction will be short lived. As my friend has said, Mel is a just a minion…a puppet. The true evil will continue on long after Mel is gone.
In Peace
woof
