Good news in Russia: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/24430.htm

"The Director of the Khabarovsk Dianetics Center was convicted on criminal charges of the illegal practice of medicine and education. She lost on appeal and was given a suspended sentence of 6 years. Since she had been found guilty, the public prosecutor of the city of Khabarovsk filed a suit for liquidation of the Center, as the Center was allegedly involved in illegal activity. The statement of claim for liquidation was based entirely on expert opinions from criminal cases, i.e. imputing medical and educational activities to the Center. On September 25, 2002, the court approved the claim for liquidation of the Dianetics Center, and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation upheld the judgment of the trial court."

<p><hr><p> From: Dave Bird <dave.xemu.deleteThe@nospam.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Good news in Russia: unlicensed practice of medicine is NOT a protected relgious activity.
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2004 02:06:04 +0000
Organization: Smelling--nose Dogs for the Anosmic
Message-ID: <xXEugICMyg$$Ew7d@xemu.demon.co.uk>

In article<MPG.1a663b9c2cda23079896d4@news2.lightlink.com>, Zinj <zinjifar@yahoo.com> writes:

>> >"The Director of the Khabarovsk Dianetics Center was convicted on
>> >criminal charges of the illegal practice of medicine and education. She
>> >lost on appeal and was given a suspended sentence of 6 years. Since she
>> >had been found guilty, the public prosecutor of the city of Khabarovsk
>> >filed a suit for liquidation of the Center, as the Center was allegedly
>> >involved in illegal activity. The statement of claim for liquidation was
>> >based entirely on expert opinions from criminal cases, i.e. imputing
>> >medical and educational activities to the Center. On September 25, 2002,
>> >the court approved the claim for liquidation of the Dianetics Center,
>> >and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation upheld the judgment of
>> >the trial court."
>>
>> Joy! I wish the United States could exterminate these quack medical
>> frauds here.

>I tend to disagree with much of the jubilation expressed in this thread.
>Not so much because I disapprove of the cult's reception in nations
>other than the US; after all, other places/other customs and laws, and
>if the Cult wants to 'expand' there; well, if you want to play tiger in
>wogland, it behooves you to be aware of tiger-traps.
>No, my problem is with the people who 'wish' that we here in the US
>could give such 'short shrift' to the 'Church' of Scientology, as
>deplorable as it is.
>
>Constitutional guarantees in the US can't just be for when we agree with
>a group, but even when we don't.

"Constitutional guarantees can't be just for the law abiding as a group but for those whose activities are rightfully judged criminal too?"

Bollocks.

What was prosecuted here was fraudulent selling based on false claims of medical or scientific acceptance, fraudulent selling based on woefully adequate disclosure of the ultimate content, fraudulent selling based on claims of effectiveness which the buyer could not be fairly presumed to have known ineffective, improper selling of hazardous product which the buyer could not be fairly presumed to have known dangerous (vitamin megadoses etc).

I am not against selling that which is without scientific acceptance fairly described as such, of extremely weird material based on fair disclosure of the content, of that which is held by orthodoxy to be ineffective if that situation is made plain, of that which is moderately hazardous if the buyer knows the hazard he is letting himself in for. And I am certainly not against promoting something which is "simply and opinion I disagree with."

These quacks were NOT prosecuted for believing in Scientology.

They were prosecuted under deceptive selling laws which can and do fairly apply to all groups whatever their belief.

Under this test those deceptive practices deserve no first amendment protection as beliefs in the USA either.

>People who think that the 'Church'
>needs to be an exception to that, much like the KKK or the 'commies',
>are demonstrating a regretable failure of trust in an instrument that
>has consistently shown a unique capability and effectiveness over more
>than 200 years. Not because it's a dogmatic religious document, but
>because it's a fallible product of fallible humans that is designed to
>evolve to meet the situation, even when it falters.

In article<ufjpvvo7669n45ah4kdn262los1ibovdo0@4ax.com>, mimus <tinmimus99@hotmail.com> writes: >>Constitutional guarantees in the US can't just be for when we
>>agree with a group, but even when we don't.
>
>Frauds are crimes. And fraud is the least of Scientology's crimes.
In article<MPG.1a666f685aca3b39896e5@news2.lightlink.com>, Zinj <zinjifar@yahoo.com> writes: >Allow me to replace a minimal piece of what you snipped from the post
>you replied to:
>
>"Scientology® isn't still functioning in the US because the laws are'nt
>adequate. It's because they laws are not being applied.
>
>The fault is in those entrusted with enforcing the law; not the law."

I partly disagree: certainly there is a failure to apply current law, but additional specific offences concerning false selling and false advertising would be useful too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In article<UdydnWAA8ftYWmGiRVn-hg@bravo.net>, Mr. Hat writes: >The Russians are moving their frauds to the U.S. Recently, a Dallas
>company attempted to sell an alleged Russian technology called
>"Provaqua" to my South Texas county. The technology is purported to be
>able to make it rain, though no data was presented to substantiate this
>claim and the technology has never been sold to anyone before. The
>company marketing the technology, Earthwise Technologies, bribed the
>county judge (head of the county commission) to sign a contract and
>waste $1.2 million on a trial program. In exchange, the company claimed
>rainfall would increase 15%-300%, but refused to make any guarantee of
>increased rainfall in the contract.

It may be poetic justice that Russians import rain-making fraud into America as fast as America imports scientology fraud into Russia but frankly I hope both lots get their collective ass slung in jail.

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