Mission Statement - De-Spinning the Pro-Taser Propaganda

Yeah right, 'Excited Delirium' my ass...

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The primary purpose of this blog is to provide an outlet for my observations and analysis about tasers, taser "associated" deaths, and the behaviour exhibited by the management, employees and minions of Taser International. In general, everything is linked back to external sources, often via previous posts on the same topic, so that readers can fact-check to their heart's content. This blog was started in late-2007 when Canadians were enraged by the taser death of Robert Dziekanski and four others in a short three month period. The cocky attitude exhibited by the Taser International spokespuppet, and his preposterous proposal that Mr. Dziekanski coincidentally died of "excited delirium" at the time of his taser-death, led me to choose the blog name I did and provides my motivation. I have zero financial ties to this issue.



Sunday, March 1, 2009

Cults - Part 2 - The CSIS Cult Checklist

A Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) report contain a check-list to help determine if you have a cult on your hands. [LINK] Let's see how the Taser Fan-boy club stacks up against this list.

(Extracts, see complete list at [LINK])


Characteristics of Cults:

Apocalyptic Beliefs - Without tasers, we would have to shoot to kill many more people.

Dualism - "good versus evil" Black and white - no shades of gray. They claim that Tasers are (essentially) perfectly safe. In their minds, there is no room for any doubt whatsoever.

The persecuted chosen - The recent Kaye & Momy Show [LINK] had overtones that they thought they were being unfairly persecuted. [LINK]

Imminence - The end of the world is nigh.

Salvation through conflict - Must... taser... anyone...

Charismatic Leadership - the High Priests of the taser world. Nifty black turtlenecks and cool sunglasses. Weilding nifty taser toys; pointing them at the camera. Looking a bit like Satan's foot soldiers (oh, that part is arguably true). [LINK] [Goofy twits.]


Threats:

Weapons Acquisition - Must have more tasers. "All officers need tasers." [LINK]

Institutional Infiltration - Do I even need to provide examples? CPRC tried to put out a pro-taser report sans peer review. [LINK] [LINK] [LINK] [LINK] Toronto Police holding hands with Taser. [LINK] Pro-taser studies packed with pro-Taser insiders like Dr. J. Ho [LINK] [LINK] [LINK] [LINK] and many others [LINK]. The NIJ panel has unmitigated pro-Taser fan-boy, Billo the blogger [LINK], sitting on the panel (!) who exaggerates and twists the NIJ findings. Coroners and police officers [LINK] [LINK] in apparent conflicts of interest. Strange links from Taser to the IPICD. [LINK] It goes on and on and on and on and on...

Criminal Activity - Bernie Kerik, former Taser High Priest (Board of Directors), made $6M from Taser, now facing 142 years on unrelated charges [update: now facing only 28 years]. Taser's distributor in France arrested. Other very serious accusations (not proven).


Early warning signs:

Humiliating circumstances - LOL. See [LINK] and many others...



It's obvious that The Church of The Taser shares some characteristics of a cult.


"Cult" - it's just a label.

But it sort-of helps to explain some of the otherwise-inexplicable behaviour by some of the more rabid pro-taser fan-boys.

It also helps to justify the requirement for some serious intervention and deprogramming of the cult members.

In other words, a taser moratorium.


At least long enough to press the reset button and start all over again from the opposite premise - that tasers are potentially lethal. Then build up from that new starting point.

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