War of the Worlds?

Me and some friends were talking and we thought about something... You know how there was the big scare over the reading of "War of the Worlds" over the radio? Well, is it possible that the government had the reading of this broadcast so that they could judge the reaction of people if aliens were real (I believe they are) and attacking?

It seems like something that they would do, I mean, its possible alot of the times the government has had "leaks" of information, such as Roswell, and Phoenix lights (which were proven fake?) could just to see how the people would react.

I have had the same thought. It would make sense and they learned that the masses would freak. They needed to test the waters somehow... and that's why we're in the "education program" now.

reply to post by Shaved Yeti


The radio version you're thinking of was a version of H.G.Wells's novel, dramatized for the first time by the mighty Orson Welles. And you're not the first to think there was more to the broadcast than sheer entertainment.

It has been suggested in recent years that the War of the Worlds broadcast was actually a psychological warfare experiment. In the 1999 documentary, Masters of the Universe: The Secret Birth of the Federal Reserve, writer Daniel Hopsicker claims that the Rockefeller Foundation actually funded the broadcast, studied the ensuing panic, and compiled a report that was only available to a chosen few.

Welles even alluded to the panic in the trailer for his film F for Fake. He was somewhat ridiculing of the idea, and the conspiracy theories surrounding it and joked that the broadcast had had "secret sponsors".

The speculation didn't end with Welles' humourous denial. The panic that ensued after his show alledgedly inspired the Governmental cover-up of all things UFO, just in case they were discovered to be real and the self-same scenario happened for real. Even a certain A.Hitler said the reaction of the American public was indicative of "evidence of the decadence and corrupt condition of democracy."

en.wikipedia.org...(radio)

There perhaps is no doubt as to its impact; from studies, it was indicated that of the six million people who listened in, some 1.7 million would have been adversely affected by it, and 1.2 million would have been left in absolute fear. This couldn't have been anything but extremely interesting to the PTB in terms of psychological warfare and the control of the populace by terror.

Dorothy Thompson, writing a contemporary account in the New York Tribune, said:

"All unwittingly, Mr. Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater of the Air have made one of the most fascinating and important demonstrations of all time," she wrote. "They have proved that a few effective voices, accompanied by sound effects, can convince masses of people of a totally unreasonable, completely fantastic proposition as to create a nation-wide panic.

"They have demonstrated more potently than any argument, demonstrated beyond a question of a doubt, the appalling dangers and enormous effectiveness of popular and theatrical demagoguery....

"Hitler managed to scare all of Europe to its knees a month ago, but he at least had an army and an air force to back up his shrieking words.

"But Mr. Welles scared thousands into demoralization with nothing at all."

www.transparencynow.com...

You can listen to the broadcast here:

www.youtube.com...

An aside...Wouldn't it would be a truly terrifying scenario, if this theory of mind control was based on reality, and was taken to the extreme, if movie moguls such as Spielberg etc were to do the same thing...

Such speculation is born of ignorance about the broadcast itself and the atmosphere of the day.

Orson Welles made absolutely no attempt to decieve the public into thinking it was a real broadcast. It was obvious to anyone listening to the beginning of the program that it was just a radio-drama, nothing more. The problem came when people listening to another broadcast switched the station during a commercial, and came in during the middle of one of War of the Worlds' faux news-reports. Those who though the broadcast was real didn't think it was martians, and in more cases, never even heard the word martian. All they heard were reports on an invasion, and thought Germany was attacking.

reply to post by SaviorComplex

Such speculation is born of ignorance about the broadcast itself and the atmosphere of the day.

The word speculation itself is enough to tell us that this hypothesis is just that: conjecture and supposition. Nothing has ever been proven with regard to a hidden intent in Welles' broadcast, indeed, there probably is nothing there to support it anyway, but there is sufficient background suggestion to keep the conspiracy theory ticking over.

U.S. Air Force Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, the first head of UFO investigatory Project Blue Book wrote, "The [U.S. government's] UFO files are full of references to the near mass panic of October 30, 1938, when Orson Welles presented his now famous The War of the Worlds broadcast."

This quote alone will fire the curiosity of any CT fan. It doesn't prove in any shape or form the broadcast was a deliberate experiment in mind control, but it does illustrate the power of auto suggestion. That is what stirs the imagination of those who would control.

There is a tantalising snippet that suggests, if only speciously, that Welles timed his broadcast deliberately, to heighten public confusion. It was aired at the same time as the Chase and Sanborn Hour, on the rival Red Network, broadcast by NBC. It is correct that listeners surfed channels during the musical interludes, and:

According to the American Experience program The Battle Over Citizen Kane, Welles knew the schedule of the Chase & Sanborn show, and scheduled the first report from Grover's Mill at the 12 minute mark to heighten the audience's confusion. As a result, some listeners happened upon the CBS broadcast at the exact point the Martians emerge from their spacecraft.

It has to be stressed that this realistic method of portraying drama was almost unheard of in America at the time. Welles knew full well that news broadcasts were always accepted as the truth. In my opinion, Orson Welles' WotWs may or may not have kicked started serious research into psy-warfare.

What it does tell us, and in no uncertain terms, is that Mr Welles was a consumate, manipulative, hugely influential showman.



[edit on 23-5-2008 by Beamish]

Originally posted by Beamish

U.S. Air Force Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, the first head of UFO investigatory Project Blue Book wrote, "The [U.S. government's] UFO files are full of references to the near mass panic of October 30, 1938, when Orson Welles presented his now famous The War of the Worlds broadcast."

This quote alone will fire the curiosity of any CT fan. It doesn't prove in any shape or form the broadcast was a deliberate experiment in mind control, but it does illustrate the power of auto suggestion. That is what stirs the imagination of those who would control.

I think you're reading it wrong. Instead of it being a clue that there may have been suggestion, what this is evidence for is the oft-repeated claim that the government is involved in a cover-up of extraterrestrial visitation because of the panic that it may cause.

....there may have been suggestion, what this is evidence for is the oft-repeated claim that the government is involved in a cover-up of extraterrestrial visitation because of the panic that it may cause.

I agree SaviourComplex. Ruppelt's comments can be seen as "evidence" that the Government conceal the truth of UFOs because of the distinct possibility that mass panic will ensue.

To put it in context, this is from "The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by Edward J. Ruppelt, former head of the United States Air Force Project Blue Book."

Another question the panel had was about Orson Welles' famous War of the Worlds broadcast of October 1938, which caused thousands of people to panic. Had we studied this to see if there were any similarities between it and the current UFO reporting?
We had.
Our psychologist looked into the matter and gave us an opinion - to make a complete study and get a positive answer would require an effort that would dwarf the entire UFO project. But he did have a few comments. There were many documented cases in which a series of innocent circumstances triggered by the broadcast had caused people to completely lose all sense of good judgment - to panic. There were some similar reports in our UFO files.

www.ufologie.net...

The point I was trying to make was that this radio show has passed into folklore, leaving us, and maybe those who sit in power, that the infamous and ellusive "false flag" operation could be used to influence the public's judgement and perception.

I don't think people were panicking because they thought aliens were real. I think they were panicking because they thought they were being attacked/invaded.

Two very different things.