The strange world of front groups

One aspect of the vast world of conspiracy-theory are so-called front groups - organization that are not what they appear or pretend to be. The existence of such cannot be giggled away as "crazy conspiracy theory" like the msm and "debunkers" often do. This post is just a little intro on the subject. After reading it I hope you say: Maybe we`re not paranoid afterall!.

There are many thousands of examples of this happening, here are just a few.

1. The Cult who creates its own enemy.

One of the secret directives of the Scientology cult is "we create our own enemy. This way we can control the enemy. This way we can make the enemy look stupid if we want to". An ominous real life example of this is the Cult Awareness Network which used to be a group that was fighting Scientology and helping the victims of Scientology...until it went broke and was secretly bought up and taken over by Scientology. Now imagine that...you are a victim of a Cult, putting your trust in the anti-cult counselor, not knowing that they are owned by the same cult you were trying to escape! Only deeper investigation into the financial dealings of the CAN Organization and the revelations of WikiScanner blew the lid of this dark conspiracy.

2. The Government that betrays its citizens

Another fantastic example of a front Group was Air America, supposedly a civilian airline that was actually operated by the CIA for more sinister purposes than public transport alone. The public thought that "Air America" would fly "humanitarian aid" to Vietnam and also fly civilians here and there. What "Air America" was actually for was covert warfare, spying and drug running. The CIA alone has many, many more fronts...not to mention the governments and intelligence agencies in the rest of the world.

3. Shell Corporations

There are countless "Shell Corporations" in our world, fake companies set up to protect criminals and conspiracists from legal liability. Other terms for this or similar: "Mailbox Company", "Dummy Corporation", "Straw Men". While not illegal themselves they usually serve to cover-up illegal activity again giving the public a false idea of whats actually going on.

4. Charity and Volunteering Groups as Front Groups

Some charities that are in public view serve to put certain groups in a positive light to conceal backroom dealings. One example of this are the many Charity Fronts of the criminal bank BCCI.

5. Astroturfing

So-called Astroturfing which describes fake "grassroots movements" which are not actually grassroots at all but groups that are politically planned, designed, carried out and manipulated. Related areas are "stealth marketing", "viral marketing" and "undercover marketing" all of which aim to manipulate public opinion and conceal their true originator.

6. GONGO

A so-called GONGO is a government-organization that is posing as a non-governmental-organization. GONGOs can serve various purposes: To qualify for outside aid, to confuse the public, or even high crime.

Stuff like this legitimizes conspiracy-theory. The conspiracy-theorist does not trust the facade and is aware of the pretense happening all around us. That massage-parlor across the street? It may not be a message-parlor. That friendly Nigerian email? It may not be what it seems. That great website where you can Download everything for free? Maybe there`s a data-mining project behind it.

Do you know any front groups?

Do you have a suspicion about any group or company being a front for something else?

[edit on 10-3-2009 by Skyfloating]

Sourcewatch has put up an interesting list of Front Groups. Read through that list and be amazed.

Nothing is as it seems.

[edit on 9-3-2009 by Skyfloating]

Reading through the source-watch list is like reading through a whos-who and whats-what of deception and deflection. Some of the examples are truly outrageous.

The 60 Plus Association describes itself as a "non-partisan seniors advocacy group with a free enterprise, less government, less taxes approach." They list their main issues as the "death tax" (estate tax), energy, health care and Social Security. [1] 60 Plus is registered as a 501(c)(4) non-profit with the Internal Revenue Service. [2] However, a 2003 report in the AARP Bulletin called 60 Plus a front group for the pharmaceutical industry. 60 Plus, along with Senior Coalition and United Seniors Association, "claim to speak for millions of older Americans, although as recently as 2001 none of the three listed any revenue from membership dues on their tax returns." The article added: "virtually all of their largest contributions in recent years have come from the same source -- the nation's pharmaceutical industry."

The Beverly Hills Restaurant Association (BHRA) was a front group set up by the tobacco industry in 1987 to oppose a smokefree measure in California restaurants. It claimed that banning smoking in restaurants would cost them business.

"The North American Coalition on Green Building is not a formal organisation and has no staff, office or website.

I've been trying to think of more of these. The only one to come to mind so far is from the 60's, in Oregon. An organization called The Bicycle Lobby kept pestering the Oregon legislature about the need for bike and walking paths until they finally gave in and passed a bill in 1971so that any road built or rebuilt must include a path for walking and biking, and our many, many bike and walking paths date from that time
Bike Bill and Use of Highway Funds

I attended college in the late 60's/early 70's and had a professor at Portland State University named Sam Oakland who told us in class one day the story of The Bicycle Lobby. He liked to bike to work and tired to dodging cars and trucks, thought bike paths would be a good idea so he had some stationery printed up for something called The Bicycle Lobby, with himself listed as Secretary of the lobby. No other names were listed and in fact the "lobby" had no other members. Sam (as he preferred us to call him) started writing letters to everyone and anyone, including the local newspaper, always on this stationary. I don't think he used any other names. Didn't need to because he was corresponding on behalf of the Bicycle Lobby. Every one of us who saw those letters and heard the discussions believed the Lobby was a large and growing group of bike-riding taxpayers. Remember these were the early years of adult bike riding and backpacking (REI started about this time in Seattle). Eventually the legislature succumbed to the pressure and passed the bill referenced above.

I can't prove this story is true but it was entirely in character for Sam Oakland so I have no reason to doubt it, and when I just googled Sam Oakland Oregon, I see he is still crusading for local causes.

Front groups aren't ALWAYS bad!

reply to post by earlywatcher


Thats not exactly what I was expecting. Zero responses to this thread and when one finally comes its about a GOOD front.

Thanks for sharing though. Interesting story.

[edit on 10-3-2009 by Skyfloating]

Someone I am very close to, worked for an Airfield, fixing planes (plane radios) outside of Kansas City in the late seventies. The airfield had one or two clients and both had planes that went the same route. Between Miami and Bogata, Colombia. They came to the airfield for maintainence only.
Both companies, according to my source, were owned by the Central Intellegence Agency. They weren't named that, of course, but, both companies. They also owned the airstrip.

That's all I can say about that.
That's also all of which I know about that.

I press my source for more on a regular basis. They resist.

Cuhail

reply to post by Skyfloating


I know. But I find your OP so intriguing that I've been wracking my brain for more suitable contributions. Just trying to grease the skids a bit.....

It did get me to thinking about the old Franklin Coverup and BCCI and all the old news. I expect to come acoss something new and juicy any minute!

the entire Obama campaign is a good example of 'astroturfing' seeing as how informants came forward that admitted that they were being paid by campaign managers to 'seed' as much of popular culture (most notably the internet)with Obama propaganda as possible. To seed, inundate, and overrun polls to make it look like Obama was destroying Mccain when in reality Mccain was in the lead or the race was much closer than they portrayed it to be.

Anyone remember Christians Against Communism a CIA front that attacked Cuba in the '70s? "Borrowed" airplanes from military personnel and flew "Bibles" to Cuba?

Used to be on the Washington Post Artchive search but has been "Expunged"

A message was left on my home voice mail not to litter. The telemarketer apparently didn't wait to hear my greeting because I could only hear the last part of the message. My caller id listed the name as "Do Not Litter" and a phone number of 1-517-931-2416. I googled it and discovered an entry about someone else who got this call and answered it to hear that it said "Please Do Not Litter Portland Streets." I live in Portland, Oregon, so that is interesting. I wondered who would bother to do an automated public service anouncement.

The number comes out of a place called Tekohsha, Michigan, from a small telecom named Lucre Inc.
breakdown of info about this area code

With some more searching I discovered that while Lucre Inc claims to be just a telephone company,
Lucre's web site
it is the originator of a lot of obnoxious telemarketing. Various people discovered that an outfit called Liberty Management is the telemarketer in question and that it uses many other phone numbers such as 616-980-2591, selling digital satellite and auto warranties. This 616 number also comes out of Lucre in Michigan.
complaints about 616 phone number
some interesting information from posters on this page

I've tried looking up Liberty Management but didn't find anyone I was sure was them. Don't know if it is a separate operation or part of Lucre, but it is certainly a front organization for a massive telemarketing operation. I believe the purpose of the "public service message" of do not litter was simply to clean the list. make sure it's still a good phone number rather than a disconnected one.

A crazy conspiracy?...I thought ALL organizations were front groups. For that matter, even your identity is a Front.

In real life I am a warmongering Immortal.

Earth First was a front for the Sierra Club and Nature Conservancy

During the time Dave Forman ran Earth First he was payed by both groups.

One purpose of Earth First was to do the dirty work for the environmental movement.

The other purpose was a place the mainstream environmental groups could send the radicals terrorist type that wanted to do illegal acts like arson and other crimes.

This way the blame would be on Earth First and not the mainstream environmental groups.

In the 1980-90s when i infiltrated the sierra club for the small mining industry Earth First members collected money for there monkey wrenching.
Most of the Sierra Club members knew just who the Earth-First members were and some even provided alibis for Earth First people when they were monkey wrenching.

Even though the Sierra Club disavowed the actions of Earth First while Dave Foreman was the leader of EF. As soon as he ended his job as leader of EF the sierra club elected him to a leadership position From 1995 to 1997, he served on the Sierra Club’s board of directors,
en.wikipedia.org...

I believe now the Earth Liberation Front ELF is the new Sierra Club radical
wing.

en.wikipedia.org...


[edit on 11-3-2009 by ANNED]

reply to post by ANNED


That's amazing! I didn't know they worked so well together (if "well" is the word). What's monkey wrenching?

monkeywrenching


en.wikipedia.org...

wikipedia is your friend.