Is the Watch Tower a reverse Ponzi scheme?
Isn't a Ponzi an affinity scam? The Watch Tower uses confidence and affinity connections to retain members and grow. The difference is Ponzi took people's money and the Watch Tower takes people's lives. In a Ponzi scam, the new members pay the rewards to the predecessors. In the Watch Tower, the new members accept and build on the losses of their predecessors.
Thoughts?
Is the Watch Tower a reverse Ponzi scheme?
by garybuss 7 Replies latest jw friends
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garybuss
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Farkel
Wouldn't a reverse Ponzi scheme be where the predecessors gave all the money to the newcomers?
Farkel
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garybuss
Howdy old friend:-)
You wrote: Wouldn't a reverse Ponzi scheme be where the predecessors gave all the money to the newcomers?
No, that's a regular Ponzi. A reverse spiritual Ponzi would require that the benefits were gone before the newest member joined.
The farther we get away from the payoff for the Watch Tower owner (Rutherford) the more abstract and magical the teachings become. -
I quit!
Ponzi unlike the Watchtowers in many ways a likable character The Watchtower doesn't care about people and lets them die because of their blood policy. Ponzi went through very painful skin graphs to save a women he didn't even know. I believe Ponzi wanted his scheme to work out and make him and everyone who invested with him rich. The WT uses people and doesn't care what happens to them. For Ponzi it just got out of control and he just kept going with it. I think he hoped he would figure out a way to make it work. I think Ponzi for all his faults was a better person than the Watchtower is an organization.
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Alpaca
This from a thread I started a few months back on the very same topic:
Over the past couple of weeks as the Bernard Maddoff scandal has been unfolding I couldn't help but see the parallels between his ponzi scheme and the WT Society's behavior over its history. The WT Society and the Governing Body have perpetrated a scandalous spiritaul ponzi scheme on some of the most vulnerable members of our society and others who were just good hearted, idealistic people wishing to see a better world.
Just like Maddoff, the WT Society (and by extension the Governing Body):
1. created an "elite" club that could only be joined if you met certain very high standards and were invited to join
2. has always sought the implicit, blind trust of its "investors"
3. encouraged "investors" to invest all the fruits of their lives in the scheme
4. has known in their "heart of hearts" that the whole pitch was/is based on empty promises
5. has kept moving the "prize" so that it is always tantalizingly within reach
6. like many ponzi scheme perpetrators, perhaps started off with honest intentions but then had to twist, distort, and lie to keep the whole thing afloat
7. is remorseless for the uncounted ruined lives, shattered dreams, and stunted potential they have mercilessly imposed on the rank and file
8. will escape adequate justice for the swath of destruction they have left in the wake of their scheme
Yup....Spiritual Ponzi....ya' gotta' love it ......NOT!!!!!
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garybuss
I think Farkel's right (again). The Watch Tower is a regular financial Ponzi when I look at the communes at Wallkill, Patterson, and of course, Brooklyn, New York. The new energy (and money) certainly go to benefit the owners. One significant item (for me) to notice is that no cash is paid to any downstream players.
Benefits of a social and organizational nature certainly go to the old game players. -
Sunspot
One major difference though....is that those duly affected by Madoff's schemes are standing up and loudly complaining over their losses, (and hopefully demanding retribution) whereas the "loyal and obedient" (TM) Watchtower defenders will make excuses for, and continue to defend and support the hideous organization that rips them off spiritually and financially.
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Alpaca
The "investment" I am referring to is the ultimate investment of lives, hopes, dreams, emotions....until there is nothing left to give...and no hope of ever receiving anything back for the effort.