Ugly truths behind groups like Amway remains same

Shyam

How is it possible that the billionaire bosses of the 'Amway' mob have cast such an arrogant puppy in the role of their latter-day Lord Haw Haw? Despite his unsubstantiated academic claims, Mr. Steadson still can't even write short, simple, English sentences without making schoolboy errors - 'there,' instead of their.

Behind all the reality-inverting 'Multilevel Marketing' bullshit, the ugly truth about groups like 'Amway' has remained the same for more than 50 years.

Whilst they remain under the malign influence of their groups' bosses, 100% positive core-adherents of 'MLM' cults will cut themelves off from anyone criticizing their economically-suicidal activity and steadfastly pretend to be in business and making money. They will also insist that their 'MLM' involvement was the result of a perfectly free-choice, that they were not deceived or coerced in any way and that they are not deceiving or coercing their own recruits. However, when asked what their expenses are?, or: If they can produce any quantifiable evidence (in the form of audited accounts) to back up their money-makingclaims? or: If, before they signed-up, they were given access to any quantifiable evidence (in the form of audited accounts) proving that anyone in their group has actually made an overall net-profit out of retailing 'MLM' products, the reactions of deeply-deluded 'MLM' adherents range from embarrassed silence: to downright aggression. This has led some observers to describe these poor persons as being like gambling addicts. For more than half a century, 'MLM' adherents have been programmed to stop thinking critically and to focus exclusively on their meagre winnings, and to ignore their mounting losses.

More than ten years ago, French journalists, and consumer and cult advisers, exposed 'Vente Multi-Niveau' ('Multilevel Marketing') as a mind-bending fraud and 'Prosperity Gospel'cultism dressed as a 'Business Opportunity.' At that time, the largest 'MLM' in France (with a claimed '50 000 Independent Business Owners' conducting multi-million dollar annual sales) was known as 'le Groupement' or 'GEPM' (short for, the'European Group of Marketing Professionals'). This mystifying labyrinth of privately-controlled, limited-liability, commercial companies was ostensibly created by a Franco-American, 'Amway' under-boss, Jean Godzich, who had previously been identified by journalists as one of the racketeers running the 'Amway'-related advance fee fraud (a.k.a. tool scam) in France. In order to prevent further investigation, Godzich was officially excommunicated from'Amway' in 1989, and approximately 8000 adherents in the'Amway Network' which he headed, were all arbitrarily informed that they were now going to become 'Groupement Distributors.' In fact, largely due to the interest of the media, 'Amway France'virtually vanished during the early 1990s; claimed numbers of French and Belgian 'Amway' adherents falling from approximately 90 000, to less than 5000. However, during this period, Godzich churned at least 300 000 more French victims through the identical closed-market swindle and he continued to run the same advance fee fraud on behalf of 'Amway' under-boss, Dexter Yager, and in association with Doug Wead, in the USA. The only thing that was changed in France, was the name over the entrance to the secondary scam.

The following, is part of the testimony of a French 'MLM' victim.

'In total we lost about 700 000 francs ($140 000) ... the more success we thought we had the more we lost... we paid everything ourselves... petrol bills, telephone bills, hotel bills... most of the money went on books, tapes and tickets... we also bought products every month ... we transferred all our insurance ... we were taught to believe that we were investing in our own business and in our future and in our children's future... of course we began to have doubts, but we were made to feel guilty and inadequate... our negative attitude was seen as proof that we didn't love our own children and that we were stealing the dreams of the only people who loved us ... upline told us if we really cared about our children and our friends we should borrow against our house... I can't believe I was so blind, but this fraud can destroy your will ... before you realize what's happening, it can take over your entire life.'

Meanwhile, the billionaire bosses of the 'Amway' mob, via their inflexible Lord Haw Haw, Mr. IBOFB Steadson, still would have your readers believe that 'MLM' is just about selling marvelous products, like toothpaste, for a profit.

David Brear (copyright 2010)