From political religions to commercial religions

Shyam

I see that the unmasked 'Amway' Lord Haw Haw has been dumping more unsolicited, reality-inverting bullshit on your blog. Without any substantial explanation, the inflexible propagandist for billionaire, totalitarian racketeers is still trying to convince your free-thinking readers that I am a crazy conspiracy theorist. Remember, this is coming from a young fellow who has regularly presented himself on the Net. using multiple identities (including a fictitious pirate and assassin of multiple identities) and who has previously posted his own lengthy, paranoid, conspiracy theory which he entitled 'The Internet War Against Amway.'

In the adult world of quantifiable reality, it is a matter of historical record that a dangerous minority of mythomaniacs, charlatans and would-be demagogues have always been able to get their human prey to sail blindly into positions of subjection by first bedazzling them with all manner of false beacons which seemed so welcoming and authentic that the majority of people could not have been expected to detemine exactly what lurked behind them.

Erich Voegelin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Voegelin, was a free-thinking German who, in the decade preceding WWII had already produced an insightful explanation of the absurd, but nonetheless dangerous, 'Nazi' lie commonly-referred to as the 'Master Race.' Sadly, during the 1930s, few people took much notice of Erich Voegelin. Whilst teaching political theory and sociology at the University of Vienna, he published two books, 'The Race Idea in Intellectual History' and 'Race and the State.' In these, he pointed out the elementary scientific mistakes which invalidated various self-gratifying 'theories of Aryan racial superiority.' In 1938, Voegelin tried to publish 'The Political Religions.' In this, he focused on contemporary totalitarian 'political/economic' ideologies derived from the 'theories' which he had previously exposed as puerile pseudo-science. He now pointed out the obvious structural similarities of these ideologies to religions. Courageously, Voegelin was comparing medieval pseudo-sciences and 'Gnostic' cults to the 'Nazi' party. At this time, Adolf Hitler had held absolute power in Germany for 5 years. He had just taken control of Austria and belief in the self-gratifying 'Master Race' lie was spreading like a cancer. Unlike most contemporary commentators, Voegelin was able to take a wider view. He observed that throughout human history there have been periods of mass-alienation ... following wars, plagues, natural disasters, economic depressions, etc... during these periods, dangerous manipulators (acting like ancient 'Gnostic' prophets by steadfastly pretending moral and intellectual authority and offering some form of Utopian existence in the here and now) who at other times might be dismissed as absurd charlatans, have found it much easier to become accepted as authentic messiahs and to acquire a mass-following. Voegelin (who was a devout Roman Catholic) preferred to reason that traditional religion brought order, but it was from perverted religion that chaos and violence sprang. As if to prove the validity of this line of free-thought, in 1938, the 'Nazi' propaganda machine systematically branded Voegelin as being a member of an international anti-Aryan conspiracy, and the billionaire bosses of the 'Nazi' mob ordered the confiscation and burning of his books. He was forced to run away to the USA.

For more than 50 years, 'Amway' has been hiding a perverted 'commercial' religion founded upon a classic totalitarian 'economic/political' ideology derived from the self-gratifying lie commonly-referred to as 'Multilevel Marketing.' As if to prove the validity of this line of free-thought, the 'Amway'propaganda machine has systematically branded me as being a member of an international anti-'capitalist' conspiracy.

What a surprise!

David Brear (copyright 2010)

IBOs concentrate on enrollment all the time

Amway apologists claim that IBOs would not make money by enrolling new members. Yet the IBOs concentrate only on enrollment. WHY?

Every IBO must purchase products worth Rs. 2000 every month to maintain basic PV; otherwise he is not entitled commission. They should purchase products every month either for sale or for personal consumption. Since they could not sell these overpriced 'wampum', they keep on concentrate on enrolling new members all the time.

Amway is now collecting Rs. 995 for every new member enrolled and in return it offers a couple of CDs and other things. That way it is lining its pockets. Moreover, every year the IBOs have to renew the membership by paying Rs. 995 which is another way of looting the IBOs. That is why, IBOs who could not enroll members drop out of the scheme. Still, they do not complain but blame themselves for poor performance. They never realise that the scheme is inherently fraudulent.

Some overenthusiastic IBOs purchase more products spending several lakhs of rupees and burn their fingers like B Sujata of Vijayawada.

So, the conclusion is, the IBOs concentrate only on enrollment all the time instead of selling products because they could not sell the overpriced products in spite of the claims of 'great quality'.

Tea Party may appear in the ongoing MLM scandal

Shyam

As you know, currently in Europe, the world economic crisis is obliging national governments to face reality and reduce their spending in order to limit the size of their previous liabilities (which were acquired in more-optimistic times). Without the support of other nations, catastrophic over-spenders like Greece would have been effectively bankrupt. In order to maintain Britain's own international credit-rating, the new Conservative/Liberal administration under Prime Minister, David Cameron, has voluntarily announced some of the most dramatic spending cuts anywhere in the world. There have been few protests. However, in France, there have been widespread strikes protesting government plans to cut spending by raising the age of retirement. To date, these strikes have enjoyed the support of the majority of the French public. Indeed, the average French citizen considers it perfectly normal to live in a land where a compulsory, all-inclusive, government social/health insurance scheme will look after them (albeit modestly) from the cradle to the grave. However, French citizens are not living in a totalitarian State. They are perfectly free to make their own additional arrangements.

Difficult as it is for Europeans to believe, in the USA, a significant proportion of the population firmly believes any form of compulsory, all-inclusive, government social/health insurance scheme to be not only a dangerous step in the direction of 'communism,' but also to be uconstitutional. The campaign against President Obama's health-care reforms (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act ) was particularly aggressive and there is still a campaign to have the recent legislation repealed. At the heart of this campaign is what is known as the 'Tea Party' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_movement . For obvious reasons, I have been expecting the 'Tea Party' to appear in the ongoing 'MLM' scandal.

'MLM' scams are fake 'Business Opportunities' which have targetted vulnerable individuals - manipulating their existing beliefs and instinctual desires, creating the illusion that they are exercising free will. Tellingly, if you look at recruitment material produced by 'MLM' racketeers, and by so-called 'Direct Selling Associations,' a lot of it has been designed to create fear, and/or to magnify existing fears. 'MLM' recruiters have been taught to emphasize how bleak, and/or uncertain, the future is for persons in traditional employment, and who are only relying on their meagre salaries/savings, and/or insurance plans, to take care of their current health needs and maintain them in old age. All too often, 'MLM' victims have not only been greedy people, but also those facing severe financial, and/or health, problems and who have bought into the Utopian 'MLM Business Opportunity' lie, because they needed to believe in the existence of an alternative, independent plan by which anyone can retire and continue to receive sufficient income to live in good health and luxury for the rest of their lives.

It, therefore, came as no surprise to me, when I learnt that one of the leading 'Tea Party' proselytizers has also been a 'Herbalife' under-boss http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/10/tea-party-mark-meckler-herbalife .

David Brear (copyright 2010)

Mr. Steadson is still proving the validity of what we have said

Shyam

I see that two of your free-thinking readers, Phil Bradley and Rocket, have called the 'Amway' Lord Haw Haw's puerile bluff and received a typical load of unsolicited 'MLM' bullshit in return.

Mr. Bradley and Rocket, like many other observers, have merely looked at the evidence and deduced that Mr. Steadson is either a brainwashed 'Amway' dupe or an intellectual prostitute. In any event, Mr. Steadson is an inflexible liar and criminal, who has hidden behind various identities in order to further the interests of a gang of racketeers; for during the previous 50+ years, the grinning bosses of the 'Amway' mob have illegally acquired billions of dollars by deliberately hiding the fact that their so-called 'Amway/MLM Business Opportunity' has been a de facto closed-market swindle without a significant or sustainable source of external revenue. This dissimulated, illegal money circulation scheme has produced an effectively 100% rolling insolvency/failure rate for tens of millions of transient victims around the world who have been arbitrarily, and falsely, defined as 'Independent Business Owners' in order to load them with guilt and prevent them from complaining.

The 'Amway' Lord Haw Haw has had nothing substantial to say when faced with the facts that, in 2006 :

- more than one million people (who had all been arbitrarily, and falsely, defined as 'Independent Business Owners') were found to have been churned through the 'Amway' swindle in the UK and Ireland alone, since 1973.

- only around 70 of 'Amway's' withering crop of transient 35000 so-called flourishing 'Independent Business Owners' in the UK and Ireland were found to have been covering their expenses.

- at least 93% of 'Amway's' withering crop of transient 35000so-called flourishing 'Independent Business Owners' in the UK and Ireland were found never to have attempted to retail any of 'Amway's' banal, but over-priced, wampum to outsiders.

- UK government officials and attorneys described 'Amway'products as 'grossly over-priced' and 'Amway' adherents as being 'sadly deluded.'

- 'Amway UK Ltd.' was itself found to have been a permanently-insolvent corporate structure, secretly losing tens of millions of dollars since 1973.

- hundreds of millions of dollars had been taken (without payment of tax) from more than one million 'Amway' victims in the UK and Ireland alone, via a related advance fee fraud (a.k.a.'tool scam') since 1973.

In his most-recent, cackling comments Mr. Steadson has again proved himself to be an inflexible liar and criminal furthering the interests of a gang of sanctimonious cultic racketeers; for it is a well-documented fact that he has been monitoring the Net. for years (on behalf of his criminal associates). Each time any free-thinking individual has attempted to challenge the authenticity of the pernicious 'Amway/MLM Business Opportunity' lie, Mr. Steadson has been there (in one of his many disguises) following the same reality-inverting, propaganda tactics as those employed by the billionaire bosses of the 'Third Reich.'

‘If you tell a big enough lie and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.' (Joseph Goebbels)

All anyone has to do is Google-search 'IBOFB,' and he/she will find endless, further examples of Mr. Steadson's reality-inverting 'Amway/MLM' propaganda broadcasts. Indeed, it is almost impossible to evaluate the exact number of unsolicited loads of bullshit which Mr. Steadson has regularly dumped on the Net. (on behalf of his criminal associates) in recent years.

David Brear (copyright 2010)

Mr. Steadson continues to prove the validity of what we have said

Shyam

I see that the unmasked 'Amway' Lord Haw Haw, Mr. 'IBOFB' (a.k.a. 'Insider', 'Icerat', etc.) Steadson, has reappeared on your Blog (no doubt, after taking more instructions from his criminal associates). The poor little lad is still steadfastly pretending that he hasn't spent all his waking-hours denying reality on behalf of billionaire racketeers (apparently, in return for no material benefit), when the evidence for this, is massive and conclusive.

Mr. Steadson is self-evidently a liar; for it is a well-documented fact that he has been monitoring the Net. for years (on behalf of his criminal associates). Each time any free-thinking individual has attempted to challenge the authenticity of the pernicious 'Amway/MLM Business Opportunity' lie, Mr. Steadson has been there (in one of his many disguises) following the same reality-inverting, propaganda tactics as those employed by the billionaire bosses of the 'Third Reich.'

‘If you tell a big enough lie and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.' (Joseph Goebbels)

Since the pernicious 'Amway/MLM Business Opportunity' lie was first released on an unsuspecting American public in the 1950s, it has temporarily infected the minds of tens of millions of individuals around the world and spawned countless copy-cats. Far from bringing its deluded core-adherents 'Total Financial Freedom,' as they were led to believe, the 'MLM' lie has actually caused widespread debt, destitution, depression, dissociation, divorce and even (in the most extreme cases) death.

Trying to warn the public about the hidden dangers of the 'MLM' lie, is what the 'Amway' Lord Haw Haw arbitrarily defines as 'attacking Amway.' Laughably, each time Mr. Steadson has made one of his endless, reality-inverting, masked-appearances on the Net., he has actually proved the validity of what we have said.

David Brear (copyright 2010)

An obvious question remains unanswered

Shyam

As you know, in the mid-1990s (at great personal risk), I began to complain loudly to law enforcement agencies in the UK that several UK-registered, privately-controlled, limited-liability commercial-companies (including 'Amway UK Ltd.' ,'International Business Systems Ltd.' and the so-called 'UK Direct Selling Association Ltd.') were the front for a massive and highly-organized blame-the-victim 'Business Opportunity' swindle which was being perpetuated by a minority core-group of deeply-deluded victims (like my own brother) who had been programmed to ignore reality and unconsciously to accept that simply by 'Duplicating a Proven Plan' and purchasing around about $200 worth of 'Amway'-supplied wampum each month, and recruiting their friends and relatives to do the same, anyone could achieve 'Total Financial Freedom in 2-5 years.' I also explained to UK law enforcement agents, and tax compliance officers, that, behind the so-called 'Direct Selling industry,' lurked numerous, US-based, advance fee frauds in which tens of millions of transient adherents of criminogenic, cultic organizations like 'Amway' had been peddled (without any payment of tax) hundreds of millions of dollars of effectively-valueless publications, recordings, tickets to meetings, etc. on the pretext that these 'Business Support Materials' contained exclusive secrets which were vital to achieving success.

For more than a decade, government officials in what was then known as the UK Dept. of Trade and Industry, absolutely refused to make any investigation of 'Amway UK Ltd.' As far as I am aware, no tax investigation has ever been launched into the so-called 'Amway tool scam' in the UK. However, the company officers of 'Amway UK Ltd.' and those of the so-called'UK DSA,' immediately became aware of my complaints. Subsequently, in an obvious attempt to obstruct justice, attorneys acting for 'Amway UK Ltd.' were instructed to intimidate me into silence. 'Amway's' attorneys sent poison-pen letters to UK government officials, and politicians, ridiculing and modifying my accusations, in which they steadfastly pretended that I had invented everything because of a private 'vendetta' between myself and my brother. Another poison-pen letter (hand-writen by my brother) detailing this alleged-'vendetta,' was also circulated.

In the late 1990's, an expensive full-page advert appeared for several weeks in various British Sunday newspaper colour-supplements. The advert featured a dream image of a smiling, attractive, thirty-something, heterosexual couple(models) dressed in expensive vintage-style sheepskin flying jackets, posing with a rare 1930s Lagonda sports car (then worth around £200 000) in an English country landscape. The headline caption read: 'If we'd had known how easy it was to start our own business we'd have done it years ago.' The small print revealed that the 'business' was 'Amway,' and details were given of how to get in touch with a representative of the company in the UK. Thus, it was implied that the substantial prosperity and resulting freedom and happiness(which the persons in this advert were displaying), could be easily obtained by anyone through their participation in the 'Amway Business Opportunity.'

It is now known that between 1973 and 2007, at least one million UK and Irish Citizens (including my own brother) were deceived into signing annual contracts with 'Amway UK Ltd.,' in which they were arbitrarily and falsely defined as 'Independent Business Owners.' During this period virtually no 'Amway-'supplied wampum was lawfully-retailed for a net-profit by persons under contract to the company to persons who were not under contract to the company. The result was an effective 100% rolling insolvency/failure rate for so-called 'Independent Amway Businesses' in the UK. Furthermore, we also now know that 'Amway UK Ltd.' was a permanently-insolvent corporate structure which (in total) lost tens of millions of dollars, but which had finally been kept afloat by mysterious cash-injections apparently lawfully-derived from dividends paid on shares held by 'Amway Europe' in 'Amway Korea'.

For 34 years, the slightest information which might have revealed the truth about the counterfeit nature, and effective impossibility, of the so-called 'Amway Business Opportunity,'or what lurked behind it, was deliberately hidden from the public. Thus, the company officers of 'Amway UK Ltd.' and those of the so-called 'UK DSA' were guilty of committing fraud, and of conspiring to commit fraud and to obstruct justice, on behalf of US-based bilionaire racketeers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraud_Act_2006

I have yet to receive any intelligible answer to the following obvious question:

Why (in 2006) did a British Government Minister (advised by senior government officials and lawyers who were in full-possession of the wider-evidence) decide only to file a (civil) public interest bankruptcy petition against the demonstrably-fake 'Direct Selling' company known as 'Amway UK Ltd.,' when its clandestine criminal purpose, which was only part of an overall pattern of major racketeering activity, should have been a matter not just for the UK Serious Fraud Office and the criminal courts, but also for the UK Prime Minister's Office and, probably, the UK Security Services?

David Brear (copyright 2010)

Mr. Steadson is neither original nor unique

Shyam

Your free-thinking reader, 'Rocket,' has again raised the interesting question of the underlying motives of the (Australian) unmasked 'Amway' Lord Haw Haw, Mr. 'IBOFB'Steadson.

Indeed, what possible legitimate reason could any sane, adult individual have for spending all their waking-hours endlessly denying reality (apparently, in return for no material benefit) on behalf of an obvious gang of billionaire charlatans ?

Interestingly, similar questions were raised during WWII about the underlying motives of (Irish-American) William Joyce http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Joyce , the most-notorious of several English language, 'Nazi' radio propagandists who were originally given the general mocking-title, 'Lord Haw Haw,' by free-thinking British commentators.

As you know, William Joyce was just one of a flock of foreign-born, useful idiots whom the 'Nazi' bosses recruited (by manipulating their existing beliefs and instinctual desires) to try to demoralize their opponents. It is now known that Joyce was given no special material reward by the 'Nazi' regime, he was apparently only promised his own dream of unlimited wealth and power in the future 'Aryan Utopia' of 'Nazi'-occupied Britain. Laughably, this deeply-deluded form of expendable propagandist had completely the reverse effect to that which was intended. At first, Joyce was an anonymous figure. However, he was soon unmasked by British Intelligence agents, because of his distinctive (fake) upper-class accent and sneering nasal tone, coupled with the fact that he had been a leading figure in the 'British Union of Fascists' prior to him running away to 'Nazi' Germany.

As I have previously pointed out, the extensive Internet activity of the 'Amway' Lord Haw Haw, is proof in itself that 'Amway' is a major organized crime group. In order to avoid being held to account for their crimes, the billionaire bosses of the 'Amway' mob have sought to control all information entering not only their victims' minds, but also that entering the minds of casual observers. Many commentators now say that satelite television was the final nail in the coffin of the 'Soviet' myth. Since its arrival, the Internet has always been the biggest threat to the survival of the 'Amway/MLM' myth.

Exactly like his 'Nazi' predecessors, Mr. Steadson has been recruited by a gang of absurd, but nonetheless dangerous, charlatans, to try to demoralize their opponents. In this unoriginal role, Mr. Steadson, and his criminal associates, have been obliged constantly to monitor the Internet in order immediately to denigrate all external sources of information whilst constanty repeating their group's reality-inverting key-words and images. This flock of sneering, useful idiots has systematically categorized, condemned and excluded as unenlightened, negative, dishonest, deluded, etc., all free-thinking individuals and any quantifiable evidence challenging the authenticity of 'Amway's' comic-book scenario of control. Laughably, these deeply-deluded expendable propagandists have had completely the reverse effect to that which was intended.

As Winston Churchill rightly observed, 'totalitarian dictators (and their apologists), are either at your throat or at your feet.'

David Brear (copyright 2010)

Irony is lost on the inflexible Mr. Steadson

Shyam

I see that the unmasked 'Amway' Lord Haw Haw, Mr. 'IBOFB'Steadson, has descended to a level of puerile abuse previously occupied on your Blog by the (now-banned) Mr. Scott 'Tex' Johnson. Not only is the poor little lad incapable of performing simple mental arithmetic, he also still cannot comprehend plain English or recognize heavy irony.After all, the heavily ironic title of my previous post was: 'Customers? What customers?'

Perhaps we should explain to the intellectually-challenged Mr. Steadson that it is an ironic use of English to say that, in the UK (in 1999), the half million so-called 'Direct Sellers' had just 48 households each as 'potential, lawful, retail customers.'Since 1973 (when the 'Amway Business Opportunity' myth first infected the UK) virtually no banal, but over-priced,'Amway' wampum has been sold for a net-profit in the UK to persons who were not transient, insolvent contractees of the organization. Given this fact, what difference does it make what the banal, but over-priced, 'Amway' wampum comprised? Bottles of fresh air, could have served the same illegal purpose. In reality, 'Amway' adherents, like the majority of so-called 'Direct Sellers,' have peddled essentially the same endless-chain, counterfeit 'Business Opportunity.'The banal, but over-priced, wampum was there merely to dissimulate this ugly truth and to dodge all less-than-intellectually-rigorous investigation and regulation. The half-million so-called 'Direct Sellers' in the UK (in 1999) had just 48 households each as prospective victims for essentially the same, self-perpetuating, closed-market swindle, not lawful retail customers for diverse products and services.

Amazingly, for an adult who regularly presents himself as fictional masked-pirate whose real identity keeps changing, Mr. Steadson (and his invisible associates) expect your free-thinking readers to accept his masked character's self-proclaimed moral and intellectual authority in all matters(including English law), and without question. Notice how he quotes only part of what I have said, and then pretends thatI am pretending to quote an English law which does not exist, when I clearly state that:

'In theory, in order to earn money lawfully in the UK, the participants in any so-called 'Direct Selling/Marketing scheme' have regularly to retail products (for a net-profit), and/or services (for a net-profit), to a significant number of persons who are not participants in the scheme.Therefore, any so-called 'MLM Business Opportunity' (no matter how it is presented externally) where the overwhelming majority of the participants have remained insolvent, because they did not regularly retail to significant numbers of outsiders (for a net-profit), but instead were obliged regularly to buy effectively-unsaleable products, and/or services, and to find others to do the same (on the pretext that 'the Exact Duplication of a Proven Plan of self-consumption and recruitment can enable anyone to achieve Total Financial Freedom'), is a dissimulated closed-market swindle.'

Mr. Steadson then goes on to post a link to a less-than-intellectually-rigorous loophole of UK Trading Schemes Regulations which appears to allow the perpetration of closed-market swindles, provided these are dissimulated by arbitrarily defining the illegal internal payments of their endless-chains of victims as 'sales and consumption'

What Mr. Steadson has conveniently ignored, is that it is a principle of English Common Law that lying to someone in order to take his/her money is fraud, which is a form of theft.

The billionaire bosses of the 'Amway' mob, and their many copy-cats, have sustained a vast blame-the-victim 'Business Opportunity' fraud which has been maliciously designed to repress all dissent and to dodge all less-than-intellectually-rigorous investigation and regulation around the world.

David Brear (copyright 2010)

Customers? What customers?

Shyam

In theory, in order to earn money lawfully in the UK, the participants in any so-called 'Direct Selling/Marketing scheme' have regularly to retail products (for a net-profit), and/or services (for a net-profit), to a significant number of persons who are not participants in the scheme. Therefore, any so-called 'MLM Business Opportunity' (no matter how it is presented externally) where the overwhelming majority of the participants have remained insolvent, because they did not regularly retail to significant numbers of outsiders (for a net-profit), but instead were obliged regularly to buy effectively-unsaleable products, and/or services, and to find others to do the same (on the pretext that 'the Exact Duplication of a Proven Plan of self-consumption and recruitment can enable anyone to achieve Total Financial Freedom'), is a dissimulated closed-market swindle.

We now know that, during a 34 year period (1973-2007), at least one million so-called 'Direct Sellers' were churned through 'Amway UK Ltd.', but more than 90% never actually made so much as one profitable 'direct sale' to an outsider, whilst effectively all of them remained insolvent. The tiny minority of smartly-dressed, grinning heterosexual couples who were constantly presented in 'Amway UK's' kitsch propaganda as shining examples of 'MLM' success to be copied, were either insolvent dupes, or wealthy schills whose profits secretly derived from a related advance fee fraud (a.k.a.'tool scam').

Apparently (exactly like 'MLM' useful idiot, Tony Blair, in 1999), the unmasked 'Amway' Lord Haw Haw, Mr. IBOFB Steadson, cannot divide 24 millions (or 24 000 000), by 500 000 or (half a million). Perhaps, we should give the numerically-challenged 'MLM' propagandist some help.

If you divide 24 millions by one million, you get 24. So, if you divide 24 millions by half a million, you get 48.

According to UK government statistics, there were around 24 millions households in the UK in 1999. Therefore, if all these households were shared out to all the claimed 500 000 so-called 'UK Direct Sellers,' they would each have had just 48 households as potential, lawful retail customers. Yet (without any explanation) the 'Amway' Lord Haw Haw proclaims:

'500,000 direct sellers and 24 million households does not mean "less than 50 households as potential customers" for each direct seller.'

Judging by his previous, self-contradictory sophistry, Mr. Steadson will probably now try to convince your readers that in 1999, a significant proportion of the 500 000 UK direct sellers were not actually direct sellers (as Tony Blair was led to believe), they were lawful retail customers.

David Brear (copyright 2010)

Everything depends on context

Shyam

I thought that your free-thinking readers might be interested by this recent thought-provoking article on the BBC News Website. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11553099

Unfortunately, your young friend, Trivedi, will not be able to appreciate the important connection between optical illusions and 'MLM' scams. However, if he is able to follow the BBC article, he will discover just how easy it is to fool the human mind, particularly, our visual sense; for an individual's model of visual reality depends on the context in which he/she sees something.

The minds of unquestioning 'MLM' adherents, like Trivedi, have been programmed to look at 'MLM' scams in the reality-inverting, 'positive' context of: 'Business', 'Independence', 'Financial Freedom' , 'Direct Selling', 'Low Risk' , 'Income Opportunity', etc. This reality-inverting 'positive' context has been further confirmed by (apparently independent) : celebrity endorcements, glossy-advertizing, 'Direct Selling Associations' , etc. All of which have actually been financed by the profits of 'MLM' scams.

It is only when you take 'MLM' scams out of their artificially-created 'positive' context, that their true absurdity, and danger, appears.

To give your free-thinking readers some idea of the mathematical absurdity of the entire 'MLM Income Opportunity' myth, I recently posted the shameful transcript of a 'video message of support' made (in 1999) by, 'MLM' useful idiot, Tony Blair (at the instigation of the silver-haired Director of the so-called UK 'Direct Selling Association,' Richard Berry), in which the former UK Prime Minister spoke of almost 500 000 'Direct Sellers' in the UK. Unfortunately, at that time (according to his own government's statistics), there were less than 24 millions households in Britain. In other words, Mr. Blair was unable to see (due to the artificially-created 'positive' context in which he'd been shown 'Direct Selling') that each so-called 'UK Direct Seller' had less than 50 households as potential customers.

In reality, effectively 100% of all the tens of millions of transient persons around the globe who have signed reality-inverting contracts with so-called 'Direct Selling' companies during the previous 50+ years, have not received one cent of net-income (let alone earned their living) by legally, and regularly, directly-selling products, and/or services (supplied at a controlled-price and quality by these companies) for a profit, to persons who were not under contract to the same so-called 'Direct Selling' companies.

Far from being an authentic income opportunity, 'Direct Selling' has been the reality-inverting 'positive' label for one of the most-extensive, and sustainable, closed-market swindles of all time.

David Brear (copyright 2010)

The business model of all IDSA members is illegal

Here goes the list of the members of Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA). Let us examine their modus operandi how they are cheating the people of India.

4Life Trading India Ltd.

4Life believes in building people through Science, Success, and Service. So, no matter what you’re looking for- fantastic health, unrivaled time.

4Life Trading India claims like all direct selling companies that its products are unique. It boasts that its products would improve immune system function by up to 437 per cent. Its products are very expensive. For instance, Transfer Factor Plus Tri-Factor (90 capsules) costs Rs. 3600. This product provides the ultimate in immune system support for the body (whatever that mean). They do not reveal whether it is medicine or food supplement.

A 120-capsule bottle of GluCoach costs Rs. 2235. This product claims to support the metabolic and endocrine system.

Another product Cardio which costs Rs. 1965 is said to support a healthy heart and proper cardiovascular function.

Here is a funny product called RioVida which costs Rs. 3850 and it is claimed that it ‘educates, enhances and balances the immune system’ again whatever that means.

Tri-factor (60 capsules) is claimed to be vegetable capsule, once again whatever that means. It costs Rs. 2600 and the company says that ‘smart becomes wise’ with Tri-Factor.

The modus operandi is simple. There are several packages to become a distributor. By paying Rs. 24, 400 one could become India Diamond4Life distributor or could be sponsored by an already existing distributor. There are several types of packages like Rs 7,200, Rs. 950 and Rs. 250. For all these packages, taxes extra. To get rewards and infinite commissions, the distributor has to enroll three people in a month who each personally should purchase products worth 100 LP i.e. each of them must purchase products worth Rs. 7200 and make sure they purchase 100 LP the next month as well.

Daehsan Trading (India) P.

Ltd., Delhi

Through our proven free enterprise system, we help more people enjoy better health, financial independence and personal.

This Malaysian-based company is selling Reishi Gano, a kind of mushroom essence. It also markets a large range of products like Natural food supplements, cosmetics and toiletries, beverages and ayurvedic products.

The DXN claims that its products increase oxygen supply to blood circulation, relieves fatigue, cleanses blood, serves as a brain tonic, stabilizes nervous system, stabilizes blood pressure and eliminates water soluble toxins.

If anybody wants to become a member, one has to be sponsored by a DXN member by paying Rs. 500. Every member has to purchase products worth Rs. 3,000 i.e. 1000 pv to make him eligible for the bonus for that month.

K-Link Healthcare (India) Pvt. Ltd., Chennai Our Mission is to establish an International Network Marketing Company that fulfills our commitments and responsibilities This company also offers a wide range of products like Ayurvedic, beauty care, health care, health drinks, health food.

K-Link also sells some mysterious products like Deep Heat oil, Energy cream, Energy liquid, Black jade, Energy Elegant Jade ring, Energy Jade ring, Energy sticker, Energy touch whatever they are used for. These are sold under Universe Induced Energy (UIE) category. These could be branded as magic remedies.

This Chennai-based company offers two plans to become members. Under Plan A, a member gets commission of 74 per cent and the under Plan B, the member gets 72 per cent commission.

One has to be sponsored by an existing member by paying Rs. 650 to become a member and he would be paid commission if he enrolls more members. He would also get additional points on the business turnover of his downline members. This is also another chain marketing system.

Altos Enterprises Ltd. Ludhiana Altos Enterprises Ltd. is India's leading internationally recognized Indian Direct Selling Company. The products of this company are diversified from rice, personal care, home care, health car, hair care, garments, FMCG, aroma natural beauty, business literature and agriculture aid.

By paying Rs. 649, a member gets 60 capsules of Nutroton, 400 BV, 10 to 25 per cent retail profit, distributor’s death benefit. Practically, there is no entry fee. But if the member keeps on enrolling new members, his business volume increases. Suppose a member enrolls fifteen persons and they in turn enroll 35 persons, the total would be 50 and the member would get a monthly income of Rs. 5,200 provided he purchases products worth 1000 pv every month. The website of this company is complete with drawings of pyramid scheme.

Elken International India Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore Trusted To Care , Trusted To Nurture, Trusted To Lead, Trusted To Offer Only The Best This also Malaysia-based company is selling a variety products right from health care, body & beauty care, personal care, water purifying systems so on and so forth. Apart from mushroom-based products, it also sells Arabian dates too. This company also offers bonuses of up to 71 per cent on the sale of products and commission on the business of downline members.

To become a member one has to pay Rs. 3000 for the business kit. A distributor from Bihar said that it is not possible to sell these high-priced products in Bihar and he lost a lot of money in this scam. Anyway it is impossible to sell these products anywhere in the world. There are a sizable number of people who lost in this scam.

Mary Kay Cosmetics Pvt Ltd. Gurgaon Mary Kay is one of the largest direct selling cosmetics companies in the world. With its Mission of “Enriching Women’s Lives”.

The US-based company sells skin care, makeup, and body care and fragrance products. If anybody wants to become `an independent beauty consultant,’ one has to be sponsored by a member i.e. enrollment. The company also offers a ‘dream business opportunity’ with rewards like diamond bracelet and foreign trips and even luxury cars on achieving sales targets i.e. enrollment targets. It has three offices in India. However it is limited so far to only Metros in the country. Mainly it targets high society women in the higher income group.

AMC Cookware (India) Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore Since 1963, we have been committed to a new culinary culture, true to our motto "Eat better. Live better." This company offers multi-cooking system, bio-cleaners, power vacuum system and some other special products like knives, frying pans. The products are guaranteed for 30 years. This is also work from home concept. Anyway one has to join through a registered consultant. All products are expensive. Now, the company is spreading its tentacles because of the growing purchasing power of Indians. They opened a shop in Vijayawada too.

When contacted the person in-charge says that the cooking utensils are made of surgical steel which is an outright lie and not mentioned in the website. This is how people are misled to join the scheme.

Forever Living Products (India) P. Ltd., Mumbai

For over 25 years, Forever Living Products has dedicated itself to seeking out nature's best sources for health and beauty, the website claims.

The company‘s business model is also a pyramid structure. A distributor after enrolling under a distributor, of course, without any entry fee, has to enroll more people under him to claim bonus and extra commission on the business done by his downline. The company claims in its website that nobody in the downline should ever be promoted above the distributor. A promotion for the downline should be a promotion for the upline too, it claims. It is amply clear that it is also a pyramid structure. The website induces people by stating that there are multiple income opportunities to earn money. Recruitment is the main source of income of the scheme of this company. All its products are aloe vera-based and are very expensive. The promoters claim that these products have therapeutic value. A toothpaste tube is sold for Rs.220. The rest could be imagined.

Max New York Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Gurgaon Max New York life insurance provides life insurance solutions, children's plan and retirement solution.

This Insurance company offers Rs. One crore insurance policy for a paltry amount of Rs. 1300 per month. It is too good to be true. The website never reveals the percentage of amount to be deducted under policy administration charges in the first year. It never reveals how a Rs. 1300 per month premium becomes Rs. One crore in 20 years. It gives a toll free number for further details. However the number won’t work. Just a pyramid structured business model.

Amway India Enterprises, Noida, UP Amway India Enterprises is the country's leading direct selling FMCG-company .It manufactures & sells world-class products sourced from India. Its business opportunity & all products are covered by 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Its business model is 6-4-3 and it has been cheating millions of people all over world. Already the Andhra Pradesh High Court has held that its business model is illegal. Criminal cases are pending against the company.

Herbalife International India (Pvt) Ltd., Bangalore Herbalife is a premier nutrition and weight-management company. We offer life-changing products and an unparalleled business. One comes across advertisements all over to reduce weight or increase weight. If one falls for it, he is going to lose a lot of money apart from weight. This is also a pyramid structured business model. One has to become a distributor by paying Rs. 2800 and he has to enroll more members into the scheme. He gets paid for enrollment and product sales.

It offers Herbalife products at a discount to the distributor and he achieves higher level in sales he gets an opportunity to travel abroad. It could be safely said that it is also a pyramid scheme.

Modicare Ltd., Delhi It is said that behind every successful business is a person who once made a courageous decision. In the case of the Modicare the distributor is called Independent Business Consultant (IBC). It is also the same model like Amway India selling several types of products at exorbitant price.

It is also a pyramid structured business model. Though becoming an IBC is free i.e. without entry free, one has to enroll more persons to get commission.

Avon Beauty Products India Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon Avon for over 120 years has empowered women professionally and through financial earning opportunity.

This company claims that it is a company for women. It even offers free distributorship and sell the products and pay later to the company. On personal sales the distributor gets a 30 per cent commission and 17 per cent more on the group sales. IF the distributor enrolls more persons, she could earn more. A typical pyramid scheme.

Hindustan Unilever Network, Mumbai 160 million times a day, someone somewhere chooses a Unilever product. From feeding your family to keeping your home clean. When told, a die-hard fan of Hindustan Unilever refused to believe that the company is now into multilevel marketing. After showing the website only he believed and said it is sad that a good company like this should resort to such dubious means. The company is selling all its products with different names at exorbitant prices in the multilevel marketing to make easy/quick money.

It is modus operandi is same that of Amway India. To become an HUN consultant, one has to be sponsored by an already existing member after paying membership fee and buy products from the stock point. The initial membership fee is Rs. 995 and the first invoice is Rs. 1400. Depending upon the purchase of products, the HUN Consultant would acquire points to get commission. If he enrolls more consultants, he would get more points. This is also a pyramid structured business model.

Oriflame India Pvt. Ltd., Delhi

Oriflame claims that it is today one of the fastest growing beauty companies selling direct. It claims to specializes in natural Swedish cosmetics. Its beauty products are, like the products of all direct selling companies, exorbitantly priced. One has to become a beauty consultant to purchase products and introduce more consultants to earn more commission.

CNI Enterprise (India) Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore Achievement powers the desire to perform. CNI, Creative Network International, a Direct Sales organization empowers growth.

Right from skin care products, food beverages, food products to water purifiers, it has several products which are exorbitantly priced. It also offers compensation plan for the CNI distributors. Its welcome kit is only Rs. 249. Like all IDSA members the distributors are also given fancy titles. This Malaysia–based company offers a ‘unique’ dubious idea to inherit the business earnings from generation to generation. So if one becomes a distributor, his children, grand children and great grand children would inherit the earnings. What a great inducement!

Jafra Ruchi Cosmetics India Pvt. Ltd.

It is yet to come out of the womb

Tupperware India Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon For over 60 years, Tupperware has made an unwavering commitment to Enlighten, Educate and Empower women and their families. Most of the products are for kitchen storage purpose. Its business model is Chain of Confidence campaign which in fact is nothing but a chain marketing or network marketing, referral marketing. Whatever it is called it is also a money circulation scheme. It induces housewives to purchase products and tell their friends to purchase the products by becoming distributors under their downline to earn extra income.