07-26-2024, 02:49 PM
Klass 'modus operandi':
Following on from this (rather good) analysis of the CIA sponsored UFO Robertson Panel, Richard Dolan just released another video featuring researcher Kathleen Marden discussing the antics of debunker / pseudosceptic / disinformant Philip J. Klass.
Some interesting info in there including how Klass was under FBI investigation and thought the vid did a great job of exploring his 'modus operandi' within UFO research and the possible agendas behind his active smear campaigns, ad hominem attacks and insidious character assassination attempts.
Disinformation Agent: The Truth About Philip Klass.
Shame he''s not with us anymore but Stanton Friedman's last book 'Fact, Fiction and Flying Saucers' was co-authored with Kathleen Marden and also contains some insanely interesting nuggets of info on Klass revealed from the American Philosophical Society Archives.
Here she is discussing the close (and extremely curious) connections between Klass, Menzel, Low and Condon.
My own personal feelings are that Klass was the exact opposite of a genuine, open minded sceptic and the way he hounded and derided (lots of) other UFO witnesses, researchers and scientists like Dr James E. Mcdonald (who he mounted an 'extended, concerted campaign' against) was an absolute disgrace.
Seems the USAF also didn't take him very seriously and even the sceptical team of plasma experts on the notoriously agenda based Condon Committee rejected his theories as 'unscientific' - perhaps that's why he eventually abandoned them and just arrogantly assumed that all UFO incidents could be explained as hoaxes or misidents.
Also seems there are quite a few avenues to explore in his connection to the CIA (just like Menzel was in the employ of the NSA).
Philip Klass, an electrical engineer who according to one well respected researcher Jerome Clark, 'was an obsessed crank who contributed little to the UFO debate except noise, strange rhetoric, pseudoscientific speculation, and character assassination' - as always any opinions welcome as long as they stay on topic.
Quote:Hendry objected strongly to Klass's modus operandi, which Hendry argued was based on suppressed and distorted evidence, unscientific reasoning, ad hominem attacks, smear campaigns, character assassination, scientific bait and switch tactics, and seemingly refusing to evaluate evidence that conflicted with his preconceptions.
Following on from this (rather good) analysis of the CIA sponsored UFO Robertson Panel, Richard Dolan just released another video featuring researcher Kathleen Marden discussing the antics of debunker / pseudosceptic / disinformant Philip J. Klass.
Some interesting info in there including how Klass was under FBI investigation and thought the vid did a great job of exploring his 'modus operandi' within UFO research and the possible agendas behind his active smear campaigns, ad hominem attacks and insidious character assassination attempts.
Disinformation Agent: The Truth About Philip Klass.
Quote:In the history of the study of UFOs, Philip J. Klass takes the title as the leading debunker of the subject. For forty years, his name was practically synonymous with the idea of UFO skepticism. He was regularly cited throughout the mainstream media as an authoritative voice on the subject, and his work helped to stifle acceptance about the reality of UFOs. But Kathleen Marden has investigated the background of Philip Klass and found it to be highly questionable.. Without a doubt, Klass's knowledge of the UFO subject was superficial, but his relentless smear campaigns and personal attacks against leading UFO researchers more than made up for that. To this day, Klass is lionized by the skeptical community, but in fact has left them with a shameful legacy. Kathleen's research on this subject is highlighted in her recent book, Fact, Fiction and Flying Saucers: The Truth Behind the Misinformation, Distortion, and Derision by Debunkers, Government Agencies, and Conspiracy Conmen, which she co-authored with the late Stanton T. Friedman.
Shame he''s not with us anymore but Stanton Friedman's last book 'Fact, Fiction and Flying Saucers' was co-authored with Kathleen Marden and also contains some insanely interesting nuggets of info on Klass revealed from the American Philosophical Society Archives.
Here she is discussing the close (and extremely curious) connections between Klass, Menzel, Low and Condon.
My own personal feelings are that Klass was the exact opposite of a genuine, open minded sceptic and the way he hounded and derided (lots of) other UFO witnesses, researchers and scientists like Dr James E. Mcdonald (who he mounted an 'extended, concerted campaign' against) was an absolute disgrace.
Seems the USAF also didn't take him very seriously and even the sceptical team of plasma experts on the notoriously agenda based Condon Committee rejected his theories as 'unscientific' - perhaps that's why he eventually abandoned them and just arrogantly assumed that all UFO incidents could be explained as hoaxes or misidents.
Also seems there are quite a few avenues to explore in his connection to the CIA (just like Menzel was in the employ of the NSA).
Philip Klass, an electrical engineer who according to one well respected researcher Jerome Clark, 'was an obsessed crank who contributed little to the UFO debate except noise, strange rhetoric, pseudoscientific speculation, and character assassination' - as always any opinions welcome as long as they stay on topic.
