Exopolitics – a new streaming in ufology?

In the modern history, the UFO issue and its possible result in the form of contact with the extraterrestrial life traces back to 1947. It has undergone its own development influenced by many local and international political and also by personal subjective factors, and foremost by the commercial deformations. This area has touched wide layers of people, and has become a meaningful sociological phenomenon. It also touched philosophical and religious views of many persons.

Despite the persuasion of non-specialists as well as some researchers that this issue is worth mentioning, it has to react to endless invectives and frauds that slowly come to terms with the changing political influences or the scientific-technical progress. The researchers in this field seem to solve always the same cases and the problems related to them. They also lead immense archives and statistics besides the exclusion of some cases or their comparison to familiar phenomena.

The solution or just simple registration of dynamic procedures which are active within the ufology requires certain basic overview and also deep knowledge of the established scientific disciplines. This is mostly not in capacity of single amateur researchers any more. They are able to solve just a narrow extant of basic questions within the national states. In such amateur conditions a collaboration of more specializations within the research teams is necessary and required.

That is why such people occur who have the ufology as their special occupation, which they are dependent on with their income. Journalists and authors belong to those, i.e. such researchers earning from selling of books and managing websites.

Such persons create an image often different from reality and often in the direct contradiction with reality. In the books and articles regarding mainly the interest of possible readers, controversial and often totally fictional data are presented without any limits. Such data are presented as if they were well known and verified facts. 

In this situation a beholder from outside or a new person interested in this field may get two completely different pictures: on one hand a picture full of uncertainty (topics that seem not to have made any progress in the past 60 years in contrast to the development in sciences, information that we cannot rely on despite the current possibilities for their distribution) and on the other hand the picture without any doubts (the latter meets the rising demand for synthesis of different opinions, which makes it seem to have an answer to every question). More than that, he latter presents an answer (and explanation) to the above-mentioned contradiction of the two pictures: The „official“ ufology did not get any further just for the reason of its control by the state bodies that slow down its progress and keep all important information in secret. Therefore, „it is necessary to work separately, in distance and to create a new field of study, that would not have to bear the uncertainty and mockery.

The creation of exopolitics

In this way the exopolitics has been created. This streaming has begun to influence the ufology strongly. 

It has excluded itself already by the choice of the name – without the UFO title (unidentified flying objects) it has definitely rejected any uncertainty about the subject of its interest. Exopolitics suggests a persuasion that the contact with extraterrestrial civilizations is not only beyond any doubt, but it has also reached such a level that requires not only description and registration of those relations, but also an active approach to their shaping and regulation.

Exopolitics has borrowed its name from the science-fiction literature, where this term has rarely appeared in a few novels and tales, describing interplanetary relations between mankind and extraterrestrial civilizations. We will see further, that this inspiration is not a coincidence. In many of their texts, the exopolitical authors often refer to science-fiction films and series. (1)

Exopolitics should be such a kind of politics that would be focused on relations between inhabitants, governments of planet Earth, mankind in one word on one side and on the other side inhabitants of other planets or other worlds in general.

But as an interest movement it has been defined as a „scientific discipline“ by its founders ( Michael E. Salla, Alfred L. Webre, S. Basset). They also claim it belongs to the „political sciences“. , (!), etc.:

„Exopolitics is a new scientific discipline that focuses on the political aspects of interactions with extraterrestrial life. It studies the key individuals, institutions and political processes that are associated with extraterrestrial life in general, as well as, more specifically, those associated with the extraterrestrial presence here on Earth. It therefore belongs to the political sciences .“ (2)

The creation of this streaming traces back approximately to the period around the turn of millennium. Its forerunner was the so called Project Disclosure, concentrating on the collection of cases of former soldiers, policemen and other workers of state bodies in various countries. (3).

Also the phenomenon of the year 2000 has contributed to the creation of exopolitics. Entering the new millennium and seemingly new situation in which the horizon of the society is suddenly extensively broader thanks to information technologies. 

The key approach of exopolitics is basically the acceptance of all information on contacts with extraterrestrial civilizations or creatures without any reservations. Thus they resurrect old, familiar frauds (that already were proven or confessed to be frauds ) which they show as real facts. (4)

Because it opens a large radius for all opinions and streamings, that have been in the field of ufology so far, it also includes the so called „contacting“, i.e. divination of extraterrestrials in a completely bizarre kind of religion without having any critical view. (5)

It has a verification of its conclusions in the examples of science fiction literature and films through which it attracts other groups of persons interested in the issue. After all, it is often difficult to recognize the difference between sci-fi and exopolitical texts though they seem to be meant seriously. (6) 

On the contrary, sober attitudes to the issue of UFO are being refused and explained as a part of disinformation campaign by state bodies. 

According to M. Sally, one of the founders of exopolitics, the first and still working „UFO researchers represent the function of intellectual guards“, (…) „their methodological approach is much more resembling the catholic inquisition than any modern scientific attitude“, (…) and the result of their activities is „a very limited set of data“. (7)

The research efforts and a detailed investigation of UFO cases is therefore useless and superficial and has no real value. This personal racy approach to the materials studied, M. Sallo proves to promote: „just the lack of empiric or documentary materials is not a suitable basis for refusing the trustworthy sources, but only an additional factor for evaluating someone´s exopolitical analysis. What is more needed than the narrow-sighted empirical verification of evidence (that may be distorted, removed or falsified as well as a statement of any witness) is the use of qualitative method of a humanity (any social science). (8)

To be more specific, if somebody created an „exopolitical analysis“, it is already a trustworthy source of information. If there is a lack evidence, it is good to think it out. It is unbelievable that such words were said by an university professor. 

The basic features of exopolitical streaming are based on a few points that currently present some (seeming) advantages for further activities (and new members recruitment). 

 the concentration of all actual streamings, opinions and theories into the subject of their interest disregarding at the same time the credibility (or trustworthy contribution) of such opinions can assure many new persons interested in this field if science
 by giving instant categorical answers, they suit to the nature of younger impatient persons and they seem to fit even to those connected with UFO for many years, as they finally get a certain guarantee that their interest and efforts were not in vain.
 in order to become a follower of any exopolitical streaming, you do not need any sophisticated skills or knowledge and you are not pushed to do anything.
 this principle of preferring the individual approach is obvious in the „divination“ of the so called „contacters“. Their key role as single persons in politics can seemingly bring the only right important discoveries. Any team work, that demands a certain level of sophistication, discipline or responsibility, is not needed at all.
By establishing the exopolitical streaming in the Czech republic a model situation has appeared that is copying the basic ideological and procedural features known also elsewhere.

At the establishing meeting of the new exopolitical group things began to develop dramatically, when the first local followers of exopolitics accused the ongoing ufology structures of connection to the intelligence services. (9)

Even in the first moments of existence of the new website (Exopolitika.cz), many people expressed their opinion on the need of establishing and registration of a new association, which the representatives of the exopolitical concept totally disregarded (in accordance with their ideas).

What about the further development?

The creation of exopolitics and processes connected to it have resulted in fulfilling the UFO field by nonsense. The expansion of UFO issues and other anomalous phenomena among the broadest social layers will lead to the degradation of their level. Who will profit on such a development?

Exopolitics needs consumers, not researchers. There is a question though, how long the followers of exopolitics would enjoy their passive role.

The further development will show whether it is possible to maintain this generally embracing streaming without inner tensions and differentiations between sober researchers and non-critical followers. That will happen only when this streaming does not profane itself before and the more sober members are already not away.

The concentration of many streamings under one roof will lead to centrifugal tendencies after the initial enthusiasm has disappeared. Such tendencies will awaken conflicts and a lawful result in disintegration.

The strong individualism of representatives in the centre will necessarily evoke inner arguments and collisions. In order to prevent that, M. Salla expresses a strange recommendation: „As I said above, unanimity is neither necessary nor healthy for the growth of the exopolitics discipline and movement.“ (11)

In addition to that, the growing competition among the books and films publishers will lead to the increase of fantasy in presented information, which will result in further discretization of the ufology and all enigmatic issues as well as everybody interested in them.

What we cannot deny is that exopolitics will represent a seemingly new, modern and progressive streaming for a few years until its attraction disappears and new groups of researchers get older and more sophisticated. In the Czech Republic it will always be strongly dependant on the idols from abroad, whose relations, development and conflicts will come to us with certain logical delay. Such delay will enable the critics to prepare themselves for the next development and to react in advance. 

L. Šafařík, KPUFO.EU

Links

(1) Salla, M.: Star Trek vs Solar Warden – the real Starfleet. http://www.examiner.com/x-2383-Honolulu-Exopolitics-Examiner~y2009m5d8-Star-Trek-vs-Solar-Warden--the-real-Starfleet  
(2) Exopolitics. http://www.exopaedia.org/?Exopolitics . 
„Exopolitics is a new scientific discipline that focuses on the political aspects of interactions with extraterrestrial life. It studies the key individuals, institutions and political processes that are associated with extraterrestrial life in general, as well as, more specifically, those associated with the extraterrestrial presence here on Earth. It therefore belongs to the political sciences.“
(3) Project Disclosure - http://www.disclosureproject.org/index.shtml  
(4) Salla, M: Extraterrestrials Among Us http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/exopolitica/esp_exopolitics_ZZZN.htm, Interview With Neil Freer Interview With Wendelle Stevens. UFO magazíne Volume 22, Number 6, Issue 135. 
(5) Salla, M.: Balancing Advanced Technologies of ETs With Universal Wisdom of Celestials. http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/esp_autor_salla.htm  
(6) Salla, M.: Richard Doty and Project Serpo - "Public Acclimation" or "Deception Program"? http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/sociopol_projectSERPO08.htm  
(7) Sally, M.: Misperceptions and Fables About Exopolitics. http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/exopolitica/esp_exopolitics_ZZZZZZZH.htm  : 
„Sadly, many UFO researchers fulfill the function of intellectual gatekeepers for a distinct methodological approach based on empirical verification. (…) „Unfortunately, their methodological approach has more to do with the Catholic Inquisition than any modern scientific approach to the data in question. (…) 
The result of the filtering process may lead to a highly restricted set of data that answers the question whether UFOs are real interplanetary vehicles, but leaves precious little for public policy analysis of evidence pointing to many related political processes, e.g. …“ 
Sally, M.: „The Need for Exopolitics: Implications of Extraterrestrial Conspiracy Theories for Policy Makers & Global Peace.“ http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc1043.htm  
(8) Sally, M.: Misperceptions and Fables About Exopolitics. http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/exopolitica/esp_exopolitics_ZZZZZZZH.htm 
„Consequently, the absence of empirical or documentary verification is not a suitable basis for dismissing evidentiary sources but simply an additional factor to be considered in one's exopolitical analysis.“
„That invites the use of qualitative social science methods rather than a myopic focus on empirical validation of evidence that can always be distorted, removed or faked just as easily as witness testimony.“
(9) Rašín, K.: The greatest hoax of ufology in Czech Republic. http://www.exopolitika.cz/news/the-greatest-hoax-of-ufology-in-czech-republic/  
(10) Radim, Discussion at: Exopolitika.cz, 28.12.2009 
(11) (8) Sally, M.: Misperceptions and Fables About Exopolitics. http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/exopolitica/esp_exopolitics_ZZZZZZZH.htm