In the later clip, which actually occurred earlier I believe, Sweeney and “Timmy Cruise” are standing out side and Sweeney says something like, “…although some people say it’s a sinister cult. Now–L. Ron Hubbard, some people say that he’s a fantasist and a liar–”.

Not only does he throw down the Sinister Cult card and immediately fold that hand, he then deals again with name-calling against Hubbard. So he’s engaging in a bit of baiting himself–as a “veteran BBC correspondent”, he knows a thing or two about getting his point of view on the record while buffaloing the subject of the interview on to the next topic, without a chance to respond to the first. Sweeney’s baiting is just as egregious as the Cruisette’s, it’s just not as polished. Scientologists, like Conservatives, are used to hostile discourse, whereas lefty BBC reporters, like American University liberals, are accustomed to the deference due their superior enlightened views.
So the Tom Cruise wannabe pretends to blow what little stack he has for the benefit of the cameras. My guess is that throughout this program, we would see the Scientology Cultists masterfully manipulating this preening boob Sweeney so that once they got him into the Chamber of Horrors (or whatever it’s called), he was primed to go off, and the combination of shocking images and being yelled at by an irritating (but very effective) little man was just too much for poor Sweeney.
Beaten at his own game, he truly lost it. If he were the type of man who knew how to yell for effect, I suspect that he would have had a better rationale than “showing that my voice is louder than yours”. When he started yelling he was okay, but why on earth did he retreat into screaming at the top of lungs about which half of the interview somebody was going to finish? He wasn’t even thinking anymore. I think that the sudden switch to an inappropriately calm tone is an attempt to regain control. “Do you understand? DO YOU–”

It doesn’t work.

As for this:

“I’m a British subject not an American citizen–in my country we have freedom of speech. I have a right to report that. I have a right to report that, Tommy.”

Pompous Windbag pwned by Cultist Dishrag

Now I’m really annoyed. This jackass is so full of himself that, thanks to him, I now feel something other than utter and complete contempt for the professional Scientologist–I now have to give a little grudging respect. *That’s* annoying.

If this cult wasn’t filled with Hollywood nuts, but instead midwestern unknowns

, Janet Reno would be rolling in with the tanks.

THEN I started reading about a gal named Lisa McPhearson and I don’t find them ammusing in the least. I wont criticize them for the alien parts of their beliefs, but the anger and hostility has to be exposed.

Oh, and Scientology is a fraud.

They got into a fair-use fight with ytmnd and lost.

And yes, they get tax exempt status…

Correct Scientology terminology is bull-baiting. They train at this from very early stages and continue the training for as long as they are Scientologists.
Try this technique at home. Engage in normal give and take conversation but just as the other party is about to speak – very casually clip him off, speak over him about anything off topic. Do it every time he is about to speak. If that person does not simply walk away but continues to play, only a matter of time until he’s upset, maybe angered. Expertly done it can cause a person to go from zero to hot under the collar in under a minute. Especially in a room where all people in the room silently unblinkingly stare at the one being bull-baited as though he had body odor problems.
Work the word crime or criminal into a conversation. Some people will flinch or react in some way as the word brings to his mind a memory of his own crime – anything from shoplifting, spouse cheating, income tax on up. A person with malice might keep at saying crime or criminal just to get a subconscious rise out of another, get him off balance.
Some folks just crack in pieces if you move your face close to their face, if you then yell – others crack, some crack from the Jack Bauer hoarse whisper.
Athletes play at this stuff all the time, so do Drill Instructors. Because it works. You can own someone else’s mind – just long enough to kick his ass by having him so busy introverting that he expends no energy on you. Domination.

And as a PR tool? Look at the headline above.
The subject of that sentence is BBC reporter.
Not to say that this will have fully countered whatever facts the BeeB may air tonight but the story is certainly undermined before it even has aired.
Scientology knows the power of PR. Is it any wonder they recruit so heavily in Hollywood?

Does Scientology actually get tax-exempt status?

I’m sure they were pumping on all of the mental handles they shoved into the poor sot while he was their bitch.

It seemed extremely fake and done for show.

CREEEEEEEEPY…but not without logical strategy.

If Scientology is a real religion, then I’m a reform Jedi.

stonemeister on May 14, 2007 at 9:45 AM

Heh. And I’m Princess Leia!

“Tell us what has you so stressed out.”

“Nothin’, I’m drinkin’ beer and chasin’ skirts!”

HAHAHA! Beer and chicks. You should’ve said “Maybe you oughta try gettin’ drunk and laid sometime and relieve some of YOUR stress!”

Fruedian losers. “Tell me about your mother.” haha

Locke can’t be dead…we need him now more than ever!

Me and a Buddy O’Mine were in Burbank one time walking through the downtown/touristy section when we see an outdoor booth and table set up and full of people. We go to see what it’s all about when this really hot chick walks up and says “Hey guys! Wanna take a stress test?” I look over at the table and there’s that little machine just like I saw on Southpark! My buddy, who’s so nice that he’s kinda gullible, is like “Duh, ok hotgirl.” (All he really said was OK, but you know how guys act around pretty girls, “Duuuh, ok.”). I grabbed his arm and said “No! Let’s get outta here.” He’s single, so he says “Dude, whattaya doin’? That chick was HOT!” I said “Yeah, and that hot chick is one of those Scientologist freaks, they wanna recruit us.” He used to be a preacher so he says “Oh, well then we should pray for those … weirdos.” haha

Scientology – learning from and adopting the tactics of CAIR, a little more each day.

Where’s Locke when you need him!

Malpaso on May 14, 2007 at 10:08 AM

Well it looks like he may be dead, although I’m pretty sure that explanation is way too simple.

Once when I was living in Denmark I was cornered and ended up taking the scientologists little e-meter test and they tried to get me to open up to them about what was causing stress and anxiety in my life. After 20 minutes of explaining that I was having the time of my life in Denmark, drinking great beer and meeting beautiful girls, didn’t have a care in the world and was completely stress- free they basically told me there was nothing they could do for me. From then on I realized they prey on the downtrodden and worried to spread their propaganda.

Where’s Locke when you need him!

Several thousand dollars will buy you the same information from them.

At that time it was fairly obvious that the rank and file were a mix of societal outcasts and losers who were being manipulated by a cadre of elitists. These Scientology Leaders were taking advantage of both their followers and the tax exempt status afforded to “religions” to make a potful of money.

They now own most of the real estate in downtown Clearwater.