Alien
Essays
by Richard M. Dolan
Note:
In addition to working on
Volume 2 of my history of UFOs and the National Security State, I write
articles for this website. Many of these concern various aspects of the UFO
phenomenon, some of which have not been adequately addressed by others. Other
articles deal with my other passion: trying to find a way to halt the erosion of
freedom in our world, and also possibly our slide down the precipice of a weary
and unstable civilization. This page of the website is an ongoing project.
Currently, I am concentrating on trying to complete Volume 2, and so am writing
new articles only on an occasional basis.
UFO Secrecy and the Death of the American Republic - In Two Parts. An attempt to explain, from yet another angle of approach, how the UFO phenomenon fits in with the rest of American history. Within the first week, it was clear to me that this was, depending on your point of view, the best or the worst article I've done. I will say that it took the most out of me, and I personally consider it my best statement to date on the nature of the "big picture," although this remains a big picture from a primarily "human" point of view. Part One published 2/21/05. Part Two published 2/28/05.
Peter Jennings and UFOs: Spinning and Deceiving - My comments on the ABC special on UFOs. Published 2/25/05.
Writing Again. A Personal Note from Rich Dolan. I did not write any articles for six months. What happened? Published 2/18/05.
UFOs are Real. So Now What? The UFO era has been with us for a long time. As with any long-time partner, it has had its ups and downs, and it’s something we usually take for granted. But important issues remain, despite their place on the back burner of our collective consciousness. Published 8/18/04.
The Real Wonderland. As cynical and worldly as some of us like to think we are, most of us broadly accept the portrayal of reality by our so-called news media. The media not only tells us what constitutes "news," but indeed what are its proper boundaries. But our shared, official, culture, is closer to Alice’s Wonderland than we suspect. Published 8/5/04.
Understanding UFOs and the Media: Puncturing a Myth. Is there a government plan to acclimate the public to the reality of UFOs? Does this involve coordination with the major branches of media? I rather doubt it. Published 7/29/04.
The Unveiling of the National Security State. All things change, including our time-honored system of government. We have entered into a new era, marked by the existence of an omnipresent state, controlled by the very few, bound by no law but its own. Welcome to the New World Order. Published 7/14/04.
(Not) Knowing the Future. There are no shortage of predictions, both utopian and dire, of the future of mankind and our beautiful Earth. We need to continue thinking about our future, but would do well to remind ourselves that reality is usually far more radical than our wildest dreams. Published 7/01/04.
We Hate Truth. To live in 21st century America is to live in a fundamentally dishonest society, in which it becomes necessary to lie to oneself as a matter of daily life. Maybe this is a part of the eternal human condition, but things do seem to be getting worse. Published 6/21/04.
Of Astronauts and Aliens. One does hear a lot about astronauts and aliens these days. Several months ago, Astronaut Edgar Mitchell stated that alien bodies are being secretly studied. Just a few weeks ago, another statement alleged that Lt. Col. Ellison Onizuka, of the ill-fated Challenger mission, has his own connection. Published 6/13/04.
Government Lies and UFOs. The lies and coverup regarding UFO phenomena by the American national security state is nothing new. Indeed, it is simply standard operating procedure. Our leaders lie about everything important, including UFOs. This is a three-part series. Published on 5/23/04, 5/30/04, and 6/6/04.
Mexican UFO Case Still Unsolved. After the news was released in early May 2004 that a Mexican Air Force interceptor encountered several invisible objects that registered clearly on radar and infrared systems, a number of articles appeared that attempted to explain the event as either weather phenomena or new stealth technology. Such conclusions are very premature. Published 5/16/04.
SETI Know-Nothings and the Teachable Moment. Our current era of exploration on Mars has got some people thinking about that old bugaboo of NASA and SETI: the dreaded "Face on Mars." Regarding SETI, in particular, it seems that whenever the media spotlight turns on them, the organization feels a compunction to attack the entire issue of UFOs. Published 5/9/04.
How to Marginalize an Astronaut. This piece discusses an amazing recent statement by Apollo 14 astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell concerning the possession of alien bodies by a secret group of "insiders." I contrast that statement with the astonishingly cavalier treatment of this claim the mainstream media. The end result trivializes an important issue. Published 5/5/04.
The X-Conference: Not Lights in the Sky, but Lies on the Ground. This is an article on what turned out to be a well-attended conference on UFOs and government secrecy, organized by Stephen Bassett, and featuring 25 speakers. All right outside Washington, DC. Published 4/27/04.
Brazilian Abduction Hoax? Not Yet: There is One (and only one) Bedsheet. Believe me, I was not excited about the prospect of continuing this controversial case, but there are a few more things that I feel needed to be stated, in particular about the allegation that the photos proved a hoax. Whatever the truth about the case, I just don't see that the photos demonstrate this. Quite the contrary. As I see it, a careful analysis shows something very different. Although this is absolutely, positively, the last thing I intend to say about this case, I am disappointed that the MUFON Journal elected not to publish it.
Linda Moulton Howe and the Brazilian Case. For much of 2003, an intense controversy has been brewing in various UFO newsgroups and venues over a Brazilian abduction case that was under investigation by Linda Moulton Howe. Quite a few individuals attacked the credibility of the case, and of Linda herself. In June, 2003, I wrote a short piece in defense of Linda, arguing that, whatever the conclusion, it must come down to the science.
What Are The Triangles? They are a fascinating subset of the UFO mystery: silent, low-flying, triangular craft, seen typically in the dead of night. Are they a black-op? Or are they alien? This article appeared in the June/July 2003 Issue of UFO Magazine. I should point out that in this Internet version of the article I have added a brief clarification on the author of the NIDS study on Big Black Deltas. Finally, I will be adding graphics to the article here sometime in the first week of June.
Clonegate and the Media. I hadn't planned to write this piece until a day or two before I actually did it. It's roughly half or a third of the length of most of the other pieces in here. Not especially formal in presentation, it is at least topical -- something rare with my articles. It did generate a great deal of feedback, and quite a range of opinions about the Raelians.
Getting Inside Your Head: Media, Mind Control, and Marginalization of UFOs. Why is serious coverage of UFOs absent in the mainstream media? This article attempts to answer that question. It describes how big media and national security interests have converged, and how this relates to the subsequent banishment of serious information about UFOs from "official culture" (as I have often called it). This is one of the longer pieces in here, and was featured in the February/March 2003 issue of UFO Magazine. I should add that this article generated more feedback than any other I've written, and it was uniformly positive. Very nice to know it struck such a positive chord. I'm not sure it's my personal favorite, but that's the thing about this business: you write something and send it off into the world, whereupon it develops a life of its own.
Walking a Tightrope. This article continues some themes I discussed in "What Are They?" This time, I discuss some of the dangers we face as a civilization over the next twenty years; dangers which could well result in an infrastructure collapse. If we can hang on, however, the development of advanced machine intelligence will give us a very wild ride indeed. Either way, the civilization we have now will be unrecognizable -- within the next generation or two. Big changes are coming. There are some relevant UFO themes here, as well. This article appears in the December/January 2003 issue of UFO Magazine.
Some Thoughts on J. Allen Hynek. This article is essentially an excerpt from the new edition of UFOs and the National Security State, with some minor changes. The book version, in turn, is expanded from the first edition. This article will surely irritate some people, but if you study the covert aspects of UFOs long enough, you must at some point reach the figure of J. Allen Hynek. Like so much in this field, Hynek is not as straightforward a subject as he at first glance seems. This article appears in the August/September 2002 issue of UFO Magazine.
The Limits of Science in UFO Research. This is my presentation to the annual MUFON International Symposium from July 6, 2002. It's rather long, and some parts of it are adapted or taken from earlier articles I've written. Most of it is original. Some of it may even be interesting.
What Are They? This is really the first time I have tried to express my thoughts on what exactly is behind the UFO phenomenon. It took me a long time to consider writing such thoughts down; indeed, it took some time to come to this understanding. I offer this piece as a speculation. I do not pretend that I have any better claim to the truth than the next theorist. I will say, however, that I would offer my interpretation against any others, and haven't really found anyone else making this argument. As far as I can tell, the argument I present is unique. As always, I am interested in comments from interested readers. This article appeared in the June/July 2002 issue of UFO Magazine.
What We Know About UFOs, and Whether It Matters. This was going to be called "Official vs. Unofficial Culture" but I changed my mind. Essentially, this article is about what we know, why it matters, and why it doesn't. There are differences between knowing the truth and being able to act upon it. Yet, there is reason for optimism. Appears in the April/May 2002 issue of UFO Magazine.
The Death of James Forrestal: A Study in Subterranean History. This one did indeed generate some strong reactions. I expected some to praise me as having shed important light on a very dark topic. I expected others to respond that I did nothing more than stir up the muddy waters of unprovable conspiracy theory. Either way, I had promised beforehand, I would do my best. Actually, though, I didn't really get any strongly negative comments -- not yet, although I am still waiting! Appeared in the December 2001/January 2002 issue of UFO Magazine.
Steven Greer and the Disclosure Project. Dr. Steven Greer's famous press conference of May 9, 2001 was expected by some to be a major step toward the ending of official UFO secrecy. In retrospect, this didn't appear to have been the case. Some thoughts on the pros and cons associated with Greer's Disclosure Project -- and the press conference, in particular. Appears in the October/November 2001 issue of UFO Magazine.
Everywhere, by Stealth. Many people see UFOs; more than most people realize. But practically none of these stories are ever recorded. I’ve spoken with many UFO witnesses - they keep these sightings to themselves. During Blue Book’s heyday, Allen Hynek estimated that the program received less than 10 percent of all actual UFO sightings. And that was when people had somewhere to report what they saw. The implications of this are serious, indeed. Published in the August/September 2001 issue of UFO Magazine.
In Memoriam: September 11, 2001. Not an essay, just some traumatized thoughts I wrote the evening of the tragedy.
The Lost Opportunity: 1966 in Retrospect. A historical review of what when wrong during that fateful year, when a breakthrough in the struggle to end UFO secrecy seemed possible. The story remains relevant today, as a new generation of UFO researchers and lobbyists are working toward the same goal. Look for it also in the June/July issue of UFO Magazine.
Science, Secrecy, and Ufology. Secrecy permeates the UFO field. What does this mean for Ufology as a science? Answer: the field cannot really be handled scientifically within the public domain. The great model is the Manhattan Project. When a project is undertaken at highly classified levels, you will find nothing of value about it within the mainstream. This was true during the development of the atomic bomb in the 1940s; it is true regarding the UFO. Published in the February/March 2001 issue of UFO Magazine.
The CIA, Official History,
and You: A Study of Gerald Haines and UFOs.
This is an analysis of some specious historical argumentation, by the official
historian of the CIA, regarding CIA involvement in the UFO controversy. Haines'
article appeared in 1997, received widespread comment by the press. Unfortunately
(but not surprisingly), the mainstream commentary on this article was worthless.
Haines' article, on the contrary, was not worthless, but served a very
specific purpose, which I will elaborate on. This article was published in the
Dec/Jan. 2001 issue of UFO
Magazine.
Dialogue with a Daimon. This is a piece of fiction, and not related to UFOs. I wrote it solely in order to work out a few ideas I've had lately regarding whether or not our species is (a) viable for the long haul, or (b) worthy of continuation. A few readers have told me they think it's interesting, though not without its shortcomings. Some have maintained it should be made into a production of some sort. You can decide for yourself.