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Technorati contacted Italian-American investigative
journalist Paola Harris to get
her take on Italian MEP Mario Borghezio’s July 7 press conference
calling on EU member nations to declassify their UFO files and establish
a center for study of apparent alien activity on our planet. (See our July
10 article for more information about the press conference.)
Harris, whose list of published works includes two
books on
exopolitics, is a frequent presenter at UFO conferences and a familiar
name to students of the UFO phenomenon. She does not hold Borghezio in
high regard.
You’ve got to look at the integrity (of Borghezio),”
Harris says,
“He’s a neo-fascist and he’s done violent things in the past.”
No doubt.
A prominent member of the ultra-conservative Lega
Nord (Northern
League) political party, Borghezio was found guilty of arson in 2005
after setting fire to the sleeping pallets of immigrants living under a
bridge in Turin. At the other end of the emotional spectrum, he has
described the experience of speaking at political rallies as “almost an
orgasm.”
“On the exopolitics forum, there’s been quite a bit
of discussion
about this,” Harris says, referring to Borghezio’s association with the
disclosure movement. “There’s the camp that looks at integrity as being
part of disclosure. There’s a real division in the exopolitical
community."
Exopolitics concerns the creation or influence of
government policy
toward extraterrestrial phenomena and extraterrestrial beings. Denver
activist Jeff Peckman’s ballot initiative, covered in a recent
Technorati feature, is exopolitical in nature
Paola Harris on UFOs, Europe and
Mario Borghezio - Page 2
“I don’t quote (Borghezio) on my website,” she says. “There’s nothing
about (his public statements) that suggests galactic diplomacy.”
Exopolitics in Europe … “absolutely normal”
While Borghezio’s flamboyant behavior might raise as many eyebrows in
Europe as it does here, his demands for UFO disclosure are no cause for
concern in Italy. Asked how Italy’s mainstream media handles the topic
of UFOs, Harris says that it’s handled “as something absolutely normal.”
“In Italy, the Campeche (Mexico) story was reported in its entirety.
They also compared it to the phenomenon in Hessdalen (Norway). The
announcers were familiar enough with the phenomenon to make that
comparison.”
Strange lights have been observed over Hessdalen for many
years. The Campeche incident occurred in March of 2004, when Mexican Air
Force Merlin C-26A aircraft patrolling local airspace for drug
smugglers recorded infrared
footage of several UFOs. That footage was released by the military
to Mexican journalist Jaime Maussan and, to this day, remains
unexplained.
Harris says that, while the Italian government doesn’t have a stated
position on UFOs, the Italian Air Force makes no secret of its interest
in the topic.
"At two UFO conferences that I attended (in Italy), a functionary of
the Italian Air Force, in uniform, stood up and described how the air
force categorizes UFOs, even describing one or two cases.”
Sober, sophisticated coverage of the study of UFOs by America’s
mainstream media is rare and, since publication of the Condon Report in
1968, the American military’s stance on the issue has been consistently
“don’t ask, don’t tell.”
“When I lived in Italy,” Harris says, “I personally funded John Mack,
Travis Walton, Ryan Wood, Linda Moulton Howe (and others) to come over
to speak to the Italian people. The Italian people really appreciated
it. My conferences were symposia. No T-shirts, gadgets or retail
ufology. You come back to the U.S., it’s one big commercial venture.”
Unfortunately, it’s what Harris describes as “retail ufology” that
grabs the headlines here on Terra Americana, while the work of
journalists and researchers less interested in selling swag goes
unnoticed. For a dose of quintessentially ignorant American arrogance on
the topic of UFOs, readers are invited to tune in to Penn &
Teller’s upcoming episode
of “Bullshit!”
At least, when we show our big, fat Yankee asses, we have the good
taste to do it in HD
Read more: http://technorati.com/technology/article/paola-harris-on-ufos-europe-and/page-2/#ixzz0tbiBAHZe
The Weaponization of Space
Harris believes that Borghezio’s motives for calling for UFO
disclosure are three-fold. Other than normal curiosity about the
phenomenon, which would be the first motive, Harris says that Borghezio
simply wants attention. Judging from his comments about the erotic
benefits of public speaking, one is inclined to agree with her.
Harris speculates that his third motive may be more insidious,
however.
"(Borghezio) is the kind of guy who could create an argument for
shooting (UFOs) out of the sky because they’re an enemy,” Harris said.
She points out that this militaristic approach to the phenomenon was
predicted by Werner von Braun.
Dr. Carol Rosin, spokesperson for von Braun during the last years of
his life, has testified
that von Braun predicted that the weaponization of space ultimately
would be justified as defense against alien invasion. According to
Rosin, von Braun said that “the last card is the alien card … and all of
it is a lie."
In distancing herself from Borghezio, Harris also parts ways with
those in the disclosure movement who are less discriminating about the
celebrity endorsement trophies they choose to display on their mantle.
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