13-02-2012, 10:22 PM
Quote:Scientific and medical research cannot be blind to the means used to achieve breakthrough.
Further, the tragedy of science is that many discoveries can be used both for good and evil.
My favourite articulation of this crucial insight, quoted earlier in this thread, is from Thomas Pynchon's masterpiece, Gravity's Rainbow:
a good rocket to take us to the stars, an evil rocket for the World's suicide, the two perpetually in struggle...
There's a DPF thread on the murder of Frank Olson which you may find worth reading in its entirety here.
Having reviewed the evidence and spoken with Frank Olson's son, my working hypothesis is that Frank Olson was murdered because he was aware of terminal human experiments being conducted by British and/or American researchers, and he became unwilling to keep this knowledge secret.
Jan,
When I first learned about Frank Olson, many years ago, looking for information on LSD intoxication, I instinctively knew he had been murdered by being thrown out of a closed and shaded hotel window, leaving the window shade flapping in the wind, as seen by witnesses below. I recall that Eric Olson, his son, had had his father's body exhumed, and evidence of a blow to the head was found on the side opposite to the side where the head had hit the ground. I think my memory of this is correct, but please check it out.
Hank Albarelli's book, A TERRIBLE MISTAKE, is about the Frank Olson death. It is possible that Frank Olson was involved in a horrible "experiment" performed by the United States upon innocent citizens of a small town in France, Pont-St.-Esprit. The water supply and the flour for baking bread had been laced with LSD, which is odorless, colorless, tasteless, and impervious to heat (as in baking). All the citizens, young children and the elderly as well, were affected. A few deaths also resulted from this poisoning.
Unwitting prisoners, American military personnel and civilians also were subjects of similar poisonings with LSD and other mind-altering drugs. And Frank Olson had seen enough during his tour of Europe. However, his superiors were reluctant to let him resign his position and return to civilian life because they considered him a security risk who might talk about his knowledge. His wife and family suffered for years before they learned what had happened to him and were given only a modest compensation from the US government for their loss.
Quote:In short, Frank Olson has made a decision based on conscience, and was about to blow the whistle. For this, his life was ended.
Can we call our selves "civilized"?
Thank you for the link.
Adele