July 6, 2005
Stephen Bassett
Activism and advocacy take many forms such as the raised fist, marching feet, candlelight vigil, silent witness (the good); the dynamite belt, assassin’s gun (the bad); a burning flag, bucket of blood, flaming cross (the ugly). But behind all of these symbolic forms, and always in the culmination, are words, and words matter.
During the nearly ten years since I entered the realm of extraterrestrial-related phenomena research/activism I have placed special emphasis on assisting the development of new language which appropriately conveys the tenor, substance and history of the paradigm shift underway. While it appears clumsy now, the “politics of UFOs” seemed like progress a decade ago. Soon the word “disclosure” began to take hold and then the phrase “politics of disclosure.” Disclosure is now a critical term in the emerging lexicon.
And, of course, in 2000 (and appropriately so) the term “exopolitics” sprung forth from the work of Alfred L. Webre. It has been picked up by many others, most notably Dr. Michael Salla, and moves assuredly toward formal acceptance by the world’s dictionaries. Exopolitics is the over arching term for the political engagement of extraterrestrial-related phenomena and extraterrestrial beings by governments and people. Disclosure and the politics of disclosure are but items within this vast field of study that began many thousands of years ago when humans first noted the presence of off world beings and/or craft in their world.
I want to introduce a new metaphor and a new phrase to help those trying to understand the transition now underway. It is quite possible I will torture this metaphor and apologize for that in advance.
Consider the “capacitor,” a useful electrical device a very nice teacher tried to explain to you oh so many years ago in a high school science class. Some of you slept through that class. Others of you can make capacitors sing and dance. Here’s a basic definition:
a device that stores energy in the electric field created between a pair of conductors on which equal but opposite electric charges have been placed. Capacitors typically have thin conducting plates (usually made of metal), separated by a layer of insulating dielectric material. A dielectric material is a substance that is a poor conductor of electricity, but an efficient supporter of electrostatic fields. If the flow of current between opposite electrically charged plates is kept to a minimum while the electrostatic lines of flux are not impeded or interrupted, an electrostatic field can store energy.
Here’s a simple diagram:
Two things to know. The dielectric prevents the immediate discharge from one plate to another but allows some charge to transfer – a good thing. If you build up too much charge on the plates, the stress on the dielectric can become so great it will literally explode and a catastrophic discharge will take place – a bad thing.
Now comes the metaphor. [Note: there is a nice little irony to this metaphor. See if you can see it coming. Answer at the end.]
Consider the disclosure event (formal acknowledgement of the extraterrestrial presence by the world’s governments) as a jump (discharge) from one paradigm to another paradigm – the standing world view to a new world view. Think of the old paradigm and the new paradigm as the two plates of a capacitor. If it is not considered desirable for this jump to happen suddenly, then there needs to be a dielectric between the two paradigms (plates). What is that dielectric?
Answer: the Men in Gray – MIGS. There are very few “Women in Gray” for well understood reasons. These few are, of course, called WIGS.
This concept can be helpful, and once again words matter. It is important that you clearly understand what Men in Gray (or Women in Gray) means in this context. The definition is intended to be precise:
Men (Women) in Gray are persons who are working or have worked in government service (elected or appointed officials, military and agency employees) and are engaging extraterrestrial-related phenomena and exopolitics in the public arena in any form or fashion.
It doesn’t matter how they engage these issues, what they believe, what there motives are or when they entered the public arena. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of such men and the paradigm shift that will inevitably take place with the disclosure event could not, would not and probably should not happen without them.
Over the past five decades there has been great debate and study of such men. Many assertions and accusations have been made. There has been confusion, paranoia and misunderstanding. This is no different from other complex historical processes, and in the long run, such Sturm und Drang will be of secondary importance.
Men in Gray cover a broad spectrum of involvement with these issues. Some are simply witnesses to events and evidence. Some are paid operatives charged to observe or impede or disrupt or disinform. Some may well be paid to assist the truth process and some are completely independent in their actions. Some are carrying out their obligations as elected officials. Some are researchers deeply involved in specific areas of study. They have divergent motives and views. What they have in common is the definition above.
What is important to understand is that the presence in the public arena of the Men in Gray with their diverging impact acts in the collective as the dielectric buffer between the two paradigms and prevents the paradigm shift from happening too violently, too suddenly, and perhaps too soon, while still allowing the historical process to move forward.
Who are the Men in Gray? Here are but a few. If you are knowledgeable of the history of the field since 1947 you will immediately see the complexity and diversity of impact on the issues of these men (and two women).
| Art Bell (Air Force) | Graham Bethune (Air Force) | Michael Smith (Air Force) |
| Bruce Maccabee (Naval Labs) | J. Allen Hynek (Air Force Contract) | Nick Pope (British Defense Ministry) |
| Carl Sagan (Government contract) | James Kopf (Navy) | Philip Corso (Army) |
| Charles Brown (Air Force) | James Oberg (Air Force, NASA) | Richard Doty (AFOSI) |
| Charles Hall (Army) | Jesse Marcel (Army) | Richard Haines (NASA) |
| Chuck Sorrells (Air Force) | Jesse Marcel, Jr. (Army Reserve) | Richard Hall (Air Force) |
| Clark McClelland (NASA) | John Alexander (Army intelligence) | Robert Collins (Air Force) |
| Clifford Stone (Army) | John Brandenburg (NASA) | Robert Dean (Army) |
| Derrel Sims (CIA) | John Callahan (FAA) | Robert Jacobs (Air Force) |
| Don Phillips (Air Force, CIA) | John Lear (CIA Contract) | Robert Salas (Air Force) |
| Donald Keyhoe (Army) | John Maynard (DIA) | Robert Walker (Army) |
| Donald Menzel (CIA) | John Podesta (Executive appointee) | Robert Wood (Defense Contractor) |
| Donald Ware (Air Force) | John Schuessler (NASA) | Ron Pandolfe (CIA) |
| Donna Hare (NASA) – WIG | John Williams (Air Force) | Roscoe Hillenkoetter (Navy) |
| Dwynne Arneson (Air Force) | Karl Wolfe (Air Force) | Ross Diedrickson (Air Force) |
| Ed Fuche (Air Force) | Kevin Randle (Army, Air Force) | Steven Schiff (Congress) |
| Edgar Mitchell (Air Force, NASA) | Larry Bryant (Army) | Stoney Campbell (Air Force) |
| Frederick Fox (Navy) | Larry Warren (Air Force) | Walter Andrus (Navy) |
| George Filer (Air Force) | Lord Hill-Norton (British Navy) | Wendelle Stevens (Air Force) |
| Gerald Ford (Congress) | Lori Rehfeldt (Air Force) – WIG | William Cooper (Air Force, Navy) |
| Gordon Cooper (Air Force, NASA) | Merle Shane McDow (Navy) | William Hamilton (Air Force) |
Many more could be added and many others operated in the public arena, but are unknown. It is instructive to note that the list includes Roscoe Hillenkoetter and Donald Menzel, but not Vannevar Bush. Hillenkoetter entered the public arena when he became a member of the NICAP Board of Directors. Menzel entered the public arena when he debunked the UFO phenomena in books and statements. Bush confined his involvement within his duties in government and did not enter the public arena.
The study and engagement of UFO/ET phenomena has from the beginning had at its center former and active government employees. Many of these have engaged the issue in a public way. They are the dielectric that insulates the two paradigms.
They were an essential and required buffer, whether intentional or circumstantial, to prevent the catastrophic discharge of the greatest world view change in human history before it was time. Some opposed the process of disclosure and some encouraged it. Some acted on behalf of the government and others in their own interests. It is not unreasonable to believe that with few exceptions they did what they thought was right.
Now I’ll answer the obvious question, “Isn’t everyone who touches this issue part of the dielectric regardless of their background. Yes, of course. But the history and circumstance of the transition underway since the late 1940’s clearly shows that former and active government employees are the critical component.
But this dielectric metaphor is made up of sentient beings who can alter their orientation. What you can expect to see in the immediate future is a shift of that orientation toward disclosure as well as the addition of new MIGs so disposed. Let the historians sort out the details and focus on the prize. That prize is the end to the truth embargo, and the sooner the better.
* The irony? The capacitor in micro form is a major component of the integrated circuit which is part of the foundation of the modern world. It was publicly reported that advanced concepts related to such technology and derived from extraterrestrial sources were provided to private companies to benefit the nation – reported by Lt. Col. Philip Corso – a quintessential Man in Gray.