No alien visits or UFO coverups, White House says
November 7, 2011 By Nancy Atkinson, Universe Today
Movie poster from 'Independence Day.' Credit: 20th Century Fox
The White House has responded to two petitions asking the US government to formally acknowledge that aliens have visited Earth and to disclose to any intentional withholding of government interactions with extraterrestrial beings. “The U.S. government has no evidence that any life exists outside our planet, or that an extraterrestrial presence has contacted or engaged any member of the human race,” said Phil Larson from the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, on the WhiteHouse.gov website. “In addition, there is no credible information to suggest that any evidence is being hidden from the public’s eye.”
5,387 people had signed the petition for immediately disclosing the government’s knowledge of and communications with extraterrestrial beings, and 12,078 signed the request for a formal acknowledgement from the White House that extraterrestrials have been engaging the human race.
“Hundreds of military and government agency witnesses have come forward with testimony confirming this extraterrestrial presence,” the second petition states. “Opinion polls now indicate more than 50% of the American people believe there is an extraterrestrial presence and more than 80% believe the government is not telling the truth about this phenomenon. The people have a right to know. The people can handle the truth.”
These petitions come from an Obama Administration initiative called ‘We the People’ which has White House staffers respond and consider taking action on any issue that receives at least 25,000 online signatures. Regarding these two petitions, the White House promised to respond if the petitions got 17,000 or more signatures by Oct. 22.
Larson stressed that the facts show that there is no credible evidence of extraterrestrial presence here on Earth. He pointed out that even though many scientists have come to the conclusion that the odds of life somewhere else in the Universe are fairly high, the chance that any of them are making contact with humans are extremely small, given the distances involved.
But that doesn’t mean we aren’t searching, there is just no evidence yet. Larson mentioned SETI (correctly noting that this at first was a NASA effort, but is now funded privately) keeping an “ear” out for signals from any intelligent extraterrestrials, with none found so far. He also added that the Kepler spacecraft is searching for Earth-like planets in the habitable zones around other stars, and that the Curiosity rover will launch to Mars this month to “assess what the Martian environment was like in the past to see if it could have harbored life.”
Regarding any evidence for alien life, all anyone has now is “statistics and speculation,” said Larson. “The fact is we have no credible evidence of extraterrestrial presence here on Earth.”
Whether or not this will appease or satisfy any conspiracy theorists or UFO believers is yet to be seen, but it is gratifying to see the White House respond in such a no-nonsense manner.
UPDATE: The Paradigm Research Group, one of the organizations sponsoring the petitions, has issued a statement saying, “As expected it was written by a low level staffer from the Office of Science and Technology Policy – research assistant Phil Larson. The response was unacceptable.”
See the petitions and the response at the WhiteHouse.gov website.
Hat Tip: NASA Watch
Source: Universe Today
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Nov 07, 2011
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Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 3.7 / 5 (6)
NASA really sent a projectile to hit the dark side of the moon to study its debris -- you bought that headline ?... hunh
j/k
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 3.2 / 5 (9)
If there is something going on, you'd expect no forthrightness from any authority. Yet we have military agents like Scott Jones and Richard Doty giving us all kinds of "information," which is all absurd if viewed with an objective eye. This information is especially given to "believers" who lap it up without questioning.
If there isn't anything going on, why do countless normal people with every reason NOT to come forward continue to bring stories of personal experiences with [whatever this is; I refuse labels]? The content of many anecdotes are easily verifiable. The Mothman phenomenon is a good example.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (2)
The most interesting part of the whole affair IMO is that there is significant evidence that (1) there is more going on than the government is allowing, and (2) also that the government or individual-actor members thereof are actively feeding information to certain groups of the public, especially civilian UFO enthusiasts.
If there is something going on, you'd expect no forthrightness from any authority. Yet we have military agents like Scott Jones and Richard Doty giving us all kinds of "information," which is all absurd if viewed with an objective eye. This information is especially given to sincere but unquestioning "believers" who lap it up without a thought (e.g. Budd Hopkins).
If there isn't anything going on, why do countless normal people with every reason NOT to come forward continue to bring stories of personal experiences with [whatever this is; I refuse labels]? The content of many anecdotes are easily verifiable. The Mothman phenomenon is a good example.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 4.5 / 5 (25)
Sure, then explain the photo above.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (4)
Please don't refer to Scott Jones and Richard Doty as "military agents" until you see them at a press conference, at the White House press room, surrounded by other members of the military and political establishment.
Or, conversely, please believe that I have been sent here by a group of concerned galactic peace enforcers to spread misinformation. Either way.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 3.6 / 5 (20)
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 2 / 5 (12)
About the same size as the number of loons at the OWS. And, I would expect, some crossover exists.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 2.6 / 5 (5)
If you go to a UFO conference, you'll find people who think that reptilians control the planet, who think UFOs are the Illuminati, who think they're grays or are divided by some hierarchy, who think they're slavemasters from outer space, who think they're government projects, who think they are fairies, who think they're ancient astronauts or reincarnated humans, who don't think UFOs are of this dimension or corporeal, and of course people who "don't believe in UFOs" at all.
The point is that we might benefit from approaching the phenomenon sociologically. The entire affair is a battle of narratives. The explanations for the experiences of many sincere and NOT insane people may tend toward the dismissive or naive realism, true, but understanding the phenomenon outside itself may be of help.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 2.5 / 5 (2)
They represent themselves as such, they actually were in the military, and they released information formally as government agents on different occasions. Even if they hadn't, there is a whole list of confirmed former and present military personnel who have.
Maybe the USAF central command doesn't know what these people are saying, maybe they don't care, maybe they're telling them to say it, and maybe none of this is true. All we know is (1) they said what they said and (2) lots (and I mean LOTS) of UFO "believers" have taken them at their words.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (2)
That said, a calm, dispassionate look at the field does reveal many interesting correlations, possible evidence (for both sides), and human characters with numerous motives and backgrounds. I don't speak for ANY accuracy as to this list but from my own research I think that this man has done a decent job of determining the sincerity of some members of the field: http://www.biblio..._27f.htm
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 4 / 5 (14)
Then it's settled. If opinion polls show it it must be true /sarcasm
Oh I think everybody believes in UFOs. That a flying object is not identified does not, however, automatically mean that it's of alien origin. Simply that the observer can't register it to a known object.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 2.8 / 5 (9)
why is it illegal to use the hydrogen frequency to send out a cosmic hello to all in the area?
and finally...
why do politicians always think they know whats best for the public...
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 3.6 / 5 (5)
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (14)
UFO = unidentified flying object
This means any flying object that is not identified. No more. No less.
This is quite different from saying: 'Flying saucers' or 'aliens'
There are many UFOs every day. If I throw a stick past your window and you don't realize it's a stick (because you only caught it out of the corner of your eye) then it's a UFO.
But this doesn't mean that, since you simply couldn't identify it, that you therefore automatically believe in aliens.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 3.7 / 5 (6)
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (8)
what about the battle of l.a.?
anti aircraft shells seem a little excessive for a weather ballon.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (15)
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 4.7 / 5 (11)
But seriously - If you believe they are covering up something nefariously, you would expect them to open up as soon as you ask politely? Idiotic.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 2.7 / 5 (6)
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 4.2 / 5 (5)
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 4.4 / 5 (12)
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 2 / 5 (6)
You are quite mistaken here. There is not ONE actual case of a United States government employee who has given a statement, on the record, as an employee of the government, and been backed by any higher ups.
Anyone at all can claim to have been a member of the military. Anyone can fake documents and make it look "real".
And, many people who may have a military background have given statements as private citizens. This is in no way a reflection of the military having a role in their personal lives.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 3.7 / 5 (9)
Obviously it's a coverup.
Same reason they won't do a scan of the other important signals below:
1) Wowie!
2) Whoopdey doo
3) Whassup w/ that
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 3.2 / 5 (5)
Either you personally worked on this, or not. If you did, you're committing treason. If you didn't, you're spreading gossip as you have no means to verify anything at a "secret" government installation. Either way, your very actions cause one to doubt your credibility.
Personally, I don't doubt there are alien civilizations. And I'm optimistic that life is abundant. But, people aren't necessarily poking fun at the "idea" of aliens. It's more the character of those who circumvent logic in favor of conspiracy that is humorous.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
The truth will come once China lands on Mars? China?? Beyond secular (not athiest btw), this is one of the more secretive and authoritarian governments on the planet. You are relying on it to expose the truth about a secret Martian civilization? On the verge of becoming a super power in their own right, status quo is working for them it seems.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
In science, one solid, repeatable experiment and the whole theory is out the window. And the scientists are then happy to work out a new approach.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 2.1 / 5 (7)
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 1.7 / 5 (6)
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (10)
Interesting how they managed that, since the world is - you know - turning and all.
To make a fixed observation of a small part of the sky you actually need a mobile dish.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 4 / 5 (4)
In high orbit.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 3.5 / 5 (2)
The battle of L.A. = the same generation responsible for the mass panic over War of the Worlds. Don't think for an instant that mass hysteria can't be a perfectly acceptable answer.
In any case, we were doing all the shooting. At what? Who knows? Who cares. No green men came down to talk to us or show us the bullet holes we caused.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 4 / 5 (1)
Nerdyguy, I think you overlook the value that releasing these statements from a position of authority has, whether or not they are verified by the brass. You know, I know, and the military knows that as soon as someone says something, anything, many UFO believers will immediately take it as gospel--ALL THE MORE SO when the statement is retracted, especially soon after the information is released.
My point is not to say that these people are releasing ACTUAL information intended to be taken as truth by everyone. My point is simply to observe that these people and others have released statements, like juicy morsels of meat for the believers, from a position of authority for whatever reason. Maybe they're acting alone, in which case none can guess their motives; maybe they're acting on behalf of USAFINT; maybe it's something totally different. As I've said before, it's extremely dangerous to come to any firm conclusions.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (8)
I think that if the measurements of the hour, minute and seconds were recorded at the moment of flyover, as well as the shadows within the volcano, it might have been possible to fix the coordinates of the telescope's aim. Then they would only have to calculate on a computer with the correct program to find the point of the sky targeted.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 1.5 / 5 (8)
I am surprised that Stephen Basset is still pursuing an admittance from the White House that E.T. spacecraft exists and are flying around our skies. He should've understood by now that Obama and his admin., even if they actually KNEW anything, they wouldn't tell the truth about it. Obama is busy campaigning for his reelection next year, plus he is worried about getting his Jobs Plan through, and fundamentally destroying our American way of life. With all these things on his mind, OF COURSE he's not going to admit to anything that will take attention away from his agenda. He has bigger fish to fry after all. Turning the U.S. into a fully Socialist country takes precedence over UFOs or IFOs. Who knows, if he's reelected, he MIGHT tell us that we are being visited by E.T.
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: not rated yet
lol righhhht
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (2)
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 4 / 5 (2)
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
It's like asking a know murderer if they have killed anyone and believing them when they say no.
If you think the government is covering aliens up, then wouldn't them saying "no" be a cover up of the cover up?
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (10)
Statements of support from the US NAS, the UN's IPCC, the UK's RS and a Nobel Prize from the Norwegian Prize Committee did not restore public confidence in Al Gore and the army of government-funded climatologists, but . . .
That action seriously undercut confidence in world leaders and leaders of the scientific community.
With kind regards,
Oliver K. Manuel
Former NASA Principal
Investigator for Apollo
http://myprofile....anuelo09
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Let´s say we humans we will get to a point where we can travel trough space at light speed and at one point we find a race but they are not advanced, they are just like us now (18 months to get to Mars) why would we hide ourselves, what they could do to us? There´s no reason to hide no?
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: not rated yet
Nov 07, 2011
Rank: 4 / 5 (8)
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: not rated yet
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 2.9 / 5 (7)
http://www.ufoevi...ncounter
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (6)
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 3.3 / 5 (7)
No, Tank is a term used in a project making containers.
No, the Manhattan Project did not exist.
No, the SR-71, B1, B2, F117 did not exist.
No, the WMDs did not exist...wait, it's true.!
Anyone on this planet who takes a government's word for it face value is a certified moron.
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 3.7 / 5 (6)
If cover up is admitted, then it is news.
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (6)
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 3.7 / 5 (3)
I think for a lot of us, it's too disheartening for us not to believe. The idea that there's more out there and that we'll get to travel amongst the stars is too fantastic to ignore. If aliens exist, it's so we can piggyback our way to technology when the human race seems hell bent on destroying itself.
I mean, how hard is it to write a little note next to your art in a field?
If this is the disclosure project as run by Dr Greer, they can't honestly believe the US government is just going to put their hands up and say 'sorry.. we were lying for 50 years and we're sitting on a new energy source' etc..
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Didn't your mothers tell you 'Take what you watch with a pinch of salt and never trust a politician.'??
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 2.3 / 5 (3)
Alright, one more time I'll try with a little reasoning:
There have NEVER been ANY "releases" MADE by a person in a POSITION OF AUTHORITY. None. Zero. Zip.
There have been lots and lots of fakers, scams, pretenders, etc.
But, not one person who was actually in the military or government who has released an official, on-the-record report about aliens. Other than the "we don't know anything" like the article above.
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 3.7 / 5 (3)
Of course, the government won't divulge everything it knows, especially when it comes to military equipment or intelligence secrets. That should be understood. Otherwise we might as well send certified couriers over to beijing to hand over all our latest research and government opinions.
However, that doesn't mean the government lies about everything either, especially when it has not point to.
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (3)
I seriously doubt that military power would be important to them, seeing as they have the technology to be more powerful and evade any strikes by us. The military power of an inferior civilization would be...inconsequential to them. They would probably have other factors that motivate them. Now with that assumption, who is to say they only contact one nation?
Do you go so deep into your conspiracy theory that you believe that every nation in the world is going to hold back proof of alien contact and clam up? I'm sorry, but not every country are allies, and there are plenty of nations that would be motivated to spill the beans on this if it were true.
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (3)
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (2)
You're right, it is carefully worded like a true atheist would say it - There certainly isn't conclusive evidence regarding alien objects or intelligence sneaking around, but there is always a possibility that we just don't recognize it. So I think his answer makes perfect sense. He's not going to claim that there aren't aliens around because that is, in fact, in the realm of possibility.
However, from a scientific view, none of the 'evidence' we have points any closer to aliens than it does to simpler more pedestrian causes. Unexplained does not mean it is unexplainable, or that it is aliens - it just means we don't have enough evidence to explain it.
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: not rated yet
http://www.youtub...Ve-6YdUk
Bs or not ?
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (4)
It could be argued that it's difficult to make a first impression. For example, I laughed so hard after reading the first phrase in the first sentence under that video that I'll not look again.
"A large number of ex high ranking officials including air traffic controllers..."
FYI - air traffic controllers are neither high ranking, nor are they officials.
Nothing against air traffic controllers, mind you.
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 2 / 5 (4)
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (3)
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: not rated yet
Sorry if it's a stupid question, I don't follow UFO stuff. I admit the opening speaker was a complete cheeseball :P
Nov 08, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (4)
I want to thank you for that Disclosure video. I watched 1 hour and 3 minutes of it and have about 55 more minutes to go to finish.
I must say I'm very impressed with all the speakers and the things said about UFOs. I was particularly impressed with Donna Hare, former NASA employee who said that she has proof that NASA airbrushes UFOs out of each picture of the Earth and elsewhere. I've long held that NASA masks pictures of Mars to hide certain features of it that they don't want getting out to the public. One time, on another website run by Jim Miller, someone posted a Google Earth picture of a silvery-white UFO from above a city. It was round and hovered over some buildings.
I will need to finish watching the video later. Thanks again.
Nov 10, 2011
Rank: 3.7 / 5 (3)
Sounds like a religious cult in which only the highest of the high priests get to talk to "god"...
Let's try another, equally as plausible(maybe even more so), explanation.
After 450 MILLION years of evolution -amphibian life forms actually DID achieve our level of intelligence, prob'ly more. They developed a high level of technical ability and then destroyed themselves with it... A few are still around and they look a lot like the "greys".
Those few that were left created a new life form - reptiles - and the cycle began anew.
The remaining few of THEM created a life form - mammalia.
Nov 10, 2011
Rank: 3.7 / 5 (3)
Sure, the "greys" and the "reptilians" can travel around the solar system,\. They've been around long enough to perfect THAT technology...
Maybe they're hoping mammals will invent a warp drive...
Okay, that's my story(re; THEORY) and I'm stickin to it!
(until someone can give me a more plausible conjecture on the subject...:-)
Nov 11, 2011
Rank: 1.7 / 5 (6)
Nov 11, 2011
Rank: 2.3 / 5 (3)
Another thing: how does one PROVE the possibility of a "warp drive"? For that matter, 200 years ago, how could one PROVE the possibility of Black Holes and Neutron stars?
We are ALL on a learning curve, that's why we frequent websites like Physorg and others.
Personally, I'm suspicious of those whose conclusions on these things are an open and shut case and insist that there is nothing to any of the E.T. stories. Skepticism may be healthy, but that too, has no evidence.to the contrary.
Nov 11, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
By making a theory and building one.
By deriving their existence from theory (which shoudl, itself, be established via observation), making predictions about what they would look like as observed from Earth, and then finding them (which has been done)
Fallacy. You cannot prove a negative. Saying that scepticism has no proof and therefore should be abandoned is a self-contradicting statement.
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
"On July 8, 1947, Colonel Blanchard issued an official Army Air Force press release stating that the base intelligence office had recovered a so-called "flying disc" or "flying saucer" from a nearby ranch, it had been found "sometime last week," and they were flying it to "higher headquarters"."
-Wikipedia
Of course, it was retracted the next day, but your statement that there have never been any releases by a person in a position of authority is clearly incorrect.
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
If it had really been just a weather balloon, then why all the secrecy, denials, and threats against civilian witnesses to the fact? In those days, weather balloons were a common thing to be seen. One comes down, no biggie
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (2)
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 2.3 / 5 (3)
Have to grant you that one, I recall seeing prints of the newspaper articles at the time. Of course, it was retracted. But, you're correct that it was released. I need to amend my statement:
ONE official report has been made in the history of UFOlogy, and it was immediately retracted and the officer apologized for being such a doofus!
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 2.3 / 5 (3)
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 4 / 5 (4)
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (2)
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (2)
Yeah, I know. I've read and watched countless hours of text and video on this. While it was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek reference, the tales that have been told in the decades since that time would lead one to believe that he was either a) incompetent, b) just doing his job, c) not even there at all, or d) in on a grand conspiracy. Take your pick.
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (2)
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 3.7 / 5 (3)
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 3.7 / 5 (3)
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 3.5 / 5 (2)
"""Yeah, I know. I've read and watched countless hours of text and video on this. While it was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek reference, the tales that have been told in the decades since that time would lead one to believe that he was either a) incompetent, b) just doing his job, c) not even there at all, or d) in on a grand conspiracy. Take your pick."""
I would pick (b). He was getting his orders from higher up. Most likely someone that he did not know and never met even afterwards. There is no socializing in these matters. That may have been the beginning of the Black Ops program.
After WW2, the military started getting queasy about Russian spies, which proved to be correct since there were those in the U.S. who stole and actually gave atomic bomb secrets to Russia. So when the UFO crashed, it HAD to be examined immediately.
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (2)
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 3 / 5 (2)
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Nov 12, 2011
Rank: 3.4 / 5 (5)
Nov 14, 2011
Rank: 3.3 / 5 (3)
"General William Hugh Blanchard (February 6, 1916 May 31, 1966) was a United States Air Force officer who attained the rank of four star general and served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from 1965 to 1966."
-Wikipedia
Well, the incompetent , not even there options don't hold water, he wouldn't have been promoted, his career would have suffered.
So you are left with a grand conspiracy, but this can either mean that the whole story was a cover (to conceal a genuine government secret unrelated to flying saucers,) or that the initial release of information about a recovered flying saucer was correct and later covered up.
Nov 15, 2011
Rank: 2 / 5 (3)
You raise a good point, but just to play devil's advocate:
- He could have just been plain wrong (vs. incompetent). He was a much younger, inexperienced office at that time.
- Sometimes incompetents do get promoted, usually because someone owes them a big favor.
Nov 16, 2011
Rank: 4 / 5 (4)
Having known a few Colonels on the job, the idea that one of them would be so incompetent as to announce to the world that he had recovered a flying saucer without compelling evidence just doesn't register. From my experience, those who reach that rank just aren't the type who would do anything that might jeopardize their careers, much less their reputations. For me, this is the most compelling reason supporting the idea that an alien spacecraft was actually recovered.
It does not make sense that the press release was intended to cover up a crashed Project Mogul balloon, as that could have been handled better by just denying everything, or giving out another cover story.
Nov 16, 2011
Rank: 3.8 / 5 (4)
This has always been problematic for me as well. I've known some high-ranking AF officers. Hell, even the cadets and ROTC folks I've known have been some of the most mature, responsible, level-headed people I've ever met. It does not seem in character for a career officer to act like an excited teenage girl. Oh, well, I hope we find out someday.