The case against a U.S. government UFO conspiracy
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by Paul McGinnis, September 25, 1994


UFO enthusiasts have claimed that the government of the United States has
engaged in a massive conspiracy to hide the existence of UFOs. Some people
go so far as to claim that the United States has recovered crashed saucers
and alien technology. I will show why these theories are not true, because
there is no evidence of a crucial item needed for such a conspiracy.

That crucial item that is missing is the dissemination of specialized 
information that would be needed by government scientists, engineers, and
bureaucrats who would have to run such an operation. Humans need a foundation
of knowledge to do anything useful, and there is nothing like this to indicate
that any kind of alien technology is present.

For current classified programs, there is enough background material so
that a specialist who had to work with a classified technology doesn't go
in completely in the dark. While specific details of a program may be
new, there is some knowledge available to give the specialist an understanding
of what they are dealing with. For scientists and engineers, there are
technical papers and books, and for bureaucrats, one finds things like
"monographs" that endlessly discuss policies and implementation of government
plans. Obviously, one tends to find this kind of material in research
libraries or journals, instead of next to the Harold Robbins novels at
the local WalMart.

Let us compare the case of reconnaissance satellites with that of UFOs, in
the U.S. government. Reconnaissance satellite programs have arguably some of
the highest classifications of any program in the government. Speaking from
personal experience, I know that you will be in for a big, probably
unsuccessful fight if you directly ask for any details about spy satellites.
However, there are scores of detailed technical papers available on areas such
as electro-optic sensors (with discussions of things like whether "pushbroom"
or "whiskbroom" sensor arrays are better), SHF and EHF satellite communications,
near real time processing of imagery data, TACSATs, etc. Likewise, for
bureaucrats, there are policy studies on areas such as the use of spy 
satellites (also known as "national technical means") to carry out arms
control treaties (150 cm resolution is the consensus for the resolution
needed to identify ICBMs) and whether satellites should be considered to
have the same international legal protections as a country's ships at sea.

My point is that if someone suddenly was asked to work on a new classified
project, they would be able to find some specialized information to give them
a bit of background to deal with what they were expected to do on the job. In
general, science and politics are evolutionary instead of revolutionary.
Most actions taken in science and politics build on previous knowledge.

It is alleged by UFO enthusiasts that the UFOs have been buzzing the United
States for 47 years, yet I have seen no indication that specialized 
information has been prepared for those who would have to deal with any
captured alien equipment or aliens. There are no papers available for the
engineer that explain for example, resonant phenomena in anti-gravity drives.
There are no policy papers for bureaucrats that discuss whether aliens from
outer space should be treated the same as illegal aliens. There isn't
even anything like an Army training film called "It Could Happen To You!"
that warned soldiers about venereal diseases they could catch from 
extraterrestrials.

To back up my point, I ran some extensive computer searches through the
National Technical Information Service trying to look for things dealing
with UFOs, alien technology, anything extraterrestrial, and exobiology. I
admit that I have obtained technical information on areas such as the
reconnaissance satellite technology mentioned above. It probably won't make
people happy in our government to know that I've seen detailed information
on areas such as the next generation of spy satellites, but the material
is available from obscure sources. I found -nothing- to indicate that there
was any specialized information available that 47 years of U.S. government
involvement with UFOs should have produced. I used partial keyword searchs
and read the titles of hundreds of documents. I also read numerous abstracts
that gave more information about a particular title. Among the things I found
in my search were:

* a number of papers on designs for robots for exploring other planets.

* something for bureaucrats called "Criminal Aliens: INS' (Immigration and
  Naturalization Service's) Investigative Efforts in the New York City Area".

* an apparently quite popular German software package called UFOMOD that the
  Institute fuer Neutronenphysik und Reaktortechnik created, that predicts
  the spread of radiation after a nuclear reactor accident.

* a 623 page NASA report on how massive (planetary scale) lasers could be
  used for interstellar communications.

* the Air Force's UFO (UHF Follow-On) satellite program, intended as a
  replacement for the existing AFSATCOM and FLTSATCOM satellites.

* technical papers on SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
  program involving radiotelescopes)

* A translation of a Japanese document titled "Supesu Tsurizumu Kenkyu
  Kotohajime (Start of Space Tourism)" that talked about the economic benefits
  that would result from sending rockets full of tourists into Earth orbit...

The only U.S. government documents I saw on flying saucers were all 3 volumes
of the Condon report that UFO enthusiasts hate, and a 1968 House of
Representatives Symposium on Unidentified Flying Objects that people such
as Dr. Carl Sagan and other scientists attended.

In conclusion, I have to say that there is no evidence of a large U.S. 
government conspiracy involving UFOs, based on the fact that there is no
specialized information disseminated that would be needed by anyone involved
in such a program. I am fully aware that by making that statement, there will
be those who will accuse me of being part of a government cover-up, but I
have never worked for the U.S. government and have no plans for doing so.

Paul McGinnis / TRADER@cup.portal.com / PaulMcG@aol.com
