There is no shortage of people giving positive testimonies about Werner Erhard's products -- est, The Forum, Landmark Education.
This person has given an excellent rebuttal
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posted by Darlingbri at 2:10 PM on May 19, 2011
Regardless of how you feel about the content of the courses, Landmark is an organisation you should not give your money to because they use that money to litigate their critics into bankruptcy in order to silence them. Notably, the very valuable Cult Awareness Network went bankrupt while being sued by Landmark, who then went after Rick Ross. Other groups that indulge in this notably include Scientology, just for your reference.
Here is a history of the litigation they have been involved in.
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It includes the suit they filed against Ross, one of the most vocal and credible anti-cult activists currently working. Here is the introduction to that law suit written by my dad, who with the backing of his firm, spent years of his life defending Rick Ross against Landmark,
pro bono, so that he would not be silenced.
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Here is the Wikipedia article about that case. (Corboy note: Wikipedia entries are subject to change, so use with caution)
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People generally don't like it when you point to something they feel positively about and call it a cult, so I'm not even touching that question or giving my opinion on that. As an alternative strategy, I am suggesting you ask how a moral person could knowingly give money to an organisation that spends millions of those dollars to violate their critics' first amendment rights. Landmark may well be good for him, but it is horrific beyond measure for others. They destroy the lives of the people they sue unless those people are very lucky with their representation indeed.
Should your partner get more involved in this, protect yourself and protect your finances. Feel free to memail me.
Corboy: What follows is clever distraction from a fake reasonable Landmarkian.
The author claims not to have been familiar with the lawsuits mentioned by Darlingbri.
Instead, the Landmarkian describes knowing people who did Landmark and never heard of anyone being taken for a ride financially.
Then asks Darlingbri if he or she can supply references to Landmark participants being taken advantage of financially.
All this ignores what Darlingbri has already told us - and supported with references.
That Landmark has a long and well documented history of suing anyone who has published information about its harmful and exploitative practices.
Using lawsuits to scare people into going silent about allegations of harm
incurred while involved with Landmark is designed to keep such information
hidden.
So that Landmarkians can continue to claim they have have not heard of anyone being harmed or financially taken advantage of.
Landmark uses your money to keep people who feel harmed by LEC from speaking up.
When Rick Ross created a moderated message board and scores of former Landmark subjects gathered, described what they'd been put through, Landmark sued Rick Ross.
Anyone sued by Landmark to silence them has been financially taken for a ride.
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Reading through these responses, it strikes me that many of them fall into these two categories:
My friend/roommate/spouse/ex did the Landmark Forum. Omigod, cult cult cult! Get out your crucifix and garlic!
I did the Landmark Forum. It was a mixed bag/good/great. I learned some valuable things, but the organization certainly has some issues.
It's striking how different the perceptions are between those who have actually done the workshops and those who haven't.
Should your partner get more involved in this, protect yourself and protect your finances.
I can't speak to the lawsuits that DarlingBri references. I'm not familiar with them. On the other hand, I knew many people who were deeply involved in Landmark in the 1990s, taking one or course or another pretty much all the time for a couple of years. I didn't know anyone or ever hear of anyone getting taken for a ride financially.
At that time their classes cost what classes typically cost, or even on the low end: $150 for a seminar that ran once a week for three months; maybe $500 for a three-day weekend program or $1,500 for something that ran a couple of weekends. We're not talking drain-the-college-savings-account-and-take-out-a-second-mortage numbers.
DarlingBri, do you have references on Landmark participants being taken advantage of financially?
posted by alms at 5:36 PM on May 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Corboy: Darlingbri already supplied references. This Landmarkian has ignored
them and has shifted the discussion to an entirely different topic.
The Landmarkians says he or she cannot speak to the lawsuits because he or she has not heard of any.
This is just a way to dodge main topic of DarlingBri's argument. Instead, the Landmarkian shifts the topic to something else entirely, claiming never to have heard reports of anyone in Landmark being taken for a ride financially, then niggling that the fees for Landamrk courses are no where near taking out mortgages.
That's just more distraction and minimization.
Anyone sued into silence by Landmark, as DarlingBri has documented, has been 'taken for a ride' financially AND emotionally.
Plus, with Landmarks track record of filing lawsuits against persons giving harm reports on Landmark, its inability to tolerate anything less than glowing
testimonials, this shows Landmark wants freedom of speech only for itself, and cannot tolerate candid criticisms from those who disliked participating in Landmark -- and dislike lECs impact on friends and loved ones.