
Joseph Burkes MD 1997 edited 2021
The following is a position paper first posted over two decades ago and has been updated. It explains the rationale behind what is popularly known as “the UFO truth embargo.”
In 1997, I called for “the creation of a citizen network to challenge the existing regimen of secrecy and denial.” Although this late 20th century document repeatedly referred to “ufology,” the growing numbers of people actively seeking contact in prospective manner convinces me that a social movement to challenge the status quo will be initiated in part by these volunteer “contact workers” and their supporters and not necessarily by “ufologists.”
Since December of 2017, factions within political and military elites that have been pushing for more openness on this subject have been successful in changing the public discussion of what are now called UAP, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. Although public hearings have taken place in the US Congress, only a very small amount of information on this subject has been revealed. In addition, the mass media focuses only on what the Pentagon has released and has not attempted to report on the countless contact experiencers who have been personally affected by interacting with flying saucer intelligences. What follows is an edited version of my 1997 power structure analysis.
The Role of a Power Structure Analysis in Ufology by Joseph Burkes, MD
The civilian UFO community, often known as “ufology,” exists as a multitude of individuals and groups with a common interest in unidentified flying objects. Since 1991 I have shared this passion with other so-called “ufologists.” For six years during the 1990s I was closely associated with Dr. Steven Greer’s Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence. In the course of my activities with that group, I had a number of interactive encounters with what appeared to be “extraterrestrial” spacecraft.
At this point, I would like to offer my observations concerning what I perceive is the fundamental problem in this field. My assessment is that ufology (the entire flying saucer subculture) has failed to recognize the importance of how a possible extraterrestrial presence profoundly threatens all terrestrial elites. This includes the international corporate, military, political and even some religious leaders of our planet.
Without recognizing and thoroughly analyzing this challenge to terrestrial power, those interested in understanding the phenomenon of what appears to be extraterrestrial, or perhaps “interdimensional” spacecraft visiting our planet, will be hopelessly confused. More importantly, UFO activists may have unrealistic expectations and might be wasting important energy in projects that cannot bear fruit given the depths of the power structure’s opposition to acknowledging what are in my opinion powerful non-human intelligences (NHI) associated with what are now being called UAPs Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). These NHI, in my judgment, have the following extraordinary capabilities:
- They are totally telepathic and can access any human being’s consciousness as readily as you or I access light at home by turning on a wall switch.
- Via telepathy, they have full access to every contact experience’s full storehouse of memories, And with those memories can psychically co-create with human subjects a diverse set of close encounters.
- Can manipulate spacetime and in the process stage High Strangeness contact scenarios that defy the known scientific understanding of the nature of reality.

CALLS FOR GOVERNMENT DISCLOSURE
Currently, UFO activists are advocating that Congress hold truly open and comprehensive hearings on the issue of government secrecy concerning UFOs and the distinct probability that extraterrestrial/interdimensional craft are “visiting” our planet. Retired military and intelligence officers that have had direct personal experiences with the UFO subject during their official work have been identified. There is now an opportunity to inform the public, if these official witnesses can be induced to testify under oath before Congress. Also, contact experiencers should be recognized as part of the ongoing revelations about flying saucers.
As might be expected, the push for open hearings on this controversial topic has encountered resistance. It has been the not too secret hope of many UFO activists that some kind of official disclosure might be underfoot. This certainly is the case since 2017 with more governmental and mass media openness on this subject. It is my assessment, however, that no full disclosure will ever take place without forcefully confronting the terrestrial power structure. In my judgment, this will require more pressure than can be applied to Congress and the White House at the current time given the lack of organization that exists within the UFO subculture.
A PEOPLE’S DISCLOSURE MOVEMENT
Frustrated by years of official denial, how can disclosure activists work to remedy this predicament? In my opinion, a broad-based coalition, employing coordinated political action will be an essential part of any disclosure process. This will probably require dozens of organizations and thousands of activists. Such a campaign will very likely take the form of the other grassroots movements for social change. Models of such efforts include the US union organizing drives of the 1930s and the peace and the civil rights movements of the 1960s. To develop such a coalition of individuals and groups, it is necessary to analyze how all-terrestrial power is challenged by the presence of flying saucers
NATIONALISM IS THE NAME OF THE GAME
Our planet’s population is divided into more than 100 nation states. National political leaders are able to exercise their power on the basis of nationalism. As the now deceased prominent ufologist Stanton Friedman said, “Nationalism is the name of the game.” Once the people of the planet are permitted to acknowledge that powerful NHIs are associated with UFOs, the masses will tend to see themselves as “terrestrial” or simply “human.” Faced with what might be an incredible diversity of “ET” cultures, people on our planet may start to identify with the Earth, rather than with their particular nation state. Thus, the power of national politicians would be threatened by the admission that some flying saucers represent vehicles built by non-humans from the stars or from other dimensions.
From the point of view of ordinary citizens, an end to nationalism and the realization of the slogan “One planet, one people,” might not be tragic at all. Given the sad record of the past century, with over 100 million killed in wars resulting from national rivalry or nationalist revolutions, it might make good sense to place nationalism in the dustbin of history. Of course, national political leaders who derive their power from “the people”, i.e., their nations’ peoples, would understandably be threatened by an outside presence that undermines their ideological power bases.

FLYING SAUCERS THREATEN TERRESTRIAL MILITARY ELITES.
The presence of technologically advanced craft known as “flying saucers” has challenged the military leaders of powerful nations. Advanced intelligences manifesting as UAPs appear to be quite capable of producing craft that can fly circles around military high-performance jets. National defense leaders are thus unable to secure our planet’s airspace from what are called “alien” intrusions. This provides one rationale for military-intelligence communities’ maintaining secrecy about UFOs in the past.

ENDING THE “EMPIRE OF OIL”
The so-called “extraterrestrials” appear to have access to incredibly powerful energy systems to propel their “spacecraft.” Speculation within ufology has suggested that these vehicles use non-polluting “free energy systems.” If the authorities acknowledged an ET presence and cooperation with them were established, then over time we could conceivably learn to use such efficient energy technologies. Thus, many of our economic as well as environmental problems might be solved. Safely downloading such advances into the Earth’s technological culture would require, in my opinion, the establishment of world peace based on social and environmental justice. Otherwise, the first applications of UAP advanced energy systems would likely be for weapon development.
From the point of view of the multinational oil/gas/coal corporations, forging so-called “free energy” systems would not be a favorable development. The downloading of advanced energy systems into our technological culture would undoubtedly end the worldwide monopoly that has been called “the empire of oil.” The jobs and profits generated by the energy sector of our economy could disappear causing much social disruption. On the other hand, because the Gulf Wars and other military actions in the Middle East are driven by a hunger for cheap oil, ending our dependence on petroleum might reduce the risks of war and the need to maintain large armed forces.
ETs VS. THE PLANET’S RELIGIOUS ELITES
An important pillar of our planet’s belief systems is organized religion. The true history of our planet may reveal that the flying saucer phenomenon is really an ancient process rather than a modern one. Religious art over centuries depicting what appear to be flying saucers certainly suggests this possibility. The myths of ancient civilizations declaring that their knowledge and technology were obtained from “star people”, provides additional support for ancient astronaut theories.
What if the holy men and prophets of biblical times were in reality contactees? Their religious experiences may have reflected encounters with non-human intelligences, some of which might have been extraterrestrial in nature. If this theory proves true or even considered to be probable, acknowledging the presence of “ETs” could severely undermine our belief systems. Thus, some factions of the religious elites of our planet might not celebrate the disclosure of an ET/interdimensional presence unless humanity can be carefully prepared for an enormous theological revision.
UFO SECRECY IN DEFENSE OF THE STATUS QUO
If this analysis accurately reflects the perceived self-interest of our planet’s elites, then any extraterrestrials/inter-dimensionals visiting our planet should logically be perceived by them as the enemy. The worldwide secrecy campaign concerning UFOs can now be acknowledged as the consequence of ruling classes that understandably take action in self-defense. This need not be seen as a conspiracy. Efforts to deny the importance of flying saucers and to resist public disclosure of their continued presence are the natural response of any social system attempting to preserve the status quo. The notion that there is a super-secret evil “Cabal” running the UFO coverup is a shallow conspiracy theory in my view. If there is a “conspiracy”, it is the one hiding in plain view. It is the result of the entire social system that concentrates wealth in ruling classes composed of the wealthiest families of the planet.
The vigorous counterintelligence programs against the alleged ETs by the US Executive Branch of government is not an aberration of some clique within what is called “the military-industrial-intelligence-complex.” Long standing military and counterintelligence projects are being carried out at the behest of the most powerful economic and political interests on the planet. These elite forces need not hide, because through their open ownership of industry and the mass media, plus the legalized bribery of politicians in the form of campaign contributions, they have effective, albeit not complete, control of our civilization.
As the disparities in wealth and power continue to increase on our planet, it is increasingly apparent that the golden rule means, “those with the gold rule.” In my judgment, political progressive forces that oppose the rule of the few could become allies of a democratic grass roots people’s disclosure movement. This might be accomplished by linking the flying saucer challenge to possible solutions for the seemingly unsurmountable problems facing Earth civilization. These include war, racism, sexism and global warming linked to the burning of fossil fuels.
THE PROGRESSIVE EVOLUTION OF EARTH CIVILIZATON
In the course of human development, both evolutionary and revolutionary historical trends can be seen. The creation of Christianity out of Judaism can be viewed as a revolutionary force that spread monotheism across the planet. The Roman Empire, cognizant of the challenge, violently suppressed the new religion that placed an almighty God over the Emperor. This process continued with the establishment of Islam that required the mightiest prince to submit to the laws issued by what is perceived of as a supreme and just God.
In my opinion, the acceptance of an all-powerful and ethical God by this planet’s peoples has done much to promote the welfare of the Earth’s population. Concepts, such as the rule of law and social justice, as well as the ending of human sacrifice and chatell slavery, all have their roots in the wave of revolutionary monotheism that swept our planet during the first millennium of the Common Era. Similarly, the rule of both kings and political despots has been replaced by the democratic revolutions of the 17th through 20th centuries. Old regimes, however, never give up without a fight. Indeed, the struggle for democracy continues to this day as a wave of authoritarian regimes have been established in the last few decades.
WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER
It is only natural that the Earth’s ruling elites will combat what some might perceive as a major threat. As long as any extraterrestrial or inter-dimensional “visitors” spare us undeniable displays of their physical presence, indirect means can be employed to maintain the secrecy regimen. This until recently included the non-stop ridicule of witnesses and the suppression of credible reports of encounters. If Colonel Philip Corso, author of “The Day After Roswell”, is to be believed, covert military actions against ET craft have also occurred..
In the past, corporate control of the mass media has been used to relegate reports of UFOs to tabloid formats that trivialize them. Security oaths, under national security regulations, have been employed to silence credible military witnesses of UFO encounters. UFO researchers are also likely targets for disinformation spread by sections of the intelligence services authorized to deal with the flying saucer subculture. Terrestrial power can be expected to defend itself. These efforts will surely continue in the future.
THE ROLE OF UFO INTELLIGENCES ARE PARAMOUNT
The creation of a citizen network to challenge the existing regimen of secrecy and denial will by necessity be a difficult and prolonged struggle. There will be the need for accelerating the educational process to alert the public of the reality of flying saucers and the possibility that some represent extraterrestrial spacecraft operating around our planet. Perhaps, the most important factor in this equation is the actions of the so-called “extraterrestrials” themselves. For reasons that are only known to them, they have chosen not to impose on our culture irrefutable displays of their physical presence. Although the tempo of sightings and other types of human-“ET” interactions appears to be accelerating, it seems likely that the proverbial “landing on the White house lawn” will not occur any time soon. For the reasons outlined in this paper, such a landing may never take place.

A BROAD-BASED PEOPLE’S COALITION
Rather than passively waiting for the power structure to acknowledge that non-human intelligences are responsible for the flying saucer phenomenon, those that feel passionately about this issue should be prepared to act. Non-governmental organizations have a long tradition of finding innovative solutions to important problems. As a former peace activist from the 1960s through the 1980s, I recall the slogan, “When the people lead, the leaders will follow.”
If a broad-based people’s movement is to be created, then there will be the need for much organizing. A special role for building unity also exists because ufology is rife with sectarianism. The UFO community has in many ways been isolated from the mainstream culture. Breaking free from this isolation will require a balanced program of public education.
I encourage all UFO truth seekers to consider this analysis. It is my sincere hope that by understanding the power relationships that are at work here, we can do much to change the current situation. I invite comments on the points raised here and look forward to a productive dialogue.
For additional blogs about the societal impact of a possible ET presence, click on the links below.
You can’ control a person who wants nothing
https://contactunderground.wordpress.com/2021/10/19/why-do-the-control-groups-oppose-an-et-presence/
https://contactunderground.wordpress.com/2021/12/22/the-leadership-crisis-in-ufology/
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