Among skeptics of ufo's it is widely supposed that there could be no big secrets held for a long period of time. The simple answer is that the facility with which information can be contained should depend a great deal on the nature of that information. That could be turned around to use the fact of containment to assess the nature of the information being contained.

Several factors would facilitate containment such as concentration, compartmentalization, negativity, confusion, uncertainty and weirdness to name but a few. Some of these same elements appear in publicly reported cases and so it is fair to assume that they occur in a concentrated fashion in the information being withheld. If there is a timetable for the planned release of information that is already being implemented, this would improve the cooperation of the various participants. Although material incentives and coercion could play a role in the containment, it is unlikely to be the major factor.

If there is a primary, focussed source of ufo related information, this would greatly facilitate containment. This would tend to generate a similar human infrastructure. The information collection effort would be that much easier to control.

A particularly sensitive aspect of the entire containment process would be the likely necessity of briefing the President. This would be a necessary weak link in the whole effort, and it would likely entail some elaborate but informal or ad hoc precautions. The briefing process would ensure a coordinated control function, even if this were not already imposed by the phenomenon itself.

Another consideration is the probable degree to which science and technology are involved in the collection and the content of the information. Is there an ancillary R&D effort? To what degree can this effort be mainstreamed without compromising the security? Somewhat reluctantly I have come to the conclusion that there could be a considerable clandestine R&D effort, besides a very significant mainstream component. The former would necessitate an elaborate but feasible infrastructure involving long term isolation of significant proportions. Isolation from this world would seem to require a compensatory linkage to another world. This is my assumption. Such preliminary linkage would be an integral part of the 'R&D' program.

That there could be a technical aspect to ufo's and our response to them, need in no way detract from the central metaphysical and spiritual significance. The technical dimension is likely to be mainly a concession to our modern culture.

Relatively abstract considerations like those above can go rather far in painting a picture that is as reasonable as it is fantastic of the 'ufo' situation in these latter days.

As an overall assessment, it is reasonable to suppose that something like the above picture is more likely to exist than not. Part of the assessment is that we will not have very much longer to remain in the dark.

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rev. 7/11/97