www.pseudoscience.gov
Advocates for impossible devices and schemes are keen on getting government support and recognition, the impossible hydrogen generating device crowd included. Getting the DOE to link to a perpetual motion machine scam is not too hard. People frequently present impossible schemes to local governments. Santa Cruz County records (warning, pdf) a 2003-February presentation by a representitive of World Improvement Technologies and our own Xogen on perpetual motion earth movers, anti-gravity bikes, water powered cars, and anti-aging technology.
In one over-the-top case of official glamour applied to a scam, Xogen's web page included a videotaped message from Alberta Premier Ralph Klien that included
As premier of the province of Alberta, I am very proud of the many emerging technologies which have been developed by Alberta companies. Companies such as Xogen Power Incorporated are fine examples of the talent and expertise which exist here in our province. The Alberta advantage refers to the business environment the province offers to a wide spectrum of industrial technologies. While the province is home to a vibrant oil and gas economy, companies such as Xogen Power Incorporated are exploring and developing a much needed alternative source of energy. These emerging technologies may soon lead us into a new and exciting era, as we enter the new millennium. I wish all those involved with Xogen every success in the future.The Wayback indicates this was part of the Xogen.com site from 2000-June to 2001-March.
This was more than a year after Don Lancaster first said of Xogen that Boy, a whole flock of 'em flew over that time. It's only a little surprising that the Premier Klien didn't have any advisors to tell him, in advance, that any endorsement of Xogen would be sure to embarrass him. But he aparently caught on sometime in early 2001. So how is it possible that after Xogen's false statements and misrepresentations have been exposed, and it's gone bankrupt, and investors have suffered millions in losses, that the government of Alberta has done nothing?
posted by johnlichtenstein at 07:45
3 Comments:
Hi John,
Why? Because there is such a fine line between running a corporation which may be trying to achieve the impossible and outright fraud. At least that is what I have come to think. Anyone can make an honest mistake so how do you prove fraudlent intent? Some scams are obvious but the smarter ones hide behind real corporate entities or not for profits and can essentially fleece people legally.
MJ
August 30, 2004 9:16 PM
Indeed you are right MJ. In this case, Xogen hid behind the company "Tathacus" , which as a publically traded company, operated just on the fine line this side of the law. They were protected by "plausible deniability". In other words, it is possible that the officers of Tathacus claimed to simply be stupid pawns of the Xogen scam, while at the same time they sucked all of the money out of the pockets of investors as fast as they possibly could. The government thinking is probably that the victims were simply greedy and gullible investors.
The loser here is the reputation of the stock markets - after Bre-X, they didn't have far to fall.
Anon
May 16, 2005 3:55 PM
This discussion with MJ reminds me that MJ has opened up his own blog at h2opower
May 16, 2005 7:59 PM
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