You may have missed it, but a whistleblower named David Grusch testified under oath before the US Congress on 26 July 2023. He claimed to have had conversations with military officials that led him to conclude that the US federal government had a secret UFO recovery program and was in possession of 'non-human' craft and their 'pilots'.
Before the American colonel David Grusch, Luis "Lue" Elizondo, a former intelligence agent, worked on a UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) study program within the Pentagon. This program, created at the instigation of Senator Harry Reid, was revealed on 16 October 2017 by an article in the New York Times. Luis Elizondo became known to the public during an interview on CNN that sparked increased interest in unidentified flying objects, helping to reignite the debate on the subject.
Of course, the most famous case that immediately springs to mind is that of Roswell in 1947, which has been studied many times by the ufology community. If that turns out to be genuine, it would mean that, for more than 70 years, objects with technological capabilities beyond our knowledge have been visiting our skies, oceans and space, all to almost general indifference, at least publicly.
In the United States, several interesting press conferences on the subject have been held, for example in 2001, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2017. Many extremely credible witnesses were present at these events, including individuals from the military world, such as USAF Captain Robert Salas, as well as notable pilots and captains such as Jean-Charles Duboc of Air France.
The speakers also included renowned researchers such as historian Richard Dolan and physicist Stanton Friedman. High-ranking political figures also spoke, including former Canadian Defense Minister Paul Hellyer. Even prominent astronauts took part, including Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the moon.
These press conferences were an opportunity for these witnesses to speak not only to the public, but also to influential political figures such as Senator Mike Gravel and Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick.
For decades, there have been thousands of testimonies, if not more, in many countries, by civilian and military witnesses. There have also been thousands of declassified documents proving the existence of an inexplicable phenomenon.
Several former US presidents, such as Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, as well as high-ranking personalities such as former astronaut and NASA administrator Bill Nelson, and Director of US National Intelligence Avril Haines, have addressed the subject of UFOs in television interviews in the United States and have all spoken of the phenomenon as an inexplicable reality.
French personalities such as astronaut Jean-François Clervoy and former DGSE external intelligence director Alain Juillet have spoken out publicly.
"But what is true - and I'm actually being serious here - is that there's footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't know exactly what they are," Obama said.
"We can't explain how they moved, their trajectory. They did not have an easily explainable pattern," he said.
Despite all these testimonies and statements, in particular that of David Grusch, the vast majority of the population seems uninformed or unwilling to pay attention.
In France, in 1999, the COMETA report was reportedly delivered personally to Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. French generals such as Denis Letty, an expert in military matters and nuclear security, concluded that "the extraterrestrial hypothesis is the most plausible". The subject was covered by major French television channels (TF1, France 2) and made the front page of some major public newspapers. The newspaper "la Provence" made it its front page on 05 June 2021, before Le Parisien on 07 June 2023.
Media coverage and organizations
Following the media interest since December 2017 and after the revelation of the secret program in the United States, many American and British media picked up on the subject, which had a media repercussion in many countries around the world such as Australia or Canada.
So, following the example of the late NICAP, a number of organizations were formed, in the United States and elsewhere. In 2021, ICER (International Coalition for Extraterrestrial Research) was created, a global non-profit organization made up of leading scientists, academics and researchers from 27 countries on 5 continents. All are unanimous in recognizing that we are not alone in the cosmos. The organization recognizes the UFO/UAP phenomenon as real, intelligent and likely to be of extraterrestrial/non-human origin.
ICER aims to take this discussion to the highest levels of governance, including the United Nations.
Another serious international organization, the SCU (Scientific Coalition for the Study of Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena) was created with the aim of "studying available information objectively, without bias or prejudice, and sharing this information with the public, the media, government and scientific institutions".
That organization is made up of many members, including university professors, high-tech and defense industry experts, scientists, intelligence specialists, as well as current and former members of space research organizations.
They conduct research and promote the rigorous scientific examination of UAP (Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena) using scientific tools, principles and practices in the study of UAP events reported worldwide. They provide scientific research and case analysis based on credible testimonies and data, as well as examining the physical evidence of this enigmatic phenomenon.
More recently, on 14 September 2023, NASA held a conference on the subject, specifically on the measures needed to set up a study of the phenomenon.
Why hasn't this subject attracted more interest from the public?
The question is, "why?" Why, when all one has to do is take an interest in the subject to see the abundance of information, testimonies, credible reports and converging evidence (which generate convictions and raise questions), does this topic remain shrouded in taboo and ridicule, and why is it so quickly forgotten when public attention wanes?
Luis Elizondo, David Grusch, George Knapp and others all share a similar approach to the study of this phenomenon. They began as skeptics of the non-human hypothesis, only to become more convinced after a serious study of the subject.
Another example is J. Allen Hynek, scientific adviser to Project Blue Book; in a 1985 interview, when asked what had changed his mind, he replied:
"Two things, really. One was the completely negative and unyielding attitude of the Air Force. They wouldn't give UFOs the chance of existing, even if they were flying up and down the street in broad daylight. Everything had to have an explanation. I began to resent that, even though I basically felt the same way, because I still thought they weren't going about it in the right way. You can't assume that everything is black no matter what. Secondly, the caliber of the witnesses began to trouble me. Quite a few instances were reported by military pilots, for example, and I knew them to be fairly well-trained, so this is when I first began to think that, well, maybe there was something to all this."
The list of official investigative committees in various countries is long; Canada, Russia, China, Japan, Brazil, Argentina...
There is a percentage of unidentified phenomena, which means that we should not entirely reject the possibility that certain observations could be linked to technologies or entities whose nature, origin and intentions are unknown to us.
One of the answers frequently given when the subject is raised is that it does not directly affect our lives, but it is legitimate to doubt this assertion. In reality, the presence of unexplained phenomena in our skies raises questions that go far beyond our everyday lives. If these unidentified objects were of non-human origin, intelligent, and we understood neither their nature nor their intentions, this would engender major philosophical and ontological upheavals, representing a paradigm shift for humanity. What's more, we can predict neither the actions nor the intentions of the phenomenon, adding to the uncertainty.
It is important to note that discussions about UFOs are complex and diverse. Opinions vary as to the exact nature of these phenomena. Some believe that all UFOs could be linked to conventional explanations, such as observational errors, unexplained atmospheric phenomena or secret terrestrial technologies. Others believe that there is evidence to suggest an extraterrestrial or at least intelligent, non-human origin.
The lack of the public's interest in UFOs can be explained by several factors:
For many years, witnesses who reported UFO sightings were often ridiculed or stigmatized. This may have discouraged the public from speaking openly about their experiences, or from taking a serious interest in the subject for fear of ridicule.
Despite numerous reported sightings, there is as yet no conclusive scientific evidence or consensus on the origin of UFOs. This lack of solid evidence can lead to skepticism or disinterest on the part of many people.
The field of UFOs is surrounded by a multitude of information, testimonies and various theories. This overabundance can sometimes make it difficult for the public to discern credible information from unfounded speculation, leading to confusion and, ultimately, a lack of interest.
Earth's citizens generally have more pressing daily concerns, such as work, family, health, etc. You've got to pay your bills and feed your family. These concerns can occupy much of their attention and reduce their interest in more speculative subjects like UFOs.
Although some media outlets cover the subject of UFOs, the coverage can occasionally lack seriousness and scientific rigor, discouraging or even turning off those seeking credible, in-depth information.
Personal and cultural beliefs can play an important role in an individual's interest in UFOs. Some people may be more inclined to believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life and to take an interest in associated phenomena, while others, depending on their philosophy, psychology and environment, may be less open to the idea.
Discussions about UFOs can often involve complex scientific concepts and techniques such as physics, aeronautics, space technology and so on. This can make the subject less accessible to those unfamiliar with these fields.
Overall, the public's interest in UFOs varies according to many individual and societal factors. Some may be very passionate about the subject, while others may see no reason to be particularly interested.
If it turns out, one day, as David Grusch claims, that non-human technologies have been discovered and studied, it would at least lead us to see the world and the universe in a whole new light. The prospects would be manifold: excitement and intensive research into technological innovations for an energy transition, galvanized space expansion, medical advances, sustainable urbanization, revolution in industry and agriculture, as well as societal evolutions that would bring new challenges to the table. And perhaps - dare we say it? - even greater international cooperation.
A few wise words from 2005 by Dr. Hal Puthoff, a Stanford University graduate and researcher in theoretical and experimental physics:
"Despite the UFO phenomenon having continued now for over two generations, the huge technological headstart of the presumed ETs would still cause a great to many scientists as well as citizenry, as the Brookings Report indicated [commissioned by NASA and submitted to Congress in 1961]. It could be so great as to seriously challenge our consensual reality, a not insignificant danger. [...]
Nevertheless, the reality of the phenomenon and of our having long since been discovered by advanced ETs now may be more probable than that Fermi’s paradox is to be resolved through either the non-existence of advanced ETs or their inability to explore or colonise the galaxy. Hence open scientific research on the subject is needed with special attention paid to high quality UFO reports exhibiting apparent indications that ET intelligence and strategy are involved."
Hal Puthoff "Consequences of Inflation Theory on the Possibility of Extraterrestrial Visits"
Being a human being on this Earth and in this human society certainly gives us many duties and perhaps a few rights, but it would seem that those in power are denying us the "right to know"; the right to know more than we need to know, simply to continue to do our fair share in the workings of this society; to know whether or not we are alone in this immense universe; to participate in how contact would be managed, should it occur. Is this right to know the point of absolute discord between those who know and those who would like to know? Can this denial of knowledge be considered a denial of humanity? Is this denial of knowledge legitimate? Only time will tell.
Main picture: Image by Thomas Budach from Pixabay
