The simple reality is that Hubbard never hid his intentions. He spells it out clearly, over and over, in writing and on tapes.
One needs to understand just how strongly any person's beliefs (agreements, fixed ideas, strong opinions) directly affect and define a person's actions. This is especially true and easy to see with religions, though political ideologies follow closely behind.
Hubbard and Scientology constantly push and ram these basic Scientology beliefs down your throat. Take those away and there can be no more insidious control, or even a C of S as it currenly exists.
The Church PR machine, and dumbos like the Marty brigade, routinely underplay and try to avoid any mention of the basic BELIEF structure and psychology involved with HARD-CORE BELIEVERS of ANY sort. This aspect is key to what Scientology "does" to people.
It is basically all about controlling a person's thoughts. That is why so many people get declared SPs - to get the infected questioning thoughts OUT of the accepted party-line thought pool.
I think most people interpret or misinterpret much of what Hubbard says while involved in Scientology (thereby somewhat minimizing the extreme fanaticism involved), but the severe "don't talk about it" vibe (No Verbal Data) within the Church environment keeps those (common) misunderstandings and misinterpretations out of view. Everybody imagines that they all happily agree with each other, but really, deep down, people have largely different opinions and views about the Church, Scientology and Hubbard. The don't-talk-about-it vibe and a very higly controlled oppressive environment (KRs, severe ethics, fears of disconnection, etc) creates an ILLUSION of high-toned agreement that actually isn't there.
But, when it comes down to it, the basic Scientology beliefs, accepted and acted upon by Scientology lemmings of all sorts, are what keep the machine rolling. If THOSE were chipped way at, and exposed as the large abusrdities that they are, well the Church would have a tough time of it.
