BILL HUFFMAN: my mentor millist dr. John Bear

[ham]

London Institute for Applied Research England. All right, he did it (as he's been saying in his book for 20 years now). In 1972, while living in England, [b]John was involved in fund-raising for a legitimate school.[/b] He figured that since major universities were "selling" honorary degrees for millions, why not use this approach on a small scale? He and his associates created L.I.A.R. and ran ads in the U.S. reading "Phony honorary doctorates for sale, $25." Several hundred were sold, but it seemed to have upset half the world's educational establishment (the rest thought it was a good gag.) So L.I.A.R. was retired. Then an offer came from a Dutchman who lived in Ethiopia (you must believe us on this--who would make up such a story?) who wanted to trade 100 pounds of Ethiopian earpickers and Coptic crosses for the remaining L.I.A.R. certificates. Now he's selling them from Holland without the humorous disclaimer, and has added a bunch more fake school names. And if anyone would like some Ethiopian trinkets, have we got a deal for you! (Honestly!)

http://home.san.rr.com/follies/PhDFraud/index2.html

So while the "band of brothers" (pater incertus ) at DI/DD usually finger points and stones not only active degree mills and their clients and cronies, but "eventual" mills as well that might, would, could eventually turn out as degree mills.
BUT!
When heat gets closer to home, no more stones and no more ethical qualms.
dr. John Bear, mastermind behind several "unaccredited" schools, which he calls "degree mills" himself these days ( L.I.A.R, Millard Fillmore, I.I.A.S, Columbia Pacific University, Fairfax University, Greenwich university ) would not be an egregious snake oil salesman raking in huge profits, but a naive hippie or sort of tier-II Robin Hood or prankster who "just" had fun with a goliardic enterprise.
Like St.Francis, dr. John Bear gave away the whole stock of "phoney degrees to be sold in America only" for nothing, which eminently proves the unselfish and comedic value of the enterprise.


If that were anyone else's case, though, leniency would not extend that far.
Buyer beware!