I remember in 8th or 9th grade, in Religion we had a teacher who would talk to us about cults and sects and their danger, explain their recruitment-strategies and the warning-signs. Desteni fits the profile 100%.
When we asked then why anyone would recruit us, she replied 'Well, money of course'. Being the kids we were we didn't get it, after all how much money can a teenager possibly possess, so she explained that we, nowadays, live in a rather rich society. Usually at this point in life, your grandparents and parents are still alive and most people have worked hard all their lifes and have bought a house and made some savings. Now grandparents don't exactly live forever and the inheritance would go to our parents generation, while when they die a few decades later, what they give their kids (us) will be worth two houses and two savings.
So my/ the young generation has, even if it has not achieved anything in life, practically two houses to sell (theoretical example of course, individual cases may vary). Even the laziest stoner might have had hard working parents.
So in actuallity, the young and stupid generation of heirs is the best target audience for a cult.

They just want your best after all... which is to say: your money.

Regarding the Desteni group's attitude to non-Destonians, and their idea that anyone disagreeing with them 'doesn't deserve to live' and in their 'equal money system' will be offered the option of being 'euthanized', Valentin Rozman says in response to Bernard Poolman's video Smoking is Really REALLY Good:

"Come on, is it really necessary to pull out teeth in order to stop smoking?"

To which Poolman replies:

"yes, if they cause deception. The Chinese goes further and execute the corrupt people in society. That should sort out quite a few problems when we at lat realize that our acceptance of corruption without decisive action is the root cause for all the suffering. The one accepting abuse is in fact the abuser"

Poolman tells his followers to Remember that this is a Process and says:

"Make sure that you do not trust in your own deception and want to still experience things, believing that you have the right to do so. You do not have the right of experience because that is the right of abuse. You have the right to life only if you give it to everything else equally. If you do not give it, you will not have it."

To which Valentin Rozman replies:

"here will be no place for those who will not be interested for what is best for all. All abuse will end and if you are abusing this reality in any way whatsoever, wou will also end."

It is difficult to believe what this vulgar man with his violent fascist rantings is capable of doing to manipulate certain defenseless people.

On a short note, I found something quite funny, even interesting at their Equal Money System implementation site..

Below the shamelessly simple demand to hand money into a void, when you proceed to pay, the default amount is set to 1000 ZAR (= 148.60 USD/ 101.880 Euros), you get to

this site. Please take a look at the details. Especially the address.

The irony of it all is quite striking.

Ok I have just noticed the second link in my post above shows no address when you just click it directly.
But when you go to this Equal Money System money demand here, put in 0 ZAR, and proceed to the payment page, the payment/transaction page tells the following:

"Merchandise: Support establishing Equal Money System

Merchant: Exodec 124

Address:

Ottos Bluff, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa, 3201"


Who is Mr Bluff?

That's why I stated "The irony of it all is quite striking" in my last post.

"Ottos Bluff" is a location.

Whoever is Merchant: Exodec 124
is just putting that money into their pocket.

and guess who "Exodec 124" is?
Search Google for:

"Exodec 124"

------quote-----------
[za.linkedin.com]
Cerise Poolman
Entrepreneur for Equal Money

Location
Durban Area, South Africa
Industry
E-Learning

Cerise Poolman's Overview
Current

* Sole Member at Exodec 124

Past
* Super Buddy at Desteni I Process

Education
* University of South Africa/Universiteit van Suid-Afrika

Connections

44 connections

Cerise Poolman's Summary

Equal Money System
Specialties

Blogging, Introduction to Desteni, Horses, Cats,
Cerise Poolman's Experience
Sole Member
Exodec 124

E-Learning industry

June 2008 – Present (2 years 11 months)
Super Buddy
Desteni I Process

E-Learning industry
2010 – 2011 (1 year)

--------------------------------
[za.linkedin.com]
[cloyberi.info]
[www.vcs.co.za]

We have a stub/offshoot of the main Desteni thread started as a new thread so I'm linking it back in here:

[forum.culteducation.com]

Disturbing how it appears that the daughter Cerise Poolman is so deeply involved, head-shaved, posting a stream of extreme links from the news.
She even says...

[cerisepoolman.blogspot.com] cerisepoolman.blogspot.com/
"Join the Desteni I Process...Make some serious $$$ at the same time"

'Disturbing how it appears that the daughter Cerise Poolman is so deeply involved, head-shaved, posting a stream of extreme links from the news.'


I should imagine that, in time honoured fashion, Bernard honed his skills at manipulation and persuasion first on his own children before branching out into the wider world.
Any parent with a working brain cell is aware that they wield a powerful influence over the direction of the minds of their young children.

That his now-adult daughter is still so deeply influenced by him--to the point of head-shaving and proselytising on his behalf--- is an indicator of the extent of the total control he desperately seeks to exert over those close to him.
Bernard cannot tolerate any idea different to those coming from his own addled head because he is a very frightened man, locked into his own very narrow and scary world that is full of demons and dragons a la Sagan.

I, for one, am glad that I do not live inside that horrible head.

There is a definite cynical knowingness to Cerise's point:

'How about this: If Jesus was real, he may have had good intentions, but was obviously delusional. Or he was just trying to get attention - calling himself the son of God. All he needed was a few good storytellers and some made-up shit about his mother and he could easily override the common peasant minds of the people of the time and make them believe all the crazy shit.'

She knows that she is describing Bernard's modus operandi here and yet she is still, to all intents and purposes, under the thumb of her delusional father.

Growing up in a cult, or a family-based cult is a terrible thing. Frankly, the smaller family-based cults seem to be even worse, as there is less scrutiny.

Sometimes the kids eventually break-away.
Other times, the apple does not fall far from the tree, and the ENTIRE FAMILY gets in on the cultic action and money collecting. They get their brothers, uncles, kids, everyone gets their hands in the cookie jar.
If serious $$$ starts coming in, its pretty easy for humans to get corrupted. Stacks of cash are hard to refuse.

- serious $$$, as the kids say.

One has to wonder why they didn't use their own daughter as the Desteni figurehead? She seems to be writing that stuff, even though its all Desteni-speak using his language patterns. And she seems to believe it.

Although there are many cases where even teenage kids of cultic promoters are skilled dishonest manipulators even at age 16, when the parents use them as figureheads.
But if they really believe it, eventually they might find out "dad" is skimming the Equal Money into his own personal stash. But its hard to see what's happening when on the inside.