8/21: |HOAX REVEALED - OLIVER STONE TO DO MOVIE! Name: Iceman #14 @6989 Date: Tue May 19 22:08:47 1992 From: Farstar BBS (Southern California) [619-521-1753]

THE "STATE" OF IDAHO: THE CASE FOR OPEN DEBATE

If you would ask any schoolchild how many states there are in the United States, you will get the same answer: 50. Fifty states in the Union. It is simply an accepted "fact." If you would disagree with this supposed "fact," you would be branded insane or worse.

However, mounting evidence shows that there are in fact only 49 states in the US, and the "state" of Idaho is a baseless myth.

We have been trying to distribute and publish this information for over *two years*, but our scholarship has not been given any respect. We have been censored, vilified, ridiculed and spat upon by the "traditional" geographers and historians, but WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!

All we ask is that the existence of Idaho be debated, as every other historical and geographic "fact" can be debated. Time after time, our opponents have refused to debate us on the FACTS. This alone should tell you something about the people who support the "existence" of this "43rd state." Please read the following evidence VERY CAREFULLY, and you will be astonished at the veracity of our cause.

THE POPULATION MYTH

Do you know anybody from Idaho? Do you know anybody *who knows anybody* from Idaho? According to the 1990 "census," there are over one million (1000000, or 1 x 10^6) people living in Idaho. But if there are so many Idahoers, where are they?

Some people have come forward and claimed that they were born and raised in "Idaho." But *every single person* who made this claim have been shown to be frauds and charlatans. These "Idahoan wannabes" are invariably inconsistent with each other about the size (in square miles or square kilometers) of "Idaho," about various town and village names, and even about the names of "Idaho's mighty rivers."

THE SIZE FARCE

According to traditional geographic sources (created entirely by people who believe in the existence of Idaho, and probably the Tooth Fairy, also) the "State" of Idaho is more than twice the size of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts *combined.* Isn't it strange that a state with such vast land resources has so few people? And even of you look at a map (created by the Idaho-centric cartographers) the "State" of "Idaho" is dwarfed by its much larger neighbor, Montana.

SATELLITE EVIDENCE

Recently declassified weather satellite information, showing the entire continental United States, shows absolutely *no evidence* that there is any state where "Idaho" is supposedly located. Noted experts in the field of interpreting these pictures unanimously agree that, from outer space, it is impossible to determine the borders of this elusive "state." Yet meteorologists and cartographers routinely overlay these satellite pictures with the outline of states that would seem to indicate Idaho's existence.

PHOTOGRAPHIC "EVIDENCE"

Many people, skeptical of the clear evidence that Idaho does not and never did exist, point to photographs that they've seen in encyclopedias and postcards seeming to show parts of the state of Idaho.

It is important to note that a photograph without a caption is often meaningless. A picture of people in boats surrounded by mountains could have been taken in Colorado or Nevada, but when the holy *caption* says that this is a picture of the "Salmon River" in "Idaho," gullible readers tend to swallow this information whole *without any further examination.*

We have examined literally hundreds of these "photographs," and the ones that are not outright fakes are all clearly taken in other parts of the nation.

ASK THE JAPANESE

It is well known that Americans are woefully ignorant about geography, which is one reason why it is so easy to fake an entire state here. Not surprisingly, most of the effort to create the illusion of Idaho has been expended in the USA. But if you would ask a typical Japanese or French schoolchild about what he/she knows about Idaho, you will usually get a blank stare. People who are much better at geography than Americans have never heard of this "great state."

THE POTATO MYTH

Any given supermarket in the United States has sacks of potatoes clearly marked "Idaho Potatoes." People make the assumption, that when they are buying these potatoes, that they were *grown* in the "state" of "Idaho."

Actually, "Idaho" is a type of potato, just like "McIntosh" is a type of apple. The FACT is that *many* states have potato crops, as well as foreign countries, and potatoes that say "Idaho" on them are no more from Idaho than Baltimore Orioles all come from Maryland.

SO, WHAT'S THERE?

Nothing. THERE IS NOTHING THERE. We have been so brainwashed by the traditional mapmaking community to think that if Idaho doesn't exist, then there must be some sort of vacuum there instead. This is nonsense.

The very shapes and positions of the states, and indeed of every nation on the planet, is only known through "information" provided by cartographers. It is akin to asking "if Santa's house isn't at the North Pole, then what's there instead?"

THE CARTOGRAPHER CONSPIRACY

The *only evidence* that there is a state called Idaho comes from maps. Everybody has maps, in almanacs, in encyclopedias, and on the walls of every elementary school classroom in America.

Astonishingly, *over 99%* of all maps are created by *cartographers!* If any clearly defined set of people would control any other important industry to that degree, everybody would be up in arms about the undue influence given to a meager few. However, for some reason, Cartographers are immune to such criticism. Any mention about the Cartographer influence over the mapmaking industry (and, as a natural extension, OUR VERY THOUGHTS!) is dismissed as "lunacy."

As an indication of how insidious is this influence, just think: have you ever questioned a map? Maps, being graphical objects, require much less effort to assimilate into our very psyches. Behavioral studies show that people can much more readily understand maps than printed descriptions of geographical areas; in fact, the images on maps tend to go directly into the subconsciousness of Man (Homo Sapiens) without the critical thinking that accompanies reading. In a very real way, Cartographers are the *real* Thought Police.

But they do not work in a vacuum. There are much too few of them to do their real damage unaided. Mapmakers have conspired with the editors of almanacs and encyclopedias to create a fantastic illusion of space where there is none, people where there aren't any, and ski resorts where none exist.

ONLY THE BEGINNING

This is only the tip of the iceberg. We have much more material on this conspiracy, and we have yet to uncover one iota of evidence that Idaho has ever existed. All of the so-called "evidence" is a mixture of falsifications, coersions, lies and exaggerations.

The Cartographers would like nothing better than to silence us. If you do not see any more postings on this subject, then you have clear evidence that their Conspiracy of Silence on Idaho

has succeeded, and that Freedom of Speech has been curtailed by the Cartographical Thought Police.

What can you do? All we ask is that you be open minded. Of course, you cannot trust any of the second-hand evidence that you would find in libraries, maps (!), airline schedules or street signs. All you can trust is what we have written here. We are confident that once you evaluate all of the valid evidence, you will be angered by this conspiracy, and motivated to do something about the scum who perpetated this hoax.