title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Prior to the 2020 circuit breaker measures during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the public transport operators and LTA were criticised by some commuters for its delayed actions of crowd control and the enforcement of social distancing on public transport. In response, the LTA rolled out a series of precautionary measures, such as social distancing measures and making the wearing of masks in public transport mandatory. Social distancing markers were progressively implemented in the MRT trains and stations which commuters must adhere to; enforced by auxiliary officers and transport ambassadors. The significant reduction of commuters as remote work increased resulted in the transport operators reducing train frequencies and closing stations earlier from 17 April. However, train frequencies were shortly reverted to normal upon review and feedback from the public.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Since June 2020, the MRT system has resumed pre-circuit breaker operations. Regulations for social distancing on public transport are no longer applicable by law. Social distancing stickers on seats were removed. However, commuters are encouraged to social distance wherever possible. Mask wearing continues to be mandatory on public transport and all other public places in Singapore. This is because all employees are being required to report back to work as soon as possible and all students resume physical schooling. Cleaning efforts on the trains and MRT stations have since been stepped up, with hand sanitizers provided at the stations.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: MRT lines operate from 5:30am to 1:00am daily, with the exception of selected periods, such as New Year's Eve, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Raya, Christmas, eves of public holidays and special occasions such as the state funeral of Lee Kuan Yew (2015), when most of the lines stay open throughout the night or extended till later (before the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020). Additionally, some stretches of the line ends earlier, opens later and closes on a few days of the weekend. The nightly closures are used for maintenance. During the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, train services ended earlier and service extensions on the eves of public holidays ceased from 7 April 2020. However, from 1 June, train services were reverted to the usual hours from 5.30am to 12am (except for CNY Eve, where it will end at 30 minutes earlier from then on), and train services are no longer extended on all eves of public holidays.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Early stages of the MRT's construction paid scant attention to station design, with an emphasis on functionality over aesthetics. This is particularly evident in the first few stages of the North South and East West lines that opened between 1987 and 1988 from Yio Chu Kang to Clementi. An exception to this was Orchard, chosen by its designers to be a "showpiece" of the system and built initially with a domed roof. Architectural themes became more important only in subsequent stages, and resulted in such designs as the cylindrical station shapes on all stations between Kallang and Pasir Ris except Eunos, and west of Boon Lay, and the perched roofs at Boon Lay, Lakeside, Chinese Garden, Bukit Batok, Bukit Gombak, Choa Chu Kang, Khatib, Yishun, and Eunos stations.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Expo station, located on the Changi Airport branch of the East West Line, is adjacent to the 100,000-square-metre Singapore Expo exhibition facility. Designed by Foster and Partners and completed in January 2001, the station features a large, pillarless, titanium-clad roof in an elliptical shape that sheathes the length of the station platform. This complements a smaller 40-metre reflective stainless-steel disc overlapping the titanium ellipse and visually floats over a glass elevator shaft and the main entrance. The other station with similar architecture is Dover.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Changi Airport station, the easternmost station on the MRT network, has the widest platform in any underground MRT station in Singapore. In 2011, it was rated 10 out of 15 most beautiful subway stops in the world by BootsnAll. Various features have been incorporated into the design to make the station aesthetically pleasing to travellers. The station is designed by architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, featuring a large interior space and an illuminated link bridge spanning over the island platform.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Two Circle Line stations—Bras Basah and Stadium—were commissioned through the Marina Line Architectural Design Competition, which was jointly organised by the Land Transport Authority and the Singapore Institute of Architects. The competition did not require any prior architectural experience from competitors and is acknowledged by the industry as one of the most impartial competitions held in Singapore to date. The winner of both stations was WOHA. In 2009, "Best Transport Building" was awarded to the designers at WOHA Architects at the World Architecture Festival for their design of Bras Basah station.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Many MRT stations have specially commissioned artworks in a wide variety of art styles and mediums, including sculptures, murals and mosaics. With over 300 art pieces across 80 stations, it is Singapore's largest public art programme.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: In the early stages of the MRT, artworks were seldom included; primarily consisting of a few paintings or sculptures representing the recent past of Singapore, mounted in major stations. The opening of the Woodlands Extension introduced bolder pieces of artwork, such as a 4,000 kg sculpture in Woodlands. With the opening of the North East line in 2003, a series of artworks under a programme called "Art in Transit" were commissioned by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Created by 19 local artists and integrated into the stations' interior architecture, these works aim to promote the appreciation of public art in high-traffic environments. The artwork for each station is designed to suit the station's identity. Subsequently, all stations on the North East, Circle and Downtown lines have taken part in this programme during their construction, with additional artworks installed at stations on other MRT lines.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: At present, all lines run with fixed-length trains between three and six cars, with the Thomson–East Coast Line using four cars. Since the system's conception in 1987, all train lines have been powered by the 750 volt DC third rail, with the exception of the North East Line which is powered by 1500 volt DC overhead lines. The North South and East West lines use an automatic train operation system similar to London Underground's Central line.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The first 19 of the oldest trains (5 of the C151, 10 of the C651, 4 of the C751B) in the network were phased out between June 2020 and October 2022. Older trains have been renewed over the years under refurbishment schemes to enhance their lifespan as well as to adhere to updated safety and usability codes.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Refurbished and new trains have improved passenger information systems such as the SMRT Active Route Map Information System, more grab poles, wider seats, more space near the doors, spaces for wheelchairs, and CCTV cameras. As a trial run, luggage racks were installed on the C751B trains to serve travellers on the Changi Airport branch line. The scheme was withdrawn in July 2003 and the luggage racks were removed.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: All trains are contracted by open tender, with their contract numbers forming the most recognised name of the stock. Official sources occasionally refer to the trains of the North South and East West lines as numbered generation trains, with the C151 train being the first and the newest C151C train being the sixth.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: In addition to aforementioned passenger electric multiple units, MRT operators also have their own engineering rolling stock used for maintenance purposes. These include Plasser & Theurer tamping machines, multi-function vehicles for rail inspection, Speno railgrinders, cranes, tunnel cleaning wagons, viaduct inspection wagons, CKG diesel locomotives for shunting purposes and Deli diesel locomotives and Schöma electric locomotives for hauling maintenance trains.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: A key component of the signalling system on the MRT is the automatic train control (ATC) system, which in turn is made up of two sub-systems: the automatic train operation (ATO) and automatic train protection (ATP). The ATC has trackside and trainborne components working together to provide safe train separation by using train detection, localisation, and end of authority protection. It also provides safe train operation and movement by using train speed determination, monitoring, over-speed protection and emergency braking. The safety of alighting and departing passengers will also be provided by using a station interlocking system. The ATO drives the train in automatic mode, providing the traction and braking control demands to the train rolling stock system, adjusts its speed upon approaching the station, and provides the control of opening and closing of train and platform screen doors once the train has stopped at the station. The ATP ensures safe train separation by using the ATP track circuit status and by location determination, monitors the speed of the train to maintain safe braking distance, and initiate emergency braking in the event of overspeed. The MRT also uses an automatic train supervision system to supervise the overall operation of the train service according to a prescribed timetable or train interval.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The oldest lines, the North South Line and East West Line, were the only lines running with fixed block signalling. The North South Line was upgraded to moving block/CBTC in 2017, and the East West line upgraded in 2018. As of 27 May 2018, all MRT lines use the CBTC/moving block system in normal daily operations and from 2 January 2019, the old signalling system ceased operations. In comparison to the original fixed block system, the CBTC can reduce train intervals from 120 seconds to 100 seconds, allowing for a 20% increase in capacity and is able to support bidirectional train operations on a single track, enabling trains to be diverted onto another track in the event of a fault on one track. The CBTC system also permits for improved braking performance in wet weather as compared to the original fixed-block ATC.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: All new MRT lines built since the North East Line in 2003 were equipped with CBTC from the outset, and have the capability to be completely driverless and automated, requiring no on-board staffing. Operations are monitored remotely from the operations control centre of the respective lines. Trains are equipped with intercoms to allow passengers to communicate with staff during emergencies.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: SMRT Corporation has six train depots: Bishan Depot is the central maintenance depot for the North South Line with train overhaul facilities, while Changi Depot and Ulu Pandan Depot inspect and house trains overnight. The newer Tuas Depot, opened in 2017, provides the East West Line with its own maintenance facility, while Mandai Depot services trains for the Thomson–East Coast line. The underground Kim Chuan Depot houses trains for the Circle and Downtown lines, now jointly managed by the two MRT operators.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: SBS Transit has three depots: Sengkang Depot houses trains for the North East line, the Sengkang LRT line, and the Punggol LRT line. Tai Seng Facility Building, connected to and located east of Kim Chuan Depot, is currently used for the Downtown line. While major operations were shifted to the main Gali Batu Depot in 2015, the Tai Seng Facility Building resumed stabling operations with the extension of the Downtown line in 2017. It currently operates independently from Kim Chuan Depot. Gali Batu Depot is the first MRT depot in Singapore to achieve the certification of Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Gold.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: In August 2014, plans for the East Coast Integrated Depot, the world's first four-in-one train and bus depot were announced. It will be built at Tanah Merah beside the original Changi Depot site to serve the East West, Downtown, and Thomson–East Coast lines. The new 36 ha depot can house about 220 trains and 550 buses and integrating the depot for both buses and trains will help save close to , or 60 football fields of land.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The Tengah Depot for the Jurong Region Line will be situated at the western perimeter of Tengah, and an additional depot facility will be added near Peng Kang Hill station to support the operations of the JRL. Rolling stock for the Jurong Region Line will be stabled at both facilities. Tengah Depot will house the JRL Operations Control Centre and have a bus depot integrated with it to optimise land use.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The Changi East Depot will serve the future Cross Island Line, and the depot is to be placed at the eastern end of the line.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: An Integrated Train Testing Centre with several test tracks for different situations and workshops for maintenance and refurbishment is also to be built at Tuas by 2022, with the main function being to test trains and integrated systems robustly before they are deployed on operational lines.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The MRT system relied on its two main lines, the North South and East West lines, for more than a decade until the opening of the North East Line in 2003. While plans for these lines as well as those currently under construction were formulated long before, the Land Transport Authority's publication of a White Paper titled ""A World Class Land Transport System"" in 1996 galvanised the government's intentions to greatly expand the system. It called for the expansion of the 67 kilometres of track in 1995 to 360 in 2030. It was expected that daily ridership in 2030 would grow to 6.0 million from the 1.4 million passengers at that time.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: New lines and extensions are mostly announced as part of the Land Transport Master Plan, which is announced every five years and outlines the government's intentions for the future of the transport network in Singapore. The latest plan, the Land Transport Master Plan 2040, was announced on 25 May 2019, and provides for line extensions to the Downtown and Thomson-East Coast lines, a new MRT line under study, and 2 new stations on the North South line.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The , 34 station fully underground Downtown Line connects the north-west and eastern regions of Singapore with a loop travelling through the city center. It commenced operations in three stages, with the initial Bugis to Chinatown segment in 2013, Bukit Panjang to Rochor in 2015 and Fort Canning to Expo in 2017. An extension from Expo is planned to begin operations in 2024, adding an additional 2.2 kilometres and 2 stations to the line, terminating at Sungei Bedok and interchanging with the Thomson-East Coast line. Hume is an infill station between Hillview and Beauty World and expected to open by 2025. Upon Hume's opening, the entire line will be 44 kilometres long and have 37 stations in total.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: A proposal has been further mooted to extend the line from Bukit Panjang towards Sungei Kadut which will interchange with the North South Line. The extension is expected to be completed by the mid-2030s.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The , 32 station fully underground Thomson–East Coast Line is designed to connect the northern region of Singapore to the south, running parallel to the existing North South line passing through Woodlands, Sin Ming, Upper Thomson, and Marina Bay before turning east and running through Tanjong Rhu, Siglap, Marine Parade, and Bedok. It commenced operations starting with Stage 1 from Woodlands North to Woodlands South on 31 January 2020. The other four stages follow suit, with Stage 2 from Springleaf to Caldecott opened on 28 August 2021, Stage 3 from Mount Pleasant to Gardens by the Bay opened on 13 November 2022 (excluding Mount Pleasant and Marina South, which will open at a later date), Stage 4 from Tanjong Rhu to Bayshore in 2024 and Stage 5 from Bedok South to Sungei Bedok in 2025.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The northern terminus of Woodlands North is expected to interchange with the Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System to provide access to Johor Bahru and the future Iskandar Malaysia Bus Rapid Transit. Founders' Memorial station is an infill station along Stage 4, but is scheduled to instead open in tandem with the Founders' Memorial in 2027. In addition, this line and the Canberra MRT Station was the first to use Top-Up Kiosks (TUK) that only allows cashless payments, while GTMs were retained for traditional modes of payment.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: In addition to the previously announced alignment of the Thomson–East Coast Line, an extension has been proposed to connect it to Changi Airport, with the line passing through Terminal 5, and eventually absorbing the existing Changi Airport branch on the East West line. With such an extension, there would be a direct connection between Changi Airport and the city. This extension is expected to start operating by 2040.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: First proposed as an LRT line when originally announced in 2001, the Jurong Region Line has since been upgraded to be a medium capacity line after the project was revived in 2013. The new configuration encompasses West Coast, Tengah and Choa Chu Kang and Jurong.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Besides the original announced alignment of the line, a West Coast extension to the Circle Line from the Jurong Region Line is currently under study, linking the West Coast region directly to Haw Par Villa, and allowing commuters on the Jurong Region line access to the central area of the city easily. If feasible, the extension would be ready by 2030.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The Cross Island line is expected to span the island of Singapore, passing through Tuas, Jurong, Sin Ming, Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Punggol, Pasir Ris, and Changi. The new line provides commuters with another alternative for east–west travel to the current East West line and Downtown line. Connected to all the other major lines, it is designed to serve as a key transfer line, complementing the role currently fulfilled by the orbital Circle line.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Stage 1 of the line was announced in 2019 and consists of 29 kilometres and 12 stations, and is planned to be completed in 2030. In addition, the extension to Punggol announced in 2020 consists of three stations spanning 7.3 kilometers, and is planned to be completed by 2032. Completion of the line is expected to take an even longer timeframe due to the environmental study aspects, targeted to be completed by 2030.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The extension Stage 6 from Marina Bay through Keppel, ending at HarbourFront, effectively completes the circle and links the current ends of the line, allowing for through service through the future Southern Waterfront City without the need to change to other lines. Stage 6 comprises the Keppel, Cantonment, and Prince Edward Road stations. It is forecast to commence operations by 2026.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Originally scheduled to be completed by 2030, the extension is being built from Punggol through Punggol North including the new Punggol Downtown to the new tentatively named Punggol Coast station. It was projected to open in 2023, a few years ahead of the expected opening date. Construction of the extension commenced in the first half of 2018. The station has since been delayed to 2024 due to delays from the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Two new stations are planned along the existing North South Line. Brickland station is expected to be built between Bukit Gombak and Choa Chu Kang stations, while Sungei Kadut station is expected to be built between Yew Tee and Kranji stations. Both MRT stations are expected to be completed by mid-2030s.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: As part of the Land Transport Master Plan 2040, feasibility studies are ongoing for a possible new MRT line which is proposed to link the north and northeastern regions of Singapore to the south of the island. The new line is proposed to run from Woodlands North via Sembawang, Sengkang, Serangoon North, Whampoa and Kallang to the Greater Southern Waterfront. The official alignment has yet to be confirmed.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Stations are divided into two areas, "paid" and "unpaid", which allow the rail operators to collect fares by restricting entry only through the fare gates, also known as "access control gates". These gates, connected to a computer network, can read and update electronic tickets capable of storing data, and can store information such as the initial and destination stations and the duration for each trip. General Ticketing Machines sell standard tickets that can be used up to 6 times within 30 days from the day of purchase. The machines also allow the customer to buy additional value for stored-value smartcards. Such smartcards require a minimum amount of stored credit.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: As the fare system has been integrated by TransitLink, commuters need to pay only one fare and pass through two fare gates (once on entry, once on exit) for an entire journey for most interchange stations, even when transferring between lines operated by different companies. Commuters can choose to extend a trip mid-journey, and pay the difference when they exit their destination station.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Because the rail operators are government-assisted, profit-based corporations, fares on the MRT system are pitched to at least break-even level. The operators collect these fares by selling electronic data-storing tickets, the prices of which are calculated based on the distance between the start and destination stations. These prices increase in fixed stages for standard non-discounted travel. Fares are calculated in increments based on approximate distances between stations, in contrast to the use of fare zones in other subway systems, such as the London Underground.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Although operated by private companies, the system's fare structure is regulated by the Public Transport Council (PTC), to which the operators submit requests for changes in fares. Fares are kept affordable by pegging them approximately to distance-related bus fares, thus encouraging commuters to use the network and reduce heavy reliance on the bus system. Fare increases have caused public concern. Historically, fares on the fully underground North East, Circle, and Downtown lines had been higher than those of the North South and East West lines (NSEWL), a disparity that was justified by citing higher costs of operation and maintenance on a completely underground line. However, the Public Transport Council (PTC) announced in 2016 that fares for the three underground lines would be reduced to match those on the NSEWL, which took effect along with the yearly-applied fare changes, on 30 December 2016.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: After the opening of Downtown line Stage 3, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced that public transport fare rules will be reviewed to allow for transfers across MRT lines at different stations due to the increasing density of the rail network. At the time, commuters were charged a second time when they made such transfers. He added that the PTC would review distance-based fare transfer rules to ensure they continue to facilitate "fast, seamless" public transport journeys. The review of distance-based fare rules on MRT lines was completed, and a waiver on the second boarding fee incurred when making such transfers was announced on 22 March 2018. The scheme was implemented on 29 December of the same year.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The ticketing system uses the EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay contactless smart cards based upon the Symphony for e-Payment (SeP) system for public transit built on the Singapore Standard for Contactless ePurse Application (CEPAS) system. This system allows for up to 4 card issuers in the market. The EZ-Link card was introduced on 13 April 2002 as a replacement for the original TransitLink farecard, while its competitor the NETS FlashPay card entered the smartcard market on 9 October 2009.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: A card may be purchased at any TransitLink ticket office or passenger service centre for immediate use. The card may be topped up via cashless means at ticketing machines and ATMs or via cash at several stations or convenience stores. Additional credit of a predetermined value may also be automatically credited into the card when the card value runs low via an automatic recharge service provided by Interbank GIRO or credit card. An Adult Monthly Travel Card for unlimited travel on MRT, LRT, and buses may also be purchased and is non-transferable.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: In 2017, TransitLink became the first public transport provider in Southeast Asia to accept contactless bank cards and the use of mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. The system, named SimplyGo, allows commuters to tap their contactless debit or credit cards, or smartphones/smart watches to pay for fares on the MRT, LRT and Bus network. Support for EZ-Link cards has been added since 2021, while the usage has been low.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: A Standard Ticket contactless smart card for single or return journeys, which have been phased out to encourage the use of contactless cards like EZ-LINK or NETS, were made available at the GTM for the payment of MRT and LRT fares. A S$0.10 deposit is levied on top of the fare to be paid. The deposit will be automatically refunded through an offset of the fare to be paid for the third journey on the same ticket while an additional discount of S$0.10 will be given for the sixth journey on the same ticket. No refund of the deposit is provided if the card is used for fewer than 3 journeys. The ticket can be used for the purchase of single or return journeys to and from pre-selected stations up to a maximum of six journeys over 30 days. Fares for the Standard Ticket are always higher than those charged for the stored-valued CEPAS (EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay) cards for the same distance traveled. The ticket is retained by the user after each journey and does not need to be returned. Identical to the usage of CEPAS cards, the ticket is tapped onto the faregate reader upon entry and exit. It is being in the process of discontinuance due to the low usage, and mitigating factors such as top-ups for $2 were possible, as well as the Singapore Tourist Pass, The Singapore Pass and SimplyGo.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: For tourists, a Singapore Tourist Pass contactless smartcard may be purchased for use on the public transport network. The card may be bought at selected TransitLink ticket offices and Singapore Visitors Centres.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The MRT system did not experience any major performance issues during its first quarter-century of operations. However, there were occasional disruptions around the period from 2011 to 2018, the cause of which was often attributed to the system aging coupled with increased ridership due to population growth.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Beginning with the train disruptions in 2011, this incident led to a committee of inquiry which uncovered serious shortcomings in SMRT's maintenance regime. For the December 2011 disruptions, the Land Transport Authority imposed a maximum punishment of S$2 million on SMRT (approximately US$1.526 million) for the two train disruptions along the North South Line on 15 and 17 December 2011. A Committee of Inquiry discovered shortcomings in the maintenance regime and checks, prompting then-CEO Saw Phaik Hwa to resign.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: A much larger power-related incident than the December 2011 event occurred on 7 July 2015, when train services on both the North South and East West lines were shut down in both directions following a major power trip. The disruption lasted for more than 3 hours, affecting 413,000 commuters. This was considered the worst disruption to the MRT network since it first began operations in 1987 – surpassing the December 2011 event. Independent experts from Sweden and Japan were hired to conduct investigation into the cause of the disruption. The cause was identified as damage to a third rail insulator due to a water leak at Tanjong Pagar station. Consequently, a program was implemented to replace insulators liable to similar failure. For the July 2015 disruption, LTA imposed a higher penalty of S$5.4 million on SMRT.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: On 22 March 2016, a fatal accident occurred off Pasir Ris station. Two of SMRT's track-maintenance trainee staff were lethally run over by an approaching C151 at a signalling box of the station. They were part of a technical team of 15 staff led by a supervisor and were asked to go down to the tracks to investigate an alarm triggered by a possible signalling equipment fault. The operator said the team had permission to access the tracks, but did not coordinate with a signal unit in the station control to ensure train captains in the area where the team was exercised caution while pulling into Pasir Ris station. This incident resulted in a 2.5-hour service delay between Tanah Merah and Pasir Ris Stations, affecting at least 10,000 commuters.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: On 7 October 2017, a dilapidated float and pump system at Bishan station caused a tunnel flood after heavy torrential rainstorms. It was the worst train disruption since 2011 and was the first ever flooding incident in the history of the MRT. This resulted in criticism on the public transport operators among Singaporeans once again, and a huge debate about the "high rankings" that manage the system, with calls being made for the resignation of then Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan. Urban transport expert Park Byung Joon from the Singapore University of Social Sciences added that the negligence displayed by SMRT in this regard was tantamount to a criminal offence, and after an internal investigation, found that the maintenance crew of the Bishan Station's pump system had submitted maintenance records for nearly a year without actually carrying out the works.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The December 2011 disruptions brought the state of public transportation as a whole to national prominence among Singaporeans, who had previously considered the system to be reliable and robust since its inception in 1987. LTA also noted a marked increase in dissatisfaction with public transport with the release of the 2012 Public Transport Customer Satisfaction Survey, and promised government action to deal with issues relating to system disruptions.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The government reviewed the penalties for train disruptions, and made free travel available for all bus services passing MRT stations affected during any train disruptions. Exits were also made free. In addition, to increase satisfaction with public transport, free off-peak morning travel, later changed to a discount, was introduced with further improvements continuing to be discussed.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Since 2018, efforts in both maintenance and renewal are starting to pay off with the MRT system clocking an average of 690,000 km between delays in 2018 – a 3.8 times improvement than in 2017. The North South Line, which was hit by the tunnel flood in 2017, in particular saw its train-km between delays increase by ten-fold from 89,000 km between delays in 2017 to 894,000 km in 2018. By July 2019, the Mean Kilometres Between Failure (MKBF) for the North South and East West lines had jumped to 700,000 km and 1,400,000 km respectively. The new challenges encountered by the government were now on keeping the funding of such renewals required sustainable in the decades ahead.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Security concerns related to crime and terrorism were not high on the agenda of the system's planners at its inception. After the Madrid train bombings in 2004 and the foiled plot to bomb the Yishun MRT station in 2001, the operators deployed private, unarmed guards to patrol station platforms and conduct checks on the belongings of commuters, especially those carrying bulky items.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Recorded announcements are frequently made to remind passengers to report suspicious activity and not to leave their belongings unattended. Digital closed-circuit cameras (CCTVs) have been upgraded with recording-capability at all stations and trains operated by SMRT Corporation. Trash bins and mail boxes have been removed from station platforms and concourse levels to station entrances, to eliminate the risk of bombs planted in them. Photography without permission was also banned in all MRT stations since the Madrid bombings, but it was not in the official statement in any public transport security reviews.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: In 2005, the Singapore Police Force announced plans to step up rail security by establishing a specialised security unit for public transport, then known as the Police MRT unit. The unit today expanded to become Public Transport Security Command (TRANSCOM) since 2009. These armed officers began overt patrols on the MRT and LRT systems on 15 August 2005, conducting random patrols in pairs in and around rail stations and within trains. They are trained and authorised to use their firearms at their discretion, including deadly force if deemed necessary. The unit over time went on to handle other crimes committed on the MRT network, such as theft and molestation. Recently, on its tenth anniversary in 2019, it has formally evolved to become a hybrid, community-based force, and has launched an initiative to get commuters to aid Transcom officers. Since then, 26,000 people have volunteered, far above the 3000 target.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Civil exercises are regularly conducted to maintain preparedness for contingencies. In January 2006, Exercise Northstar V involved over 2,000 personnel from 22 government agencies responding to simulated bombings and chemical attacks at Dhoby Ghaut, Toa Payoh, Raffles Place and Marina Bay stations. In August 2013, Exercise Greyhound tested the response of SBS Transit's Operations Control Centre and the implementation of its contingency plans for bus bridging, free bus service and deployment of goodwill ambassadors (GAs) during a simulated prolonged train service disruption. About 300 personnel including representatives from LTA, SBST, SMRT, the Singapore Police Force's Transport Command (TransCom), Traffic Police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) participated in the exercise.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: Security concerns were brought up by the public when two incidents of vandalism at train depots occurred within two years. In both incidents, graffiti on the affected trains was discovered after they entered revenue service.


title: Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)

text: The first incident, on 17 May 2010, involved a breach in the perimeter fence of Changi Depot and resulted in the imprisonment and caning of a Swiss citizen, and an Interpol arrest warrant for his accomplice. SMRT Corporation received a S$50,000 fine by the Land Transport Authority for the first security breach. Measures were put in place by the Public Transport Security Committee to enhance depot security in light of the first incident, but works were yet to be completed by SMRT Corporation when the second incident, on 17 August 2011, occurred at Bishan Depot.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: Trevor Berbick (1 August 1954 – 28 October 2006) was a Jamaican professional boxer who competed from 1976 to 2000. He won the WBC heavyweight title in 1986 by defeating Pinklon Thomas, then lost it in his first defense in the same year to Mike Tyson. Berbick was the last boxer to fight Muhammad Ali, defeating him in 1981 by unanimous decision.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: As an amateur, Berbick won a bronze medal in the heavyweight division at the 1975 Pan American Games. In both his early and late professional career he held the Canadian heavyweight title twice, from 1979 to 1986 and 1999 to 2001. Berbick is the only boxer to have fought Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, and Mike Tyson.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: At 21, Berbick represented his native Jamaica in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as a heavyweight boxer, despite having had only 11 prior amateur bouts. His lack of experience was evident as he lost to the eventual silver medalist, Mircea Şimon of Romania. However, he still displayed a lot of promise as a young heavyweight boxer. The previous year, in his only bout at the Pan American Games in Mexico City, Berbick lost a decision to future heavyweight champion Michael Dokes in the semi-finals, winning a bronze medal.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: Leroy Caldwell, a boxer who fought almost all notable top-ranked heavyweights of the 1970s and early 1980s, including several world champions, recalled that Berbick was his most talented opponent.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: Berbick left Jamaica after the Olympics. He opted to settle in Montreal and fight professionally out of Halifax. He won his first 11 fights (10 by knockout) before suffering his first pro loss to another rising contender, Bernardo Mercado, on 3 April 1979. As an amateur, Berbick had soundly beaten Mercado. However, with 10 seconds remaining in the first round of their only professional meeting, Berbick walked into a punch and was knocked out. Nevertheless, he remained in contention for the heavyweight title.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: A 1980 upset of ex-champ John Tate (9th-round KO) secured a title shot against Larry Holmes on 11 April 1981, but Berbick lost a 15-round unanimous decision. In his second fight after the loss, he beat 39-year-old Muhammad Ali by unanimous decision in the final fight of Ali's career.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: In 1982, he beat undefeated prospect Greg Page, and in 1984 he moved to Miramar, Florida and signed with promoter Don King. Wins over undefeated Mitch "Blood" Green and David Bey scored him another title fight, and he won the WBC world heavyweight title by upsetting Pinklon Thomas with an easy unanimous decision on 22 March 1986. However, his reign as champion would be brief.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: On 22 November, in his first defense of the title, Berbick took on Mike Tyson, who was looking to break Floyd Patterson's record and become, at the age of twenty, the youngest ever heavyweight champion. In the second round, Tyson dropped Berbick with a quick knockdown. Berbick was quickly overwhelmed by his opponent and late in the round, he went down again. The champion rose to his feet, but immediately stumbled backward and fell back to the canvas. Berbick tried twice more to make it to his feet but fell both times, and referee Mills Lane stopped counting and waved the fight off to end Berbick's reign as champion.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: In 1991, he traveled to the UWFi promotion in Japan to fight Nobuhiko Takada in a "boxer vs. wrestler" bout. Berbick claimed that he had been double-crossed and that he had expected the fight to be like American kickboxing, but it turned out that the rules allowed Takada to kick Berbick below the belt, and according to UWFi trainer Pat McCarthy, "no rules were ever changed, and [Berbick] just never wanted to listen". Berbick refused to mount any offense, instead repeatedly complaining to the referee as Takada kicked him repeatedly in the legs. Takada claimed victory by default when Berbick exited the ring.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: Berbick resumed his boxing career in 1994, frequently fighting on the "USA Tuesday Night Fights". He would score a mild upset over Melvin Foster but would go on to lose to prospects such as Jimmy Thunder and Hasim Rahman. He eventually fought his last bout in 2000 against Canadian journeyman Shane Sutcliffe, winning a 12-round unanimous decision. Afterwards, a CAT scan revealed a blood clot in his brain and his boxing license was revoked. His final professional record was 49 wins (33 by knockout), 11 losses, and 1 draw.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: Berbick was arrested on a number of occasions throughout his life and was sentenced in Florida to 5 years in prison for raping his children's babysitter in 1992. He served only 15 months. In 1997, he violated his parole and was deported from the United States to Canada. Due to his legal issues, he also had problems staying in Canada, losing his landed immigrant status and being ordered back to Jamaica in 1999. Later in 1999 he won the right to remain in Canada.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: Berbick had a well-publicized feud with Larry Holmes, whom he fought in the ring in 1981. Their feud culminated in a public confrontation and brawl in 1991, which was caught on tape. After a verbal altercation indoors, Berbick was outside complaining about being kicked and punched by Larry Holmes when Holmes climbed atop a parked car and launched himself at Berbick. Holmes was furious with Berbick badmouthing his family. The footage ends as the two are separated by police and others.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: Berbick retired in Florida to be with his wife and four children (he had three children with his first wife in Montreal) and started to train boxers at Kenny Barrett's Gym in Tamarac, Florida. Berbick's problems escalated. He was again deported from the U.S. on 2 December 2002.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: On 28 October 2006, Berbick was murdered at a church in Norwich, Jamaica, by an assailant wielding a steel pipe. He sustained repeated blows to the head and died at the scene.


title: Trevor Berbick

text: Police arrested two men, one of whom was Berbick's 20-year-old nephew Harold Berbick, in connection with the murder. They were interrogated at the Port Antonio police station in Portland early on the morning of 29 October. Local residents indicated that the suspect was involved in a land dispute with Berbick. On 3 November it was reported that Berbick's nephew, 20-year-old Harold Berbick, and an unidentified 18-year-old man had been charged with his murder by Jamaican police. On 20 December 2007, Harold Berbick was convicted for the murder of his uncle. His alleged accomplice, Kenton Gordon, was convicted of manslaughter and both men were sentenced on 11 January 2008. Harold Berbick was sentenced to life in prison; Kenton Gordon was sentenced to fourteen years in prison.


title: Princess Peach

text: Being the lead female character in the series, Peach's role is often the damsel in distress or donor who can help Mario. She is typically a playable character in multiplayer games of the series, including main games such as "Super Mario 3D World" and spin-off media. In "Princess Toadstool's Castle Run" and "Super Princess Peach," she is the protagonist and player character.


title: Princess Peach

text: She is one of the best known female protagonists in video game history, with the most video game appearances of any female character.


title: Princess Peach

text: Peach's initial appearance was drawn by Shigeru Miyamoto. Miyamoto later asked Yōichi Kotabe to redraw Peach with his instructions. He had asked Kotabe to draw her eyes to be "a little cat-like" and how she should "look stubborn, but a little cute."


title: Princess Peach

text: In Japan, Peach's name has always been since her debut in the original "Super Mario Bros." in 1985, but she was localized as "Princess Toadstool" in the English-language manual. The English version of "Yoshi's Safari", released in 1993, contained the first usage of the name "Peach" in the Western world, though she was called Princess Toadstool in "", released in 1994. In "Super Mario 64", released in 1996, she uses both names in a letter addressed to Mario, signing it "Peach". From the 1996 game "Mario Kart 64" onward, the name Peach is used in Western versions.


title: Princess Peach

text: Peach is the native resident princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. Within her castle are Royal Guards known as mushroom retainers. Peach's first appearance is in "Super Mario Bros." (1985) as a NPC, in which she was captured by Bowser and Mario had to rescue her. However, the game suggests that Peach is not helpless as she is the only person capable of breaking the curse hanging over the Mushroom Kingdom. In "Super Mario Bros. 2", she became a playable character, uniquely able to hover.


title: Princess Peach

text: Mostly playable, her roles vary between damsel in distress and protagonist, like in "Super Mario Run". She is at the center of her own story with "Princess Toadstool's Castle Run" (1990). Her most prominent role is in "Super Princess Peach" (2005) on the Nintendo DS, where she must save Mario, Luigi, and Toads from Bowser. She is not a playable character in "New Super Mario Bros. Wii" because a satisfactory mechanism to use her dress was not found. She is a playable character in "Super Mario 3D World" and "Super Paper Mario", is the main protagonist in "Super Princess Peach", and is a playable character in most "Mario" spin-offs such as "Mario Party", "Mario Kart", "Mario Tennis", and "Mario Golf".


title: Princess Peach

text: In "Super Mario RPG" and "Paper Mario", a cabinet minister or chancellor is part of the Mushroom Kingdom government. Her father, the Mushroom King, though mentioned in the instruction manual to "Super Mario Bros.", has never made an appearance in the mainstream games.


title: Princess Peach

text: In the cartoon series by DiC, she is always referred to as Princess Toadstool, because the name Peach had not been used in the Western world until "Yoshi's Safari" in 1993, and she had red hair instead of yellow. Unlike in video games, she is occasionally seen using power-ups such as the Tanooki Leaf. She is voiced by Jeannie Elias in "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" and Tracey Moore in the two follow up series, "The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3" and "Super Mario World".


title: Princess Peach

text: Shogakukan published between 1992 and 1994 a manga named "Otenba Pīchi-hime", with a plot revolving around a younger version of the princess. From February 2006 to March 2007, the magazine published a comical manga based on the "Super Princess Peach" called "Peach no Daiboken!?" created by Kazumi Sugiyama.


title: Princess Peach

text: Princess Peach is also prominently featured within Universal Studios Japan's immersive Super Nintendo World area. A costume character meet-and-greet with her is located next to a large scale recreation of her castle, with the interior referencing its appearance from "Super Mario 64". Peach and Baby Peach appear in the "" and "Yoshi's Adventure" attractions, as well as the area's interactive phone app. The interactive "Power-Up Bands" feature a design based on her dress.


title: Princess Peach

text: Peach will be voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy in the upcoming 2023 film adaptation. Her casting, alongside the rest of the principal cast, was announced via a Nintendo Direct in September 2021. In an October 2021 interview, Anya expressed her eagerness for taking on the role: "Oh, it is so much fun. [...] The greatest part is that I get to say I am doing homework or work or research just by gaming. [...] The fan base is so intense, of course, I have to do it."


title: Princess Peach

text: Peach has made cameo appearances in non-"Mario" games. She is a playable guest character in the GameCube versions of the "Electronic Arts" games "NBA Street V3" and "SSX on Tour". She is depicted in a painting in Hyrule Castle in "". A drivable Peach kart toy is in the "Labrador and Friends" version of "Nintendogs". In "", her picture is sent to Mr. Write with the name "Christine" written underneath. In "Kirby Super Star", she appears at the King Dedede battle arena, and in the minigame Megaton Punch. In "Kirby Super Star Ultra", she is at the Dedede arena. Her crown is collectible in "Pikmin 2", labeled "Unspeakable Wonder". In "", Cranky Kong indirectly references her in some of his Monkey Museum ramblings.


title: Princess Peach

text: In a reader poll on the Japanese website of "Super Smash Bros.", Peach was ranked as the 2nd most requested character for "Super Smash Bros. Melee" with 66 votes. A reader poll in "Official Nintendo Magazine" rated her as the second greatest female character; the magazine stated that "some might view her as being a bit useless but we'll let her off as rescuing her is always so much fun". In 2011, readers of "Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition" voted her the 44th video game character of all time. In a "Redex" website poll in 2020, she was voted as the 2nd most popular character from the "Mario Kart" series. Actress Brie Larson said "I'm just excited about the idea of pushing for a Princess Peach solo game. I think it's just been too long. Let's put Peach up there, let's give her her time to shine".


title: Princess Peach

text: SyFy included Peach as one of the "Greatest Video Game Heroines of all Time", stating "it's great to have tough female characters like many of the others on this list, but it's great to have one that embraces the power of being a high femme". GameDaily described Princess Peach as an "ideal woman that's as sweet as can be" in its list of "babes that should or shouldn't meet your mom". The website ranked her 48th in its list of Top 50 Hottest Game Babes, claiming that she is "the quiet 'quick, come and rescue me' type, but in "Mario Strikers Charged" she's all action with a hot sports outfit and shows the boys who's boss". IGN editor Matt Casamassina stated that "Nintendo prudes will probably find themselves taken aback with Peach's outfit, which shows more of the character than we've ever seen before". IGN rated her as 8 out of 10 princesses worth saving. "The New York Times" said she had "grit as well as grace" and that her "peachiness did nothing to upset the apple cart of expectation: she may have been athletic, smart and strong, but she was also adorable [and what] once-unisex, postfeminist parents are shooting for". "Gaming Debugged" listed Peach 1st place in their top "10 Video Game Princesses", calling her "The Duchess of princesses" and indicating "She might seem prim and proper in pink, but she's definitely the top princess in our kingdom". Manolith listed her among "25 Hottest Female Videogame Protagonists", citing her "Strikers" outfit. S. Williams of "Momzone" magazine declared her "gaming's lone female role model", citing her humility and gutsy charm. UGO ranked her ninth on its list of the "Top 11 Girls of Gaming". "Electronic Gaming Monthly" ranked her 10th among Top Ten Video Game Politicians. She is on "Forbes" magazine's Wealthiest Fictional People list of 2007, with a fortune of approximately . "Kotaku" dedicated the article "Princess Peach Was The Best Character In "Super Mario Bros. 2"". GameDaily listed her among hottest blondes in video games, citing appearances in sports games such as "Super Mario Strikers" and "SSX on Tour"; in the former, she wears a pink crop top, bare midriff, and pink shorts. It listed "damsel in distress" among the top 25 video game archetypes, citing Peach's frequent kidnappings. Polygon ranked her 4th of 73 "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" fighters "from garbage to glorious".


title: Princess Peach

text: Feminist organization Sister Namibia has been critical of the fact that Peach has always needed to be rescued, by reasoning "it propagates that women are helpless and in constant need of saving" and "[she] serves quite literally as a trophy for the completion of Mario's quest. She is ultimately just another object or reward for Mario to use."


title: Princess Peach

text: Destructoid's "Gamer's Red Carpet" graded her D, calling her pink dress "awful", as opposed to Princess Daisy with a B+ and Rosalina with an A+. "IGN" called Peach "all smiles and politeness" but labelled her as one of the weirdest "Mario" characters due to her constant kidnappings. "IGN" later stated that "when she's not staring blankly at nothing, she can be rather adorable", however the fact that "Mario can heroically collect 120 Power Stars all while saving Peach's kingdom and "still" get nothing but a cake in return makes us think this might be something of a one-sided relationship".


title: Princess Peach

text: On August 6, 2014, Nintendo declared August as National Peach Month. A parody sculpture of the music video of "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus including Chain Chomp and Princess Peach has been made by custom figurine artist Kodykoala.


title: Princess Peach

text: She is considered as an LGBT icon by several journalists. The A.V. Club stated that "she became a perhaps unlikely but nevertheless important queer icon". John Walker of Splinter described Peach as a "queer icon", saying "If you polled a room full of non-straight men about the women they consider to be 'queer icons' you'd probably hear a lot of 'Beyoncé', 'Dolly Parton', and 'Grace Jones'. But there's one name you might not hear that totally deserves a spot on that list: Princess Peach". Gay Times listed "Super Princess Peach" in its top "9 video games queer people love, from "Tomb Raider" to "Animal Crossing"". On March 11, 2010, "Brightest Young Things" named her "Gay icon of the week", saying that "For many, she was your first girlfriend ... and just pretend you were the hottest, baddest bombshell who could float, dig down 300 feet of desert sand, and beat mice with sunglasses".


title: Princess Peach

text: The release of Peachette in "New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe" led to fan speculation and theories as to how the new Super Crown power-up works within the "Super Mario" universe. In 2018, a short comic "The Super Crown's some spicy new Mario lore" on DeviantArt and Twitter transforms Bowser into a monstrously sinister female resembling Peach, which fans named Bowsette. The character subsequently went viral, with Ars Technica writing that Bowsette's popularity was partly due to her contrast with Princess Peach.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: Lyndon Hermyle LaRouche Jr. (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2019) was an American political activist who founded the LaRouche movement and its main organization the National Caucus of Labor Committees (NCLC). He was a prominent conspiracy theorist and perennial presidential candidate. He began in far-left politics but in the 1970s moved to the far right. His movement is sometimes described as or likened to a cult. Convicted of fraud, he served five years in prison from 1989 to 1994.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: Born in Rochester, New Hampshire, LaRouche was drawn to socialist and Marxist movements in his twenties during World War II. In the 1950s while a Trotskyist he was also a management consultant in New York City. By the 1960s he became engaged in increasingly smaller and more radical splinter groups. During the 1970s he created the foundation of the LaRouche movement and became more engaged in conspiratorial beliefs and violent and illegal activities. Instead of the radical left, he embraced radical right politics and antisemitism. At various times, he alleged that he had been targeted for assassination by Queen Elizabeth II, Zionist mobsters, his own associates (who he said had been drugged and brainwashed by CIA and British spies), and others.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: The LaRouche movement is estimated as never exceeding a few thousand members, but it had an outsized political influence, raising more than $200 million by one estimate, and running candidates in more than 4,000 elections in the 1980s. It was noted for disguising its candidates as conservative Democrats and harassing opponents. In 1986, it reached its height in electoral success when Larouchite candidates won several Democratic primaries for state offices in Illinois, alarming Democratic Party officials, whose national spokesman called the Larouchites "kook fringe". (The defeated mainstream Democratic candidates ran in the general election as members of the Illinois Solidarity Party; the Larouchite Democrats all finished a distant third.) Later in the 1980s, criminal investigations led to convictions of several LaRouche movement members, including LaRouche himself. He was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment, but served only five years.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche was a perennial candidate for President of the United States. He ran in every election from 1976 to 2004 as a candidate of third parties established by members of his movement, peaking at around 78,000 votes in the 1984 presidential election. He also tried to gain the Democratic presidential nomination. In 1996, he got five percent of the total nationwide vote in Democratic primaries. In 2000, he received enough primary votes to qualify for delegates in some states, but ultimately was refused by those delegates at the convention.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche was born in Rochester, New Hampshire, the oldest of three children of Jessie Lenore ( Weir) and Lyndon H. LaRouche Sr. His paternal grandfather's family emigrated to the United States from Rimouski, Quebec, whereas his maternal grandfather was born in Scotland. His father worked for the United Shoe Machinery Corporation in Rochester before the family moved to Lynn, Massachusetts.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: His parents became Quakers after his father converted from Catholicism. They forbade him from fighting with other children, even in self-defense, which he said led to "years of hell" from bullies at school. As a result, he spent much of his time alone, taking long walks through the woods and identifying in his mind with great philosophers. He wrote that, between the ages of twelve and fourteen, he read philosophy extensively, embracing the ideas of Leibniz and rejecting those of Hume, Bacon, Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, Rousseau, and Kant. He graduated from Lynn English High School in 1940. In the same year, the Lynn Quakers expelled his father from the group, for reportedly accusing other Quakers of misusing funds, while writing under the pen name Hezekiah Micajah Jones. LaRouche and his mother resigned in sympathy for his father.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche attended Northeastern University in Boston and left in 1942. He later wrote that his teachers "lacked the competence to teach me on conditions I was willing to tolerate". As a Quaker, he was a conscientious objector (CO) during World War II and joined a Civilian Public Service camp. In 1944 he joined the United States Army as a non-combatant and served in India and Burma with medical units. He ultimately worked as an ordnance clerk at the end of the war. He described his decision to serve as one of the most important of his life. While in India he developed sympathy for the Indian independence movement. LaRouche wrote that many GIs feared they would be asked to support British forces in actions against Indian independence forces and characterized that prospect as "revolting to most of us".


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche wrote that he discussed Marxism in the CO camp, and while traveling home on the SS "General Bradley" in 1946, he met Don Merrill, a fellow soldier, also from Lynn, who converted him to Trotskyism. Back in the U.S., he resumed his education at Northeastern University but dropped out. He returned to Lynn in 1948 and the next year joined the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) to recruit at the GE River Works there, adopting the name "Lyn Marcus" for his political work. He arrived in New York City in 1953, where he worked as a management consultant. In 1954 he married Janice Neuberger, a psychiatrist and member of the SWP. Their son, Daniel, was born in 1956.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: By 1961 the LaRouches were living on Central Park West in Manhattan, and LaRouche's activities were mostly focused on his career and not on the SWP. He and his wife separated in 1963, and he moved into a Greenwich Village apartment with another SWP member, Carol Schnitzer, also known as Larrabee. In 1964 he began an association with an SWP faction called the Revolutionary Tendency, a faction which was later expelled from the SWP, and came under the influence of British Trotskyist leader Gerry Healy.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: For six months, LaRouche worked with American Healyite leader Tim Wohlforth, who later wrote that LaRouche had a "gargantuan ego", and "a marvelous ability to place any world happening in a larger context, which seemed to give the event additional meaning, but his thinking was schematic, lacking factual detail and depth." Leaving Wohlforth's group, LaRouche briefly joined the rival Spartacist League before announcing his intention to build a new Fifth International.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: In 1967 LaRouche began teaching classes on Marx's dialectical materialism at New York City's Free School, and attracted a group of students from Columbia University and the City College of New York, recommending that they read "Das Kapital", as well as Hegel, Kant, and Leibniz. During the 1968 Columbia University protests, he organized his supporters under the name "National Caucus of Labor Committees" (NCLC). The aim of the NCLC was to win control of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) branch—the university's main activist group—and build a political alliance between students, local residents, organized labor, and the Columbia faculty. By 1973 the NCLC had over 600 members in 25 cities—including West Berlin and Stockholm—and produced what LaRouche's biographer, Dennis King, called the most literate of the far-left papers, "New Solidarity". The NCLC's internal activities became highly regimented over the next few years. Members gave up their jobs and devoted themselves to the group and its leader, believing it would soon take control of America's trade unions and overthrow the government.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: Robert J. Alexander writes that LaRouche first established an NCLC "intelligence network" in 1971. Members all over the world would send information to NCLC headquarters, which would distribute the information via briefings and other publications. LaRouche organized the network as a series of news services and magazines, which critics say was done to gain access to government officials under press cover. The publications included "Executive Intelligence Review", founded in 1974. Other periodicals under his aegis included "New Solidarity", "Fusion Magazine", "21st Century Science and Technology", and "Campaigner Magazine". His news services and publishers included American System Publications, Campaigner Publications, New Solidarity International Press Service, and The New Benjamin Franklin House Publishing Company. LaRouche acknowledged in 1980 that his followers impersonated reporters and others, saying it had to be done for his security. In 1982, "U.S. News & World Report" sued New Solidarity International Press Service and Campaigner Publications for damages, alleging that members were impersonating its reporters in phone calls.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: U.S. sources told "The Washington Post" in 1985 that the LaRouche organization had assembled a worldwide network of government and military contacts, and that his researchers sometimes supplied information to government officials. Bobby Ray Inman, the CIA's deputy director in 1981 and 1982, said LaRouche and his wife had visited him, offering information about the West German Green Party. A CIA spokesman said LaRouche met Deputy Director John McMahon in 1983 to discuss one of LaRouche's trips overseas. An aide to Deputy Secretary of State William Clark said when LaRouche's associates discussed technology or economics, they made good sense and seemed to be qualified. Norman Bailey, formerly with the U.S. National Security Council, said in 1984 that LaRouche's staff comprised "one of the best private intelligence services in the world. ... They do know a lot of people around the world. They do get to talk to prime ministers and presidents." Several government officials feared a security leak from the government's ties with the movement.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: According to critics, the supposed behind-the-scenes processes were more often flights of fancy than inside information. Douglas Foster wrote in "Mother Jones" in 1982 that the briefings consisted of disinformation, "hate-filled" material about enemies, phony letters, intimidation, fake newspaper articles, and dirty tricks campaigns. Opponents were accused of being gay or Nazis, or were linked to murders, which the movement called "psywar techniques".


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: From the 1970s through to the first decade of the 21st century, LaRouche founded several groups and companies. In addition to the National Caucus of Labor Committees, there was the Citizens Electoral Council (Australia), the National Democratic Policy Committee, the Fusion Energy Foundation, and the U.S. Labor Party. In 1984 he founded the Schiller Institute in Germany with his second wife, and three political parties there—the "Europäische Arbeiterpartei", "Patrioten für Deutschland", and "Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität"—and in 2000 the Worldwide LaRouche Youth Movement. His printing services included Computron Technologies, Computype, World Composition Services, and PMR Printing Company, Inc, or PMR Associates.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche wrote in his 1987 autobiography that violent altercations had begun in 1969 between his NCLC members and several New Left groups when Mark Rudd's faction began assaulting LaRouche's faction at Columbia University. Press accounts alleged that between April and September 1973, during what LaRouche called "Operation Mop-Up", NCLC members began physically attacking members of leftist groups that LaRouche classified as "left-protofascists"; an editorial in LaRouche's "New Solidarity" said of the Communist Party that the movement "must dispose of this stinking corpse". Armed with chains, bats, and martial-art nunchuk sticks, NCLC members assaulted Communist Party, SWP, and Progressive Labor Party members and Black Power activists on the streets and during meetings. At least 60 assaults were reported. The operation ended when police arrested several of LaRouche's followers; there were no convictions, and LaRouche maintained they had acted in self-defense. Journalist and LaRouche biographer Dennis King writes that the FBI may have tried to aggravate the strife, using measures such as anonymous mailings, to keep the groups at each other's throats. LaRouche said he met representatives of the Soviet Union at the United Nations in 1974 and 1975 to discuss attacks by the Communist Party USA on the NCLC and to propose a merger, but said he received no assistance from them. One FBI memo, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, proposes assisting the CPUSA in an investigation "for the purpose of ultimately eliminating him [LaRouche] and the threat of the NCLC" (see image to left).


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche's critics such as Dennis King and Antony Lerman allege that in 1973 and with little warning, LaRouche adopted more extreme ideas, a process accompanied by a campaign of violence against his opponents on the left, and the development of conspiracy theories and paranoia about his personal safety. According to these accounts, he began to believe he was under threat of assassination from the Soviet Union, the CIA, Libya, drug dealers, and bankers. He also established a "Biological Holocaust Task Force", which, according to LaRouche, analyzed the public health consequences of International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity policies toward impoverished nations in Africa, and predicted that epidemics of cholera as well as possibly entirely new diseases would strike Africa in the 1980s.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche founded the U.S. Labor Party in 1973 as the political arm of the NCLC. At first the party was "preaching Marxist revolution", but by 1977 they shifted from left-wing to right-wing politics. A two-part article in "The New York Times" in 1979 by Howard Blum and Paul L. Montgomery alleged that LaRouche had turned the party (at that point with 1,000 members in 37 offices in North America, and 26 in Europe and Latin America) into an extreme-right, antisemitic organization, despite the presence of Jewish members. LaRouche denied the newspaper's charges, and said he had filed a $100 million libel suit; his press secretary said the articles were intended to "set up a credible climate for an assassination hit".


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: The "Times" alleged that members had taken courses in how to use knives and rifles; that a farm in upstate New York had been used for guerrilla training; and that several members had undergone a six-day anti-terrorist training course run by Mitchell WerBell III, an arms dealer and former member of the Office of Strategic Services, who said he had ties to the CIA. Journalists and publications the party regarded as unfriendly were harassed, and it published a list of potential assassins it saw as a threat. LaRouche expected members to devote themselves entirely to the party, and place their savings and possessions at its disposal, as well as take out loans on its behalf. Party officials would decide who each member should live with, and if someone left the movement, the remaining member was expected to live separately from the ex-member. LaRouche would question spouses about their partner's sexual habits, the "Times" said, and in one case reportedly ordered a member to stop having sex with his wife, because it was making him "politically impotent".


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche began writing in 1973 about the use of certain psychological techniques on recruits. In an article called "Beyond Psychoanalysis", he wrote that a worker's persona had to be stripped away to arrive at a state he called "little me", from which it would be possible to "rebuild their personalities around a new socialist identity", according to "The Washington Post". "The New York Times" wrote that the first such session—which LaRouche called "ego-stripping"—involved a German member, Konstantin George, in the summer of 1973. LaRouche said that during the session he discovered that a plot to assassinate him had been implanted in George's mind.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: He recorded sessions with a 26-year-old British member, Chris White, who had moved to England with LaRouche's former partner, Carol Schnitzer. In December 1973 LaRouche asked the couple to return to the U.S. His followers sent tapes of the subsequent sessions with White to "The New York Times" as evidence of an assassination plot. According to the "Times", "[t]here are sounds of weeping, and vomiting on the tapes, and Mr. White complains of being deprived of sleep, food and cigarettes. At one point someone says 'raise the voltage', but [LaRouche] says this was associated with the bright lights used in the questioning rather than an electric shock." The "Times" wrote: "Mr. White complains of a terrible pain in his arm, then LaRouche can be heard saying, 'That's not real. That's in the program'." LaRouche told the newspaper White had been "reduced to an eight-cycle infinite loop with look-up table, with homosexual bestiality". He said White had not been harmed and that a physician—a LaRouche movement member—had been present throughout. White ended up telling LaRouche he had been programmed by the CIA and British intelligence to set up LaRouche for assassination by Cuban exile frogmen.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: According to "The Washington Post", "brainwashing hysteria" took hold of the movement. One activist said he attended meetings where members were writhing on the floor saying they needed de-programming. In two weeks in January 1974, the group issued 41 separate press releases about brainwashing. One activist, Alice Weitzman, expressed skepticism about the claims.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche established contacts with Willis Carto's Liberty Lobby and elements of the Ku Klux Klan in 1974. Frank Donner and Randall Rothenberg wrote that he made successful overtures to the Liberty Lobby and George Wallace's American Independent Party, adding that the "racist" policies of LaRouche's U.S. Labor Party endeared it to members of the Ku Klux Klan. George Michael, in "Willis Carto and the American Far Right", says that LaRouche shared with the Liberty Lobby's Willis Carto an antipathy towards the Rockefeller family. The Liberty Lobby defended its alliance with LaRouche by saying the U.S. Labor Party had been able to "confuse, disorient, and disunify the Left".


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: Gregory Rose, a former chief of counter-intelligence for LaRouche who became an FBI informant in 1973, said that while the LaRouche movement had extensive links to the Liberty Lobby, there was also copious evidence of a connection to the Soviet Union. George and Wilcox say neither connection amounted to much—they assert that LaRouche was "definitely not a Soviet agent" and state that while the contact with the Liberty Lobby is often used to imply links' and 'ties' between LaRouche and the extreme right", it was in fact transient and marked by mutual suspicion. The Liberty Lobby soon pronounced itself disillusioned with LaRouche, citing his movement's adherence to "basic socialist positions" and his softness on "the major Zionist groups" as fundamental points of difference. According to George and Wilcox, American neo-Nazi leaders expressed misgivings over the number of Jews and members of other minority groups in his organization, and did not consider LaRouche an ally. George Johnson, in "Architects of Fear", similarly states that LaRouche's overtures to far right groups were pragmatic rather than sincere. A 1975 party memo spoke of uniting with these groups only to overthrow the established order, adding that once that goal had been accomplished, "eliminating our right-wing opposition will be comparatively easy".


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: Howard Blum wrote in "The New York Times" that, from 1976 onwards, party members sent reports to the FBI and local police regarding members of left-wing organizations. In 1977, he wrote, commercial reports on U.S. anti-apartheid groups were prepared by LaRouche members for the South African government, student dissidents were reported to the Shah of Iran's Savak secret police, and the anti-nuclear movement was investigated on behalf of power companies. Johnson says the intelligence network was made up of "obnoxious devotees commandeering WATS lines and tricking bureaucrats into giving them information". By the late 1970s, members were exchanging almost daily information with Roy Frankhouser, a government informant and infiltrator of both far right and far left groups who was involved with the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party. The LaRouche organization believed Frankhouser to be a federal agent who had been assigned to infiltrate right-wing and left-wing groups, and that he had evidence that these groups were actually being manipulated or controlled by the FBI and other agencies. LaRouche and his associates considered Frankhouser to be a valuable intelligence contact, and took his links to extremist groups to be a cover for his intelligence work. Frankhouser played into these expectations, misrepresenting himself as a conduit for communications to LaRouche from "Mr. Ed", an alleged CIA contact who did not exist in reality.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: Blum wrote, at around this time, that LaRouche's Computron Technologies Corporation included Mobil Oil and Citibank among its clients, that his World Composition Services had one of the most advanced typesetting complexes in the city and had the Ford Foundation among its clients, and that his PMR Associates produced the party's publications and some high school newspapers.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: Around the same time, according to Blum, LaRouche was telling his membership several times a year that he was being targeted for assassination, including by the Queen of the United Kingdom, Zionist mobsters, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Justice Department, and the Mossad. LaRouche sued the City of New York in 1974, saying the CIA and British spies had tortured and drugged his associates to brainwash his associates into killing him. According to "The Patriot-News" of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, LaRouche said he had been "threatened by Communists, Zionists, narcotics gangsters, the Rockefellers and international terrorists." LaRouche later said that,


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: In March 1975 Clarence M. Kelley, director of the FBI, testified before the House Appropriations Committee that LaRouche's NCLC was "a violence-oriented organization of 'revolutionary socialists' with a membership of nearly 1,000 in chapters in some 50 cities". He said that during the previous two years its members had been "involved in fights, beatings, using drugs, kidnappings, brainwashings, and at least one shooting. They are reported to be armed, to have received defensive training such as karate, and to attend cadre schools and training schools to learn military tactics".


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: In 1975, under the name "Lyn Marcus", LaRouche published "Dialectical Economics: An Introduction to Marxist Political Economy", described by its only reviewer as "the most peculiar and idiosyncratic" introduction to economics he had ever seen. Mixing economics, history, anthropology, sociology and a surprisingly large helping of business administration, the work argued that most prominent Marxists had misunderstood Marx, and that bourgeois economics arose when philosophy took a wrong, reductionist turn under British empiricists like Locke and Hume.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: In 1976, LaRouche campaigned for the first time in a presidential election as a U.S. Labor Party candidate, polling 40,043 votes (0.05 percent). It was the first of eight consecutive presidential elections in which he took part between 1976 and 2004. It enabled him to attract $5.9 million in federal matching funds; candidates seeking their party's presidential nomination qualify for matching funds if they raise $5,000 in each of at least 20 states. His platform predicted financial disaster by 1980 accompanied by famine and the virtual extinction of the human race within 15 years, and proposed a debt moratorium; nationalization of banks; government investment in industry especially in the aerospace sector, and an "International Development Bank" to facilitate higher food production. When Legionnaires' disease appeared in the U.S. that year, he said it was a continuation of the swine flu outbreak, and that senators who opposed vaccination were suppressing the link as part of a "genocidal policy".


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: His campaign included a paid half-hour television address, which allowed him to air his views before a national audience, something that became a regular feature of his later campaigns. There were protests about this, and about the involvement of the NCLC in public life generally. Writing in "The Washington Post", Stephen Rosenfeld said LaRouche's ideas belonged to the radical right, neo-Nazi fringe, and that his main interests lay in disruption and disinformation; Rosenfeld called the NCLC one of the "chief polluters" of political democracy. Rosenfeld argued that the press should be "chary" of offering them print or air time: "A duplicitous violence-prone group with fascistic proclivities should not be presented to the public, unless there is reason to present it in those terms." LaRouche wrote in 1999 that this comment had "openly declared ... a policy of malicious lying" against him.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche married again in 1977. His wife, Helga Zepp, was then a leading activist in the West German branch of the movement. She went on to work closely with LaRouche for the rest of her career, standing for election in Germany in 1980 for his "Europäische Arbeiterpartei" (European Workers Party), and founding the Schiller Institute in Germany in 1984.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: From the autumn of 1979, the LaRouche movement conducted most of its U.S. electoral activities as the National Democratic Policy Committee (NDPC), a political action committee. The name drew complaints from the Democratic Party's Democratic National Committee. Democratic Party leaders refused to recognize LaRouche as a party member, or to seat the few delegates he received in his seven primary campaigns as a Democrat. In its 2019 obituary of LaRouche, "New York" magazine reported that LaRouche's attempts to pose as a Democrat were originally an attempt at a spoiler operation to divide the opponents of Ronald Reagan.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche's campaign platforms advocated a return to the Bretton Woods system, including a gold-based national and world monetary system; fixed exchange rates; and abolishing the International Monetary Fund. He supported the replacement of the central bank system, including the U.S. Federal Reserve System, with a national bank; a war on drug trafficking and prosecution of banks involved in money laundering; building a tunnel under the Bering Strait; the building of nuclear power plants; and a crash program to build particle-beam weapons and lasers, including support for elements of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). He opposed the Soviet Union and supported a military build-up to prepare for imminent war; supported the screening and quarantine of AIDS patients; and opposed environmentalism, deregulation, outcome-based education, and abortion.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: In December 1980, LaRouche and his followers started what came to be known as the "October Surprise" allegation, namely that in October 1980 Ronald Reagan's campaign staff conspired with the Iranian government during the Iran hostage crisis to delay the release of 52 American hostages held in Iran, with the aim of helping Reagan win the 1980 United States presidential election against Jimmy Carter. The Iranians had agreed to this, according to the theory, in exchange for future weapons sales from the Reagan administration. The first publication of the story was in LaRouche's "Executive Intelligence Review" on December 2, 1980, followed by his "New Solidarity" on September 2, 1983, alleging that Henry Kissinger, one of LaRouche's regular targets, had met Iran's Ayatollah Beheshti in Paris, according to Iranian sources in Paris. The theory was later echoed by former Iranian President Abolhassan Banisadr and former Naval intelligence officer and National Security Council member Gary Sick.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: "The Washington Post" wrote that LaRouche and his wife moved in August 1983 from New York to a 13-room Georgian mansion on a 250-acre section of the Woodburn Estate, near Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia. The property was owned at the time by a company registered in Switzerland. Companies associated with LaRouche continued to buy property in the area, including part of Leesburg's industrial park, purchased by LaRouche's Lafayette/Leesburg Ltd. Partnership to develop a printing plant and office complex.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: Neighbors said they saw LaRouche guards in camouflage clothes carrying semi-automatic weapons, and the "Post" wrote that the house had sandbag-buttressed guard posts nearby, along with metal spikes in the driveway and concrete barriers on the road. One of his aides said LaRouche was safer in Loudoun County: "The terrorist organizations which have targeted Mr. LaRouche do not have bases of operations in Virginia." LaRouche said his new home meant a shorter commute to Washington. A former associate said the move also meant his members would be more isolated from friends and family than they had been in New York. According to the "Post" in 2004, local people who opposed him for any reason were accused in LaRouche publications of being communists, homosexuals, drug pushers, and terrorists. He reportedly accused the Leesburg Garden Club of being a nest of Soviet sympathizers, and a local lawyer who opposed LaRouche on a zoning matter went into hiding after threatening phone calls and a death threat. In leaflets supporting his application of concealed weapons permits for his bodyguards in Leesburg, Virginia, he wrote:


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: Regarding LaRouche's paramilitary security force, armed with semi-automatic weapons, a spokesperson said that they were necessary, because LaRouche was the subject of "assassination conspiracies".


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: Helga Zepp-LaRouche founded the Schiller Institute in Germany in 1984. In the same year, LaRouche was able to raise enough money to purchase 14 television spots, at a cost of $330,000 each, in which he called Walter Mondale—the Democratic Party's presidential candidate—a Soviet agent of influence, triggering over 1,000 telephone complaints. On April 19, 1986, NBC's "Saturday Night Live" aired a sketch satirizing the ads, portraying the Queen of the United Kingdom and Henry Kissinger as drug dealers. LaRouche received 78,773 votes in the 1984 presidential election.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: In 1984, media reports stated that LaRouche and his aides had met Reagan administration officials, including Norman Bailey, senior director of international economic affairs for the National Security Council (NSC), and Richard Morris, special assistant to William P. Clark, Jr. There were also reported contacts with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the CIA. The LaRouche campaign said the reporting was full of errors. In 1984 two Pentagon officials spoke at a LaRouche rally in Virginia; a Defense Department spokesman said the Pentagon viewed LaRouche's group as a "conservative group ... very supportive of the administration." White House spokesman Larry Speakes said the Administration was "glad to talk to" any American citizen who might have information. According to Bailey, the contacts were broken off when they became public. Three years later, LaRouche blamed his criminal indictment on the NSC, saying he had been in conflict with Oliver North over LaRouche's opposition to the Nicaraguan Contras. According to a LaRouche publication, a court-ordered search of North's files produced a May 1986 telex from Iran–Contra defendant General Richard Secord, discussing the gathering of information to be used against LaRouche. King states that LaRouche's "Executive Intelligence Review" was the first to report on important details of the Iran–Contra affair, predicting that a major scandal was about to break months before mainstream media picked up on the story.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: The LaRouche campaign supported Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Dennis King wrote that LaRouche had been speculating about space-based weaponry as early as 1975. He set up the Fusion Energy Foundation, which held conferences and tried to cultivate scientists, with some success. In 1979, FEF representatives attended a Moscow conference on laser fusion. LaRouche began to promote the use of lasers and related technologies for both military and civilian purposes, calling for a "revolution in machine tools."


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: According to King, LaRouche's associates had for some years been in contact with members of the Reagan administration about LaRouche's space-based weapons ideas. LaRouche proposed the development of defensive beam technologies as a policy that was in the interest of both the United States and the Soviet Union, as the alternative to an arms race in offensive weapons, and as a generator of spin-off economic benefits. Between February 1982 and February 1983, with the approval of the National Security Council, LaRouche met with Soviet embassy representative Evgeny Shershnev to discuss the proposal. During this period, Soviet economists also began to study LaRouche's economic forecasting model. However, following Reagan's public announcement of the SDI in March 1983, Soviet representatives broke off all contact with LaRouche and his representatives.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: Physicist Edward Teller, a proponent of SDI and X-ray lasers, told reporters in 1984 that he had been courted by LaRouche, but had kept his distance. LaRouche began calling his plan the "LaRouche-Teller proposal," though they had never met. Teller said LaRouche was "a poorly informed man with fantastic conceptions."


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche later attributed the collapse of the Soviet Union to its refusal to follow his advice to accept Reagan's offer to share the technology. Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld reported in his 2011 memoir that at a 2001 dinner in Russia with leading officials, he was told by General Yuri Baluyevsky, then the second highest-ranking officer in the Russian military, that LaRouche was the brains behind SDI. Rumsfeld stated that he believed LaRouche had had no influence whatsoever on the program, and surmised that Baluyevsky must have obtained the information off the Internet. In 2012 the former head of the Russian bureau of Interpol, General Vladimir Ovchinsky, also described LaRouche as the man who proposed the SDI.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: In January 1984, NBC aired a news segment about LaRouche, and in March a "First Camera" report produced by Pat Lynch. The reports described LaRouche as "the leader of a violence-prone, anti-Semitic cult that smeared its opponents and sued its critics", as Lynch wrote in 1985 in the "Columbia Journalism Review". In interviews, former members of the movement gave details about their fundraising practices, and alleged that LaRouche had spoken about assassinating U.S. President Jimmy Carter. The reports said an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service would lead to an indictment, and quoted Irwin Suall, the Anti-Defamation League's fact-finding director, who called LaRouche a "small-time Hitler". After the broadcast, LaRouche members picketed NBC's office carrying signs saying "Lynch Pat Lynch," and the NBC switchboard said it received a death threat against her. Another NBC researcher said someone placed fliers around her parents' neighborhood saying she was running a call-girl ring from her parents' home. Lynch said LaRouche members began to impersonate her and her researchers in telephone calls, and called her "Fat Lynch" in their publications.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche filed a defamation suit against NBC and the ADL, arguing that the programs were the result of a deliberate campaign of defamation against him. The judge ruled that NBC need not reveal its sources, and LaRouche lost the case. NBC won a countersuit, the jury awarding the network $3 million in damages, later reduced to $258,459, for misuse of libel law, in what was called one of the more celebrated countersuits by a libel defendant. LaRouche failed to pay the damages, pleading poverty, which the judge described as "completely lacking in credibility." LaRouche said he had been unaware since 1973 who paid the rent on the estate, or for his food, lodging, clothing, transportation, bodyguards, and lawyers. The judge fined him for failing to answer. After the judge signed an order to allow discovery of LaRouche's personal finances, a cashier's check was delivered to the court to end the case. When LaRouche appealed, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, rejecting his arguments, set forth a three-pronged test, later called the "LaRouche test," to decide when anonymous sources must be named in libel cases.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche interpreted the AIDS pandemic as fulfillment of his 1973 prediction that an epidemic would strike humanity in the 1980s. According to Christopher Toumey, his subsequent campaign followed a familiar LaRouche pattern: challenging the scientific competence of government experts, and arguing that LaRouche had special scientific insights, and his own scientific associates were more competent than government scientists. LaRouche's view of AIDS agreed with orthodox medicine in that HIV caused AIDS, but differed from it in arguing that HIV spread like the cold virus or malaria, by way of casual contact and insect bites—which, if true, would make HIV-positive people extremely dangerous. He advocated testing anyone working in schools, restaurants, or healthcare, and quarantining those who tested positive. Some of LaRouche's views on AIDS were developed by John Seale, a British venereological physician who proposed that AIDS was created in a Soviet laboratory. Seale's highly speculative writings were published in three prestigious medical journals, lending these ideas some appearance of being hard science.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: LaRouche and his associates devised a "Biological Strategic Defense Initiative" that would cost $100 billion per annum, which they said would have to be directed by LaRouche. Toumey writes that those opposing the program, such as the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control, were accused of "viciously lying to the world," and of following an agenda of genocide and euthanasia. In 1986 LaRouche proposed that AIDS be added to California's List of Communicable Diseases. Sponsored by his "Prevent AIDS Now Initiative Committee" (PANIC), Proposition 64—or the "LaRouche initiative"—qualified for the California ballot in 1986, with the required signature gatherers mostly paid for by LaRouche's Campaigner Publications. Seale, presented as an AIDS expert by PANIC, supported the LaRouche initiative, but disagreed with several of LaRouche's views, including that HIV could be spread by insects, and described the group's political beliefs and conspiracy theories as "rather odd". According to David Kirp, professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley, the proposal would have required that 300,000 people in the area with HIV or AIDS be reported to public health authorities; might have removed over 100,000 of them from their jobs in schools, restaurants and agriculture; and would have forced 47,000 children to stay away from school.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: The proposal was opposed by leading scientists and local health officials as based on inaccurate scientific information and, as the public health schools put it, running "counter to all public health principles." It was defeated, reintroduced two years later, and defeated again, with two million votes in favor the first time, and 1.7 million the second. AIDS became a leading plank in LaRouche's platform during his 1988 presidential campaign.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: In March 1986, Mark Fairchild and Janice Hart—LaRouche National Democratic Policy Committee candidates—won the Democratic primary for statewide offices in Illinois, gaining national attention for LaRouche. The Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Adlai Stevenson III, withdrew his nomination rather than run on the same slate as LaRouche members, and told reporters the party was "exploring every legal remedy to purge these bizarre and dangerous extremists from the Democratic ticket." A spokesman for the Democratic National Committee said it would have to do a better job of communicating to the electorate that LaRouche's National Democratic Policy Committee was unrelated to the Democratic Party. "The New York Times" wrote that Democratic Party officials were trying to identify LaRouche candidates in order to alert voters, and asked the LaRouche organization to release a full list of its candidates.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: A month later, LaRouche held a press conference to accuse the Soviet government, British government, drug dealers, international bankers, and journalists of being involved in multiple conspiracies. Flanked by bodyguards, he said: "If Abe Lincoln were alive, he'd probably be standing up here with me today," and that there was no criticism of him that did not originate "with the drug lobby or the Soviet operation ..." He said he had been in danger from Soviet assassins for over 13 years, and had to live in safe houses. He refused to answer a question from an NBC reporter, saying "How can I talk with a drug pusher like you?" He called the leadership of the United States "idiotic" and "berserk," and its foreign policy "criminal or insane." He warned of the imminent collapse of the banking system and accused banks of laundering drug money. Asked about the movement's finances, he said "I don't know. ... I'm not responsible, I'm not involved in that."


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: In October 1986, hundreds of state and federal officers raided LaRouche offices in Virginia and Massachusetts. A federal grand jury indicted LaRouche and twelve of his associates on credit card fraud and obstruction of justice. The charges stated that they had attempted to defraud people of millions of dollars, including several elderly people, by borrowing money they did not intend to repay.


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: When LaRouche's "heavily fortified" estate was surrounded, he at first warned law-enforcement officials not to arrest him, saying that any attempt to do so would be an attempt to kill him. A spokesman would not rule out the use of violence against officials in response. While surrounded, LaRouche sent a telegram to President Ronald Reagan saying that an attempt to arrest him "would be an attempt to kill me. I will not submit passively to such an arrest, ... I will defend myself."


title: Lyndon LaRouche

text: In 1987, a number of LaRouche entities, including the Fusion Energy Foundation, were taken over through an involuntary bankruptcy proceeding. The government's use of a sealed order in this proceeding was regarded as a rare legal maneuver.