If I’ve ever said to anyone that Ufologists could never do anything that would surprise me, I suppose I have to take it back. In light of Robert Hastings recent comments regarding James Carlson recently, I have to say that I am very surprised.

I’m surprised not only by his insistence in ignoring the clear evidence that James Carlson has laid out in his book, as well as the evidence in the form of two very recent interviews with Malmstrom 1967 witnesses, right here on RU. You’ve seen their statements circa 2010 with your very own eyes – and both men have said in no uncertain terms that they do not believe that UFOs ever played a part in the 1967 Echo Flight silo shutdown. Yet the Hastings/Salas charade continues as though everything’s quite alright. They’re only two guys, right?

I actually feel that Hastings is a decent writer, and might even strike some real gold in his research related to the Nuclear/UFO issue. Unfortunately, what these recent events show is that, like many old-school Ufologists throughout the decades, they’ve drawn so many conclusions with such die-hard certainty that they can not incorporate new facts, when those evidence-based facts counter what they want or need to believe must be true.

Tim Printy covered much of Hastings’ illogical argument in his latest issue of SUNlite as well.

The funniest thing I’ve ever seen come from Hastings was a posting on October 25 at UFO Chronicles, titled “The James T. Carlson Problem.”

In this post, Hastings posts several false statements about Carlson. Such as this one:

“…a UFO debunker named James T. Carlson has been posting countless items online over the past two years, calling these veterans (and others who were involved in the missile shutdown incidents) liars, or worse.”

As anyone who has followed along at RU knows, this is an outright lie. James has only called Hastings and Salas liars. Hastings continues:

In any case, the time has come for me to take inventory, in preparation for a possible legal action: While I am aware of numerous posts by James Carlson about all of this—on blogs at several websites—I’m certain that I’ve missed many more, given that they run into the hundreds at this point. So, I am seeking the reader’s assistance:

I am asking that persons who want to the truth about the incidents at Malmstrom AFB in 1967 to be established—once and for all—to scour the Internet and locate posts in which Carlson has referred to me (or Bob Salas) as a “fraud”, a “liar” a “hoaxer” or similar defamatory terms. I am also interested in posts where James claims that he has “proved” that Mr. Salas and I have misrepresented the facts. Those willing to assist me in this regard should send me links to the offending posts via ufohastings@aol.com.

I was literally in tears from laughing after reading this. As everyone knows, James has made it a point to always point out everywhere he’s posted about this issue, that they can find him, and read about the real truth concerning Echo Flight, his father and Walt Figel, right here at RealityUncovered – nowhere else.

Hastings’ statement above comes across like a paranoid and delusional breakdown – a victim mentality – where the attacks are coming from all sides and from all quarters. No, Mr. Hastings, you know exactly where the truth is – and readers can get it for absolutely free. Here, it doesn’t cost $29.95. Unlike the much-touted “press conference” now offered at Bob Salas’ website. Posted recently on UFO Chronicles:

“It’s a collectible item, so don’t break the seal! You might want to get two! And the details? It’s basically a … … full, uncut DVD of the National Press Club event.The DVD includes a presentation from all 12 of our panelists plus Q & A with the media. $29.95″

Unfortunately, neither Walt Figel or Eric Carlson were there to offer their version of events at Echo Flight. But you can get their version right here at RU for a whopping $0.00!

In response to Hastings’ legal threats, James Carlson penned the following powerful and provocative response – please enjoy:

James Carlson’s Open Letter to Robert Hastings

Since Robert Hastings refuses all emails from me, regularly discards any comments I post regarding his claims on UFOCHRONICLES, and refuses entirely to comment or present arguments in relation to the issues I’ve raised, a tactic contrary in every way to prior assertions welcoming public discourse and debate, I have decided to post this response to his consideration of legal action targeting me for insisting that he and Salas are liars, frauds, and hoaxers, and that I can prove it.

Dear Robert Hastings,

In light of your recent public appeals for examples of internet-based “libel” authored by me — statements that you imply can be proven as such sufficient to sway popular opinion within the suitable confines of a court of law — I have the following statement, and request a response:

First, you have loudly and persistently affirmed since March 2010 that the written statements I received from Colonel (Retired) Walter Figel, Jr. were false statements, and that my claims of having interviewed him were simply lies intended to basically raise doubts regarding your interpretations of your own interviews with him.

In your September 26, 2010 article, “The Echo/Oscar Witch Hunt“, for instance, you assert that:

“James Carlson …has consistently lied about the colonel’s various comments to researchers.”

You also claim that

“Colonel Figel disputes all of Eric Carlson’s claims.”

In light of the fact that both you and Robert Salas called Figel the day following my first interview with him in March, and that the written statement detailing his opinions regarding your poor interpretation of the events he experienced was also sent to you, do you still insist that I have been lying since last March, and that I have, in fact, never spoken to Colonel Figel, as you have told others?

Follow-up questions to this line of thought include:

(1) Since your transcripts of your interviews with Figel are obviously incomplete, why don’t they include any complete assertions regarding the presence of a UFO? Nowhere in your transcripts is there a clear and definitive statement regarding any report of a UFO. In the interviews and written statements that he was immediately willing to share with me, his statements are very definitive: there was no UFO reported, no UFO was involved, and no investigation of a UFO was undertaken. He was very clear in this regard — with me. Why not with you, or did you just edit that part out of your transcripts in order to create the impression of a UFO where none could be otherwise reasonably established?

That’s why I asked for and received a written statement from him that was complete and to the point.

(2) Did you ever follow up your investigation with Dick Evans, as Figel suggested? He was, after all, a witness to both the personnel portion of the incident, and was later involved with the actual investigation as well, so his comments would be very interesting to your readers, I would think, unless, of course, he told you the same thing that Figel insists he told both you and Salas, this being the fundamentals of what he also told me and Ryan Dube — that there were no UFOs involved in the incident.

In general, I’d like to know exactly what I’ve allegedly lied about. Was my interview with Figel a lie? Or was it Ryan Dube who lied? Because, remember, Figel addressed his questions as well. Or maybe I should ask, and this is the fun part, am I lying when I insist that I can easily prove how badly you’ve maligned this issue, how blatantly you’ve misin‌terpreted Figel’s statements to you in the past, and how often you yourself have lied and twisted this issue around, and that I can do so by simply asking Walt Figel what happened?

Because that’s exactly what I did prior to his last statement — you know, the strongly worded one in which he insists that Robert Salas has been lying about this matter since 1995.

You remember, don’t you? It’s that written statement of his that can’t possibly be misinterpreted by anybody, even you — the statment that I couldn’t possibly twist around to make it seem somehow less damaging to your story; it’s that statment of Figel’s that you seem to blaiming on me to such an extent that you’re considering (and I find this particularly laughable) legal action.

Tell me, do you intend to sue Figel and my father as well? ‘Cause I’ve got to tell you, they’ve said the same things I have, but they’ve done so with a Hell of a lot more authority than I could ever muster.

Tell me, are all of your UFO investigations conducted so dishonestly, in order to create an issue that doesn’t otherwise exist? Why do you consistently refuse to answer any of the questions put to you about this one case? Why do you regularly delete my commentaries on UFOCHRONICLES rather than comment on them as any honest man would? Why is it so easy to confirm your complete and utter disregard for the facts by simply interviewing your own witnesses?

What exactly are you trying to hide, and why do you even bother, when destroying your case is as easy as conducting a fairly general conversation with intelligent men? Or is it the “intelligent men” part that throws you off?

Humor me, please, with another line of thought:

During the press conference you and Salas organized for September 27, 2010 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, did Robert Salas publically proclaim, in answer to one of the questions presented by a member of the audience, that both my father, Captain (Retired) Eric D. Carlson, the commander at Echo Flight on March 16, 1967, and his deputy commander on that date, Colonel (Retired) Walter Figel, Jr., confirmed his testimony regarding UFO interference on that date?

This bit strikes me as particularly odd, because only rarely will someone make such a claim only two days after both men had very publically and definitively insisted otherwise. Was that just a “brain fart”, or is he just lying again to make another worthless point in front of the press?

That’s all I’ve got for you — just a few little questions. An answer would be appreciated, although I admit, it’s a little difficult to even ask you these questions for the reasons I’ve already indicated above.

I am curious to know why you profess to believe in the necessity for public discourse where issues involving UFOs are concerned, while your every act shows the opposite — or does public discourse only apply to the USAF, and not those individuals who are trying to substantiate a ridiculous UFO hoax of this nature?

It looks to me like you do a whole lot of running away from questions, as if answering them would somehow show you to be the ridiculous little liar and fraud that I’ve already shown you to be. You know, Robert, you don’t need to ask other people to do your research for you — although I understand that’s what you’re used to doing; you know, like advertising for UFO stories on the Internet, so you can write them up and call them “facts”, and insist that the USAF needs to come clean on UFOs. Isn’t that your modus operandi?

Let me make this easier for you — that way you don’t have to bother all the nice people who read your tripe to bring you examples of my slanders and libel. I’ll just give you what you want, because it’s so much easier, and because I’d really like to get you to actually sue me — I think litigation would be a suitably pathetic way for you to go down in history as the ineffectual UFO “researcher” you really are if you did it all by yourself in front of a jury!

Now then, what are the words I’m looking for? Oh, yeah!

You, Robert Hastings, currently a resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico, are a liar, a fraud, and a UFO hoaxer of the worst kind, and I can and have proven this to be true. I really hope you challenge me in court, because I would enjoy destroying what little worth your current reputation can lay claim to.

You’re a ridiculous scoundrel, and the fact that you are completely unable to answer any detailed questions regarding the events you have proposed simply adds to the mess that your own lies have created for you. The fact that you seem to think you’re believable enough to take this matter to court is absolutely hilarious, and I look forward to the article you will eventually write and publish on UFOCHRONICLES insisting that you have no intention of taking me to court, because you’re the better man, or some such silly B.S., leaving out the part where you finally realized doing so would humiliate you completely.

I give you 30 days.

Most sincerely,

James Carlson