| [Edit]
|
David Icke, pronounced // (born April 29, 1952) is a former professional football player, reporter, television sports presenter, and national spokesperson of the Green Party (UK). Since 1990, he has devoted himself to researching "who and what is really controlling the world."
According to Political Research Associates, Icke's ideas are popular in Canada, where the New Age aspect of his philosophy overshadows his more controversial beliefs. During an October 1999 speaking tour there, he received a standing ovation from students after a five-hour speech at the University of Toronto, while his books were removed from the shelves of Indigo Books across Ontario after protests from the Canadian Jewish Congress.
|
top
Early life
Icke was born in Leicester to Beric Vaughan Icke (born 1907, Leicester) and Barbara J. Icke (nee Cooke) (married 1951, Leicester), and was raised on a council estate, or public housing, according to the biography on his website. He left school to play football for Coventry City and Hereford United in the English league, playing as a goalkeeper until forced to retire at the age of 21 because of arthritis.
He found a job with a local newspaper in Leicester and became a reporter, moving on to local radio, regional television, and eventually national television with the BBC, where he became a sports presenter. He left the BBC in 1988 to become an activist for the Green Party, rising swiftly to the position of national media spokesperson. In 1990, he wrote It Doesn't Have To Be Like This, an outline of his views on the environment and his political philosophy.
top
Contact with the spirit world
In his online autobiography, Icke writes that, in March 1990, while he was a national spokesperson for the Green Party, he received a message from the spirit world through a medium. In 1991, after a trip to Peru, he wrote Truth Vibrations, an autobiographical work which summarized his life experiences up to that point, with an emphasis on his recent spiritual encounters. He began to wear only turquoise and on March 27, 1991, held a press conference to announce: "I am a channel for the Christ spirit. The title was given to me very recently by the Godhead." and that Britain would be devastated by tidal waves and earthquakes. His statements were met with laughter and ridicule from the studio audience, derision in the press, and suggestions that he was mentally ill. Icke later said that he had been misinterpreted by the media. According to Icke, he used the term "the son of God" "... in the sense of being an aspect, as I understood it at the time, of the Infinite consciousness that is everything. As I have written before, we are like droplets of water in an ocean of infinite consciousness" (Tales From The Time Loop 2003).
After being widely ridiculed, he disappeared from public view. He has written that, for several years, he was unable to walk down the street without people pointing and laughing, and that this experience helped him find the courage to develop his controversial ideas, because he was no longer afraid of what people thought of him. He told Jon Ronson: "One of my very greatest fears as a child was being ridiculed in public. And there it was coming true. As a television presenter, I'd been respected. People come up to you in the street and shake your hand and talk to you in a respectful way. And suddenly, overnight, this was transformed into 'Icke's a nutter'. I couldn't walk down any street in Britain without being laughed at. It was a nightmare. My children were devastated because their dad was a figure of ridicule."
top
Conspiracy writings
Icke has published 20 books outlining his views, a mixture of New Age philosophy and apocalyptic conspiracism. American political scientist Michael Barkun, in a 2003 study of conspiracy theory subculture, writes that Icke is "the most fluent of conspiracy authors, which gives his writings a clarity rarely found in the genre." [Barkun, Michael. A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America, Comparative Studies in Religion and Society, University of California Press, 2003, p.98ff.] His talent for communicating with people led The Observer to call him "the Greens' Tony Blair." [Taylor, Sam. "So I was in this bar with the son of God ..." The Observer, April 20, 1997.]
Icke's core ideas are outlined in four books written over seven years: The Robots' Rebellion (1994), ...And the Truth Shall Set You Free (1995), The Biggest Secret: The Book that Will Change the World (1999), and Children of the Matrix (2001). The basic conspiracy theory is that the world is controlled by a network of secret societies referred to as the "Brotherhood," at the apex of which stand the "Illuminati" or "Global Elite." [Barkun, Michael. A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America, Comparative Studies in Religion and Society, University of California Press, 2003, p. 104.] The goal of the Brotherhood is a world government, a plan that Icke says was laid out in the anti-semitic hoax, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which Icke says are really the revealed plans of the Illuminati. Icke, in common with many other conspiracy theorists, says the methods of these conspirators include control of the world's economies and the use of mind-control techniques.
The Global Elite controls the Brotherhood and the world using what Icke calls a "pyramid of manipulation," [ consisting of sets of hierarchical structures involving banking, business, the military, education, the media, religion, drug companies, intelligence agencies, and organized crime.]
At the very top of the pyramid are what Icke calls the "Prison Warders," who are not human. [Icke, David. ...And the Truth Shall Set You Free, 1995, p. 185.] He writes that: "A pyramidal structure of human beings has been created under the influence and design of the extraterrestrial Prison Warders and their overall master, the Luciferic Consciousness. They control the human clique at the top of the pyramid, which I have dubbed the Global Elite."
Icke cites the Holocaust, Oklahoma City bombing, and the September 11, 2001 attacks as examples of events financed and organized by the Global Elite. British journalist Simon Jones writes that, according to Icke, "Ordinary people are being massively duped into believing that the ordinary course of world events are the consequence of known political forces and random, uncontrollable events. However, the course of humanity is being manipulated at every level ... Now you may be wondering just what nefarious activities these people could possibly get up to. Icke, of course, has the answer. These individuals arrange for incidents to occur around the world, which then elicit a response from the public ('something must be done'), and in turn allows those in power to do whatever they had planned to do in the first place." [Jones, Simon. "The Icke-onoclast", Word Smith, April 3, 1996] Icke refers to this as problem-reaction-solution. [Icke, David. "Problem-reaction-solution", News for the Soul, retrieved May 24, 2006.]
top
Reptilian humanoids
In 1999, Icke wrote and published The Biggest Secret: The Book that Will Change the World, in which he identified the extraterrestrial Prison Warders as reptilians from the constellation Draco.
Icke has since published a number of additional books on the same theme. His latest work sees George W. Bush, also a reptilian, playing a key role in what Icke alleges is a 9/11 conspiracy. In Tales From The Time Loop and other works, Icke states that most organized religions, especially Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, are Illuminati creations designed to divide and conquer the human race through endless conflicts. In a similar vein, Icke believes racial and ethnic divisions are an illusion promoted by the reptilians, and that racism fuels the Illuminati agenda.
top
Alleged relationship with the far right
Michael Barkun, Professor of Political Science at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University, writes that Icke has moved aggressively to increase the size of his audience with the use of an elaborate website, by arranging speaking tours in the UK, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, and by selling books and videotapes. Barkun writes that Icke's relationship with militias and Christian Patriots is complex. On the one hand, Icke believes the Christian patriots to be the only Americans who understand the truth about the New World Order, but on the other, he allegedly told a Christian Patriot group: "I don't know which I dislike more, the world controlled by the Brotherhood, or the one you want to replace it with."
top
Allegations of anti-Semitism
|
Icke's theories have been attacked as anti-Semitic because of his references to a secret elite that rules the world, Jewish bankers who planned the Holocaust and financed Adolf Hitler, and his use of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. In ...and the truth shall set you free, he wrote that:
"I strongly believe that a small Jewish clique which has contempt for the mass of Jewish people worked with non-Jews to create the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the Second World War. This Jewish/non-Jewish Elite used the First World War to secure the Balfour Declaration and the principle of the Jewish State of Israel). They then dominated the Versailles Peace Conference and created the circumstances which made the Second World War inevitable. They financed Hitler to power in 1933 and made the funds available for his rearmament."
In 1995, Alick Bartholomew of Gateway, at that time Icke's publisher, told the London Evening Standard that an early draft of ...and the truth shall set you free contained "revisionist Holocaust material."
Icke has cited white supremacist, neo-Nazi and other far-right publications in his books. British journalist Simon Jones notes that the bibliography of ... and the truth will set you free lists The Spotlight, formerly published by the now-defunct Liberty Lobby, and which Icke calls "excellent," and On Target, published by the Australian League of Rights, which has organized speaking tours for Holocaust denier David Irving. Jones writes: "It's tempting to dismiss David Icke as a confused and ignorant man, manipulated by extremists in order to present their philosophy in a socially acceptable format. But Icke clearly understands the implications of his words."
Mark Honigsbaum has written about the apparent link between the more extreme New Age proponents and the far-right armed militia movement in the U.S. [ Icke's books contain multiple references to the "Illuminati," which Icke and the militia movement believe constitutes the secret government they call the "New World Order". In 1995, Honigsbaum wrote in the London Evening Standard that Combat 18, the British neo-Nazi group, was publicizing Icke's speaking tour of the UK in its internal magazine, Putsch. The magazine wrote that Icke spoke about "'the sheep' and how the Zionist-operated government, sorry 'illuminati', uses them for its own ends". ][ The story continued: "Icke began to talk about the big conspiracy by a group of bankers, media moguls etc. — always being clever enough not to mention what all these had in common." ]
Icke believes that Combat 18 is a front for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which in turn is an "Illuminati front." [ The role of the ADL, he says, is to "brand as anti-Semitic" anyone who gets close to "the truth." ][ In ... and the truth shall set you free, he wrote: "In Britain, I am told by an extremely reliable source very close to the intelligence organisations that the "far-right" group, Combat 18, is a front for the sinister Anti-Defamation League, the United States arm of the Israeli/Rothschild secret service, Mossad. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has been operating in Britain and Europe since at least 1991 and its role is to brand as anti-Semitic anyone who is getting close to the truth of what is going on. What better way to discredit an investigator than to have a "far-Right" group like Combat 18 to praise them?" ][Icke, David. ...and the truth shall set you free, pp 133-134, cited in Offley, Will. "Selected Quotes Of David Icke", PublicEye.org, Political Research Associates, February 23, 2000.]
Icke has strongly denied that his reptiles represent Jews, calling it "friggin' nonsense." [ "I am not an anti-Semite!", he told The Guardian, "I have a great respect for the Jewish people." ][ He maintains that the reptilians are not human, and therefore not Jewish, but are "extra-dimensional entities" that enter and control human minds. "This is not a Jewish plot. This is not a plot on the world by Jewish people," he told Jon Ronson. ][ He says that what he calls the "white race" is most susceptible to reptilian influence, particularly white people with blue eyes.]
During a question-and-answer session after one of his lectures, Icke told Jones: "I believe that people have a right to believe, to read, and have access to all information, so that they can then make up their own minds what to think. If something is a nonsense, and if something doesn't stand up, it will be shown to be a nonsense in the spotlight of the public arena."
British journalist Louis Theroux, reviewing Jon Ronson's Them: Adventures with Extremists, cautioned against accusing Icke of anti-Semitism: "Icke's 'theory' is basically The Protocols of the Elders of Zion with a new cast and a few script changes. Not surprisingly, Icke has come under suspicion of anti-semitism ... Not only might it be unfair to Icke, but by implying that he is so dangerous that he has to be censored, the watchdogs are giving a patina of seriousness to ideas that are — let's face it — very, very silly." [Theroux, Louis. "Stranger than fiction: Are 12ft lizards running the world?", The Guardian, April 7, 2001]
|
top
Protests in Canada
In 1999, Icke's books were removed from Indigo stores across Ontario, and several venues on his speaking tour were cancelled, after protests from the Canadian Jewish Congress. [ The University of Toronto allowed his planned speech there to go ahead, despite the presence of 70 protesters, including the Green Party of Ontario, outside the Hart House Theatre. Icke received a standing ovation from the audience after speaking for five hours. ]
University of Toronto law professor Edward Morgan wrote on September 30, 1999 to the university's president, Robert Pritchard: "Having been involved in a number of the more renowned cases in Canada dealing with hate literature, it is my view that this is precisely the type of vilifying material with which the Supreme Court was concerned in its decision regarding the Criminal Code ban. The publications praise classic anti-Semitic tracts, and are replete with references to a secret society carrying on a global conspiracy led by a manipulating Jewish clique. The material which I have reviewed finds no place in the Canadian marketplace of ideas."
Sumari Communications, which hosted Icke's tour, denied the allegations: "I dispute the anti-Semite issue because the Jewish community has chosen to isolate anti-Semitic quotes in David's books which he himself uses quotes from Jewish authors to prove his theories. No one is forcing these people to be here, but what is important is that they have the choice. It is called freedom and David doesn't even mention the Jews in his talks."
Icke himself addressed the concerns during his speech: "Is this a Jewish plot? No, No, No. Is it a plot? Yes, Yes, Yes. We are being manipulated, and I do not care if you are Jewish, Chinese, Catholic, etc. We are all being manipulated. And those people that are offended by what I have to say, they should choose not to be offended."
top
Current activities
Icke lives in Ryde on the Isle of Wight, where he makes occasional public appearances.
In January 2003, he traveled to Brazil, and later talked about having used Ayahuasca: "It is a plant – a rain forest plant – which they turn in to what they call a turn and Shaman in South America have been using it for centuries at least to take people into other realms of reality. ... I took it twice and it was an experience – particularly on the 2nd night – that completely transformed my view of life. What it did was take my intellectual understanding that the world is an illusion into the realms of knowing it’s an illusion and there’s a difference between intellectually understanding it’s an illusion and this level of knowing it because you’ve experienced it. I got to the age of 50 without taking a single magic mushroom and I never even had one smoke of pot or anything."
Some newspapers wrote in 2004 that he might appear on the UK Big Brother television programme in 2005, but Icke later said that he was interested in "... the REAL Big Brother, not adding to the diversions that allow him to operate unchallenged."
According to the Daily Mail on May 24 2006, he was among a group of supporters of Brian Haw, an anti-war protester outside the Houses of Parliament in London, whose placards had been removed by the police a couple of nights earlier. Icke was quoted as saying that "the Nazis wore brown shirts, our fascists came in yellow."
top
Books
Infinite Love Is the Only Truth: Everything Else Is Illusion (2005)
Tales from the Time Loop: The Most Comprehensive Expos of the Global Conspiracy Ever Written and All You Need to Know to Be Truly Free (2003)
Alice in Wonderland and the World Trade Center Disaster (2002)
Children of the Matrix (2001)
The Biggest Secret: The Book That Will Change the World (1999)
And the Truth Shall Set You Free (1996)
"The Robots Rebellion"(1994)
"Truth Vibrations" (1991)
"Lifting The Veil"
top
Videos
David Icke - Secrets of the Matrix (Parts 1 -3)
David Icke: The Freedom Road
David Icke: Revelations of a Mother Goddess
David Icke, Live in Vancouver: From Prison to Paradise
top
See also
top
Notes
top
Further reading
Mitchell, Ben. "This much I know", interview with David Icke, The Observer, January 22, 2006.
top
Video links
Ronson, Jon. (video), Channel 4 Television, retrieved May 22, 2006.
top
Audio links
|
|
