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David Vaughan Icke (pronounced "IKE" //) (born player, reporter, television sports presenter, and spokesman for the Green Party , he is the author of 20 books explaining his views. Icke argues that he has developed a moral and political worldview that combines New Age spiritualism with a passionate denunciation of what he sees as Totalitarian trends in the modern world, a position that has been described as "New Age Conspiracism ." Barkun, Michael. ''A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America'', Comparative Studies in Religion and Society, University of California Press, 2003, p. 103. At the heart of Icke's theories is the view that the world is ruled by a secret group called the "Global Elite" or "s known as the Babylonian Brotherhood, and that many prominent figures are reptilian, including George W. Bush , Queen Elizabeth II , Kris Kristofferson , and Boxcar Willie . Ronson, Jon. by lizards, part one" , an extract from Ronson's book, ''Them: Adventures with Extremists'', ''The Guardian'', March 17, 2001. His son, Gareth Icke, is a musician and Beach Soccer player who has represented England in international beach soccer. Gossip , BBC Sport Kody , BBC Music Review According to Political Research Associates , Icke's speaking engagements can draw a substantial audience in Canada, with his organizers claiming as many as 1000 people attending one in Vancouver . Offley, Will. "David Icke And The Politics Of Madness: Where The New Age Meets The Third Reich" , ''PublicEye.org'', Political Research Associates, February 29, 2000. During an October 1999 speaking tour there, he received a standing ovation from students after a four-hour speech at the across Ontario after protests from the Canadian Jewish Congress . Kraft, Frances. "New Age speaker set to talk in Toronto" , ''The Canadian Jewish News'', October 7, 1999. EARLY LIFE Icke was born in 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 sports presenter for BBC South's Programme . He rose 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. CONTACT WITH THE SPIRIT WORLD In his online autobiography, Icke writes that, in March 1990, while he was a national spokesperson for the who had been chosen for his courage and sent to heal the earth, and that he had been directed into football to learn discipline. He was going to leave politics and would become famous, she said, writing five books in three years, and one day there would be a great earthquake, and the "sea will reclaim land," because human beings were abusing the earth. When Icke told the Green Party leadership what he had experienced, he was banned from speaking at public meetings on their behalf. In 1991, after a trip to ."Cohen 1991, cited in Laming, Donald. ''Understanding Human Motivation: What makes people tick'', Blackwell, p. 185. In an interview on the Terry Wogan show that year, he announced that he was "the son of God," and that Britain would be devastated by Tidal Wave s 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 : CONSPIRACY WRITINGS Icke has published at least 20 books outlining his views, a mixture of 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 '', 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 ". 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 , in which the earth is taken over by reptiloid aliens disguised as humans. According to Icke, the reptilian group includes many prominent people and practically every world leader from Britain's late , Rockefellers , the British Royal Family , and the ruling political and economic families of the U.S. and the rest of the world come from these SAME bloodlines. It is not because of snobbery, it is to hold as best they can a genetic structure — the reptilian-mammalian DNA combination which allows them to ' Shape-shift '." Icke has since published 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. 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, Michael. ''A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America'', Comparative Studies in Religion and Society, University of California Press, 2003, p. 106. Barkun writes that Icke has "clearly sought to cultivate the extreme right," but that the relationship is tense because of the New Age "baggage" that Icke brings with him. Barkun cites the London ''s and Christian Patriot s 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." Barkun, Michael. ''A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America'', Comparative Studies in Religion and Society, University of California Press, 2003, p. 107. 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, which includes prominent Jewish banking families, who he says 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: 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 Shall 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 'illuminati', uses them for its own ends". The story continued: " {Link without Title} 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 i/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 . 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 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 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." CURRENT ACTIVITIES Icke lives in Ryde on the Isle Of Wight , where he makes occasional public appearances. In January 2003, he travelled to 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." "Interview with David Icke" , ''News for the Soul'', undated, retrieved May 23, 2006. POP CULTURE REFERENCES ;Television
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WORKS ;Books
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FURTHER READING ;Books
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