File spoon-archives/postanarchism.archive/postanarchism_2003/postanarchism.0311, message 10


Date: Sun, 2 Nov 2003 12:49:47 -0800 (PST)
From: "J.M. Adams" <ringfingers-AT-yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [postanarchism] fuck you no ickeans on this list


Yes that was a bit hasty of a decision. I have had
huge problems with wingnut Ickeans on another listserv
I administer for the anarchist community in Vancouver,
BC. They stirred up a huge shitstorm over
anti-Semitism / anti-Zionism calling one of the locals
a "Jew-sympathizer" and accusing her of "probably
being a Jew" and so on and so forth simply for
questioning the underlying motives of David Icke (who,
as I said, is a promoter of the Nazi propaganda
document, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion). I will
resubscribe Larry Mintz since he claims he just
wondered if anyone knew anything about him, which
seems harmless enough, but just as I unsubscribed the
neofascist "National Anarchists" when this list first
began I will unsubscribe any other neofascists who try
to promote their ideology here, which I do not agree
is "authoritarian" considering that neofascists are as
free as any of us are to create their own listservs.
In cases such as this one however, where the person is
not promoting a neofascist ideology but asking what
people think about it, I will make sure not to just
unsubcribe someone without discussion. Sorry about
that. 

Jason

PS: Here are two anarchist documents that critique
David Icke and his "wacky" approach to new age
neofascism.



***

>From the SFBay-IMC:

Update on David Icke: progressive and
anti-authoritarians in a number of west coast cities
have reported an unnerving increase in supporters of
David Icke handing out pamphlets and recruiting at
their events. 



It isn't clear how much support or visibility David
Icke has in the Bay area so far. Personally I haven't
seen anything at all around Berkeley, but there have
been enough reports in other cities about this
new-ager with a neo-fascist tendency gaining a
foothold. It seems like a shocking number of people
follow him, given how ridiculous he is. Picture the
pesky LaRouchites or people standing in front of
events pushing sectarian newspapers. It seems that
progressives might tolerate members of the
International Socialists, but if some guy who pushes
racist and antisemitic conspiracies is latching onto
your events, that should be nipped in the bud. 


---------------------------------------------------------

David Icke Pied by Antifascists in Vancouver, BC 

http://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-0004/msg00169.

html 

PRESS RELEASE 

Vancouver, BC, Canada -- At approximately 1:37 pm
today, 
British anti-semitic conspiracy theorist and author
David Icke 
was pied during a press conference/book-signing at the

Granville Book Company bookstore. 

Amongst other things, ex-soccer goalie and
sportscaster David 
Icke is known for proclaiming himself the Son-of-God
during a 
1991 BBC interview. Since that time he has published
three 
books, detailing an intricate and ever-evolving World
Conspiracy. 
As well as claiming that the world is run by
shape-shifting 
reptilian bloodlines, (possibly from Mars), Icke uses
historical 
right-wing anti-semitic theories like The Protocols of
the 
Elders of Zion. He has also praised the research of
British 
Holocaust denier David Irving. 

Today's book-signing/press conference was interrupted
when 
three protestors, two dressed as lizards, one with an
alien hand 
puppet, entered the store and proceeded to ridicule
Icke. While 
being heckled for his anti-semitic views by the alien
hand 
puppet, Icke was suddenly creamed by two
lemon-meringue 
pies. The two pies were thrown by agents of a local
pie-brigade, 
the Meringue Marauders. While the pie-tossers fled,
the 
lizards and hand-puppet were aggressively confronted
by Ickes 
Followers, a combination of pot-addled new-age flakes,

right-wing militia supporters, and other confused
individuals. 

While Icke consistently tries to silence criticism of
his paranoid 
ramblings by labeling any opposition as an attack on
free 
speech, his Followers chose to shout down, assault,
and briefly 
detain the lizards and hand puppet. All escaped
unscathed, 
leaving a cream covered mess of bigotry and nuttiness
behind. 

David Icke is an arrogant windbag who uses
scapegoating, hate 
and neo-nazi materials to promote his confused,
fringe-fascist 
world view. The Meringue Marauders felt it was time to
pop his 
balloon. The pies were selected for their flaky
crusts. Flaky pies 
for a flaky guy. 

The Meringue Marauders can be reached c/o Anti-Racist
Action: 
aravancouver-AT-t... 
(604) 682-3269 box 9677 




add your comments

critique of David Icke
by network of class struggle anarchist in London
Saturday September 06, 2003 at 03:27 PM






(This makes more sense in Europe/Canada. There are
many german vegetarians and environmentalists, but
among germans I know, a lot have suspicions of animal
rights (and also of things like folk music, and tiny
weird religions that have central leaders) because of
the parallels with parts of early nazi culture. It
doesn't seem to make sense in the U.S. ) 
------------------ 
ecofascism? 

http://gridlock.gn.apc.org/ecofasc.htm 

The issue of NewAgeFascism has recently been placed
under 
the spotlight by various concerned parties, the most
notable of 
these have been Open Eye Magazine (who have done much 
valuable work in exposing David Icke - more of this
later) and a 
new book called "Ecofascism - Lessons from the German 
Experience". Whilst not being the greatest work ever
published 
(it's too simplistic/sparse and certain parts display
a 
suspiciously unobjective admiration for Murray
Bookchin - further 
investigation revealed that one of the authors just
happens to be 
his wife...) it provides an introduction to a serious
and previously 
neglected issue. 

Ecofascism can be loosely defined as the mixing of
concepts 
such as organic farming, vegetarianism and nature
worship with 
racism and and nationalism; this mixture is not new -
first 
appearing in nineteenth century Germany. "New Age"
nazism 
(currently mainly personified by David Icke) uses some
"green" 
ideas in conjunction with conspiricist theories and
derivations 
from various pseudo-occult traditions, most notably
Theosophy. 

The green movement in this country is large and
extremely 
diverse, incorporating many different groups and
factions 
ranging from Direct Activists to FoE/Greenpeace/Green
Party to a 
variety of New Age/mystical types - a very wide range
of ideas, 
theories and practices come under the general heading
of 
"green". There are no set divides betwen the various
groupings 
and a certain degree of crossover exists. 

It would be safe to say that the most important of the
above - the 
direct action eco-movement, i.e "Earth First!" has to
its credit now 
probably developed a strong enough commitment to
social 
justice and genuinely libertarian and
anti-authoritarian ideas and 
acivities for it not to be susceptible to Ecofascism.
Exceptions to 
this may be some mystical greens (see below). There
are 
however a number of other petty authoritarian factions
within the 
Direct Action movement who don't quite deserve the
label of 
fascist; these include the "vegan police" and
ideological pacifists 
both of whose problems are self-explanatory. 

It is however within the "New Age" movement that
fascism is the 
biggest problem. Fascist tendencies have always been
present 
within it but due to the naivety of many of its
adherents these 
have gone largely unchallenged/noticed. A prime
example of this 
is the enduring popularity of Rudolf Steiner's
Anthroposophy in 
alternative circles in this country as well as in
Germany and 
America. This ideology mixes bizarre racialist
spiritual theory 
(which somewhat unsurprisingly concludes that European

whites are at the summit of the heirarchical scale of
humanity) 
with concepts such as "biodynamic farming", a form of
organic 
agriculture which "tries to foster a more organic
relationship 
between cultivator and soil." Many ideas current
within mystical 
green circles have a very similar conceptual basis to
those of 
classical Fascism (i.e. the German, Italian and
Spanish 
models). Examples of this include a desire to return
to an 
idealised mythical "golden age" - in this case Celtic,
the 
celebration of "feelings" and emotions (i.e. of
collectivity and 
unity) over reason and the cultural appropriation of
pagan rituals 
and symbols. 

The problem has become much more acute recently with
the 
emergence of groups such as Rainbow Ark, and more
populist 
figures such as David Icke. Icke may be a figure of
fun to those 
who recall his "turquoise" and "godhead" phases, but
his ideas 
have recently taken a much more sinister direction; he
has 
successfully managed to repackage and overtly (notably
"Jewish 
conspiracy" theories ) into a theory that has proved
highly 
popular amongst New Agers who consider him a sort of
guru. In 
his books called "The Robot's Rebellion" and "....and
the truth 
shall set you free" he attacks electoralism and
capitalism - at 
first glance a praiseworthy exercise but on the
grounds that it is a 
global conspiracy involving a Jewish elite and the
"All Seeing 
Eye" cult !!!! . Unfortunately his followers, the vast
majority of 
whom are New Agers (Although it should be noted that 
members of the nazi group C18 have turned up at his
meetings) 
don't appear to be able or willing to recognise Icke
for what he is 
- a fascist. Even when publicly confronted with
statements such 
as "A Jewish clique worked to create the First World
War, the 
Rusian Revolution and the Second World War." they have
a 
disturbing tendency to deny his blatant racism and 
anti-semitism. 

Certain aspects of the "New Age" are not holistic or
benign but 
pure poison and should be attacked and discredited at
every 
available opportunity. This is particularly important
as more 
people then ever are turning to New Age spirituality
and 
conspiricism in an escapist search for answers and
scapegoats 
to explain or forget the misery of their everyday
lives. 
Unfortunately there aren't any answers to be found in
crystal 
gazing (crystals which incidentally if shopbought are
likely to 
have been mined by multinationals such as RTZ who are 
engaged in wholesale devastation of the Third World)
or infantile 
conspiracy theories. The reality of the situation is
that we live in 
an openly exploitative and oppressive society and
until people 
recognise that the answer to the riddle of their dead
lives lies in 
practical struggle people will look to scum like Icke
peddling 
their shit as a solution. 


Ecofascism, Lessons From the German Experience by
Janet 
Biehl and Peter Staudenmaier is published by AK Press
and is 
available from them or the usual lefty bookshops. 





add your comments


===="“Marx says, revolutions are the locomotives of world history.  But perhaps it is really totally different.  Perhaps revolutions are the grasp by the human race traveling in this train for the emergency brake.” 

- Walter Benjamin

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com

   

Driftline Main Page

 

Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005