Pistonsbeneath wrote:Magma
Don't you think lots of people welcome the opportunity to help?
Absolutely; the same way lots of people welcome the opportunity to donate to missionaries and political parties. There are varying levels of waste when it comes to money, but the idea that a profit-making venture like a commercial TV station should appeal to people for donations as if it's a charity is a bit offensive to me, yeah.
If they were offering any kind of profit-share I wouldn't have a problem in the slightest; but this strikes me as passing the collection plate around the cheap seats. The people that generally buy into Icke's schtick are young, poor and likely to already feel alienated from society - giving them something to believe to make them feel better about having no stake in society, I don't really have a problem with - it's just the same as church religion which I hold a veiled respect for - what I do have a problem with is encouraging them to spend money on feeling better.
David Icke's TV Channel won't achieve anyone's "freedom" just like putting a tenner in the collection plate won't cure anyone's cancer. Even if all the conspiracy theories he promotes are true, setting David Icke up as an Alternative TV Mogul (I imagine his dream since he was a disaffected BBC presenter) will only truly benefit... David Icke. Rupert Murdoch could espouse exactly the same motivations for wanting to spread information to the people - I wouldn't believe him either though.
In the day and age of Freedom of Information across the Internet, the idea that Icke (or anyone) want to go onto broadcast television for anything other than profit is pretty laughable - he can currently reach a
global audience of people that don't need to own a TV License and is already known about by just about anyone even vaguely likely to be interested (so much so he's a running joke on many forums) - the only thing he's missing is being able to sell advert breaks to the people he claims to hate.... and to break into a more mainstream level of fame, something he hasn't really been afforded since he appeared on Terry Wogan and told the country he was the Son of God.
Obama did the same thing and he's the president
Yep, I agree. Personally I think the tax payer should cover a set allowance for political campaigns; most UK Labour donors see absolutely no benefit for their outlay and, especially in America, the ability of lobbyists to effectively buy elections is deeply disturbing.
Two wrongs don't make a right. If Icke wants to be seen as different to the Politricksters then he needs to actually
be different.
I think your views are extremely presumptuous and based on your dislike of what he has to say...why must he be just doing it for the money?
For the reasons I stated above. I do dislike the way Icke takes advantage of the disaffected, but I'd never want him shut down. If he was truly in it for the spread of information he'd approach it on a non-profit basis like Julian Assange or Jimmy Wales. For a man that's obsessed with following trails of money, he's created an extremely damning one for himself.
If you think that basing my views off everything I've written here is "presumptuous" then I'm not quite sure what presumptuous means. I've done a LOT of research into Icke since I was a wide-eyed 15 year old conspiracy theorist.
Surely the reasons he has had to do what he does throughout his life can't automatically be thought of doing it for the money...he above all else wants to get a message out that you do not agree with...there are more convenient ways to make money than hold very controversial views and be hated by lots of people
So let's have a look at what he's been up to then...
Goalkeeper for Sheffield Wednesday (or whoever it was) - mainstream fame and money
Reporter for various newspapers, radio stations and finally the BBC - mainstream fame, money, influence
Conspiracy theory author - cult fame, money, spread of information
Conspiracy theory webmaster - cult fame, spread of information
Wembley Stadium Sellout Speaker - cult fame, money, spread of information
TV Mogul - mainstream fame, money, spread of information
I can't think of a single thing he's done since he embarked on becoming a celebrity that haven't involved trying to become a household name and line his own pockets with the lint from yours.
"Follow the money" - why does this apply to everyone
but himself?