It's ten years since I first tentatively picked up a corner of the carpet and took a peek at what was lurking underneath. Ten years since reality began to rudely dawn: that what was presented as 'truth', as 'reality', as 'news', was not in fact truth or reality at all. Ten years since that edifice of naïve trust and belief began to shake and crumble. The process of reduction to dust continues to this day.
One of the major figures in what I divined to be 'alternative media' at the time was David Icke. Ridiculed by his former employer the BBC, along with the rest of mainstream media, David rode the wave, refusing to cow to their cackles of derision, refusing to be bullied into a mental breakdown or quietly disappearing into a corner. Instead, he courageously rose like a phoenix of truth.
I read and listened to some of David's work during those halcyon years, before proceeding to forget all about him, pretty much so anyway. Until just recently when, for reasons I've forgotten, I found myself once more listening to him as he talked about truth, reality, control systems, energy, agendas, reptilians; you know, David Icke stuff. He remains a clear and fearless speaker, and has many instructive things to say. What is astonishing is how, ten years ago, most of what he talked about seemed extreme, really minority, stuff. Now, much of it is pretty normal fayre.
Here, in a five-minute clip, he presents more to chew on than many people manage in an entire lifetime. Mainly about how homeopathy and the rest of the universe work....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3A1Z9dR5XI
Part Two
Another familar port-of-call in those heady early days was Red Ice Creations. 'We present, you decide' was their motto, as they put on a veritable feast of interviews on deep history and archaeology, free energy research, alternative medicine and health, the origins of humankind, and mysticism and bigger-picture stuff of every shape and size. I became acquainted with the work of Neil Kramer and John Lash among others, two prime influences, courtesy of Red Ice. All under the affable yet watchful eye of Henrik Palmgren.
Then, one day, something happened. 'We present, you decide' was discarded in favour of 'We present, and we have decided too'. Red Ice became overwhelmingly devoted to one theme, and one theme pretty much alone. The creeping threat of rampant globalism, along with the corresponding destruction of European cultures through indiscriminate invasion-like immigration, repressive political correctness, and other strategies. The headlines on the Red Ice website were full of the latest news on this stuff. It made for depressing reading, worse than the Daily Telegraph. Mystics and metaphysics - the real big picture - was gone, replaced by story after story on political toxicity. It was a turn off; so I duly turned off.
A good deal of the change seemed to coincide with the arrival on the Red Ice scene of Lana Lokteff, Henrik's wife. In contrast to Henrik's easy-going demeanour, Lana came over as very sharp, with a distinctive confrontational us-against-them stance. Her shrill intoning would give me a headache; another reason to turn off.
I maintain some reservations about the modern-day Red Ice. Nevertheless, not all is bad, and I submit that they are doing plenty of good work. Lana has improved her presenting style no end, in my view. I often enjoy her regular shortish presentations: witty, cutting, to-the-point. How Red Ice have managed to avoid getting chucked off YouTube with some of their content I do not know, but there they still are.
Here is a recent and typical Lana clip. For the record, once again: I do not follow Red Ice closely, and don't know everything they present at all; I do not necessarily go along with everything they say; I have not bought one of Lana's t-shirts; she is undoubtedly and sadly correct about being picked out and targeted for her political stance. A t-shirt boasting 'Come on in, Whoever you are' would get very different treatment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET258ROr9Wg
