In a previous episode we discovered that Ukip isn't just a party for disappointed grumpy old men,* but boasts 'Angelic Reiki Master Teacher, Shaman and Soul Midwife', Colleen Tucker, among its devotees. Now I see that Political Scrapbook has been having fun with Ukip's housing spokesperson, Andrew Charalambous, AKA "Dr Earth", who, according to his own breathless, caps locked account:
Two things:
1. Although it's by no means the most eye-catching thing about Mr (Dr?) Charalambous, it hasn't escaped my attention that he's a former parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives - there's a photo of him at a gathering of the 'conservative family' (© Boris Johnson), next to The Blessed Margaret herself on the Hope Not Hate blog, which tends to validate my impression that Ukip's leadership and major donors are almost exclusively breakaway Conservative Eurosceptics (see "Toryfy").
2. I don't think that Dr Earth's wacky views are necessarily the main problem here. Although it's always fun and tempting to mock the wackier beliefs of public figures, people can display immense competence at the same time as espousing beliefs that most people would consider "out there." For example:
The ingratitude of his superiors notwithstanding, Dowding did a damn fine job, apparently unhindered by his unconventional beliefs. So I don't take the attitude that having weird beliefs necessarily stops people being competent, or even outstanding in their fields.
So what about Dr Earth? Well, I'll allow the man his foibles, but he's still no Hugh Dowding. Obviously some people are better than others at being rentier landlords, but the skill set involved is rather less impressive than the one needed to pioneer a nation-saving air defence network and, arguably, has more to do with avarice and lack of scruple than anything particularly admirable. Also, the boasting and incessant self-promotion make me think 'dodgy geezer' as opposed to 'eccentric maverick with touches of genius.'
*With a target demographic like that, I should be itching to put my cross in Ukip's box but, somehow, I'm still failing to be remotely impressed by their sales pitch...
...HAS COMPLETED ONE OF THE PROFOUNDEST SPIRITUAL JOURNEYS IN HISTORY. WE KNOW OF NO OTHER LIVING PERSON WHO HAS TRAVELLED TO SO MANY COUNTRIES ON A SPIRITUAL QUEST AND BEEN TAUGHT BY SO MANY GREAT SPIRITUAL MASTERS FROM SUCH A DIVERSE PLETHORA OF SPIRITUAL SYSTEMS...via the Skeptical Voter wiki
...HE IS A TANTRIC MASTER INITIATED IN INDIA. HE HAS DATED SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN THE WORLD...
...DR EARTH IS A FRUITARIAN. ABOUT SIXTY PER CENT OF HIS DIET IS FRUIT. WHEREAS HE EATS VEGETARIAN ITEMS, HE VERY OCCASIONALLY EATS FISH. HE BELIEVES THAT FRUIT IS THE ONLY FOOD GIVEN FREELY TO US BY NATURE WHICH DOES NOT INVOLVE KILLING ANIMALS OR PLANTS...
...HE IS A SUBSCRIBER TO THE MONARCHIST LEAGUE.
HE IS A DESCENDANT THROUGH HIS MOTHER'S LINE TO THE HOLY ROMAN EMPERORS, NORMAN KINGS, AND THE ZIANI DOGES OF VENICE...
...DR EARTH IS A MARTIAL ARTS FANATIC. HE IS GRANDMASTER OF BANKUI A RARE MONKEY STYLE OF THE DAYAK HEADHUNTER TRIBE OF BORNEO. RELATED TO PENCAK SILAT AND NOW VIRTUALLY EXTINCT. DR EARTH HAS ENSURED ITS PRESERVATION AND PROGRESSION...
...HE BELONGS TO THE MYSTICAL ORDER OF THE ROSICRUCIANS WHICH DATES BACK TO THE FORTEENTH CENTURY, AND HERMEPIC ORDER OF THE GOLDEN DAWN [it is, as far as I know, merely an unfortunate coincidence that a scary-looking Greek guy with a skinhead haircut just happens to belong to an occult organisation bearing an almost identical name to the Greek neo-Nazi party].
Two things:
1. Although it's by no means the most eye-catching thing about Mr (Dr?) Charalambous, it hasn't escaped my attention that he's a former parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives - there's a photo of him at a gathering of the 'conservative family' (© Boris Johnson), next to The Blessed Margaret herself on the Hope Not Hate blog, which tends to validate my impression that Ukip's leadership and major donors are almost exclusively breakaway Conservative Eurosceptics (see "Toryfy").
2. I don't think that Dr Earth's wacky views are necessarily the main problem here. Although it's always fun and tempting to mock the wackier beliefs of public figures, people can display immense competence at the same time as espousing beliefs that most people would consider "out there." For example:
Lord Hugh Dowding (1882-1970) is a famous Air Chief Marshal of the Royal Air Force Fighter Command (RAF) during the crucial period of the Battle of Britain in World War Two. He made important public statements on UFOs in 1954, a year when a flying saucer wave hit Europe hard. Author Colin Bennett has called him “a very great Briton of truly mythological status.” Hugh Caswall Tremenheere, 1st Baron Dowding, was also a well known spiritualist, ghost hunter, vegetarian, and humanitarian, who published several books on psychic phenomena like Many Mansions (1943), Twelve legions of angels (1946), The Dark Star (1951), and God’s magic: An aspect of spiritualism (1960). Despite his eccentric beliefs, Lord Dowding had an impeccable military career and was a key of figure in the Battle of Britain in 1940.Dowding happens to be a bit of a personal hero of mine. By all accounts a dry, cantankerous man with no obvious charisma, he was in charge of organising the world's first integrated air defence system, the one that won the Battle of Britain. He was systematic and conscientious, with the patience and aptitude needed to absorb the necessary technical details of the complex system he was charged with overseeing, a genius for administration and an enormous capacity for single-minded hard work. Disdainful of office politics, he just got on with getting the job done, choreographed the blasting of Goering's Luftwaffe from Britain's daytime skies and, as soon as his years of hard work had been validated by victory, was rewarded by being unceremoniously sacked in favour of a self-promoting, clubbable back-slapper named Trafford Leigh-Mallory.
The ingratitude of his superiors notwithstanding, Dowding did a damn fine job, apparently unhindered by his unconventional beliefs. So I don't take the attitude that having weird beliefs necessarily stops people being competent, or even outstanding in their fields.
So what about Dr Earth? Well, I'll allow the man his foibles, but he's still no Hugh Dowding. Obviously some people are better than others at being rentier landlords, but the skill set involved is rather less impressive than the one needed to pioneer a nation-saving air defence network and, arguably, has more to do with avarice and lack of scruple than anything particularly admirable. Also, the boasting and incessant self-promotion make me think 'dodgy geezer' as opposed to 'eccentric maverick with touches of genius.'
*With a target demographic like that, I should be itching to put my cross in Ukip's box but, somehow, I'm still failing to be remotely impressed by their sales pitch...
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