There are a lot of weirdos among us who make this world less boring. Dr. Haider, an astrophysicist from America, belongs to the category of unique personalities. To be more precise, this man did not have any signs of eccentricity, which cannot be said about those who tried to present him as such to the public.
What made astrophysicist Charles Haider go on a hunger strike?
After the Second World War, the rivalry between the two superpowers - the US and the USSR - forced each of them to build up military resources and improve nuclear weapons. It was worth, for example, the United States to hint about the presence of another military know-how, as immediately after a short time a statement was made from the opposite side about the invention of a similar “toy”. As a result, by the mid-80s of the last century, relations deteriorated greatly, reaching, so to speak, a boiling point.
In this environment, the figure of Dr. Haider, a solid, slightly flabby man, arose. The attribute of clothing was a knitted ski hat with a large pom-pom on top, which gave its ownerview of an impromptu Santa Claus.
The fighter for justice was not understood at home
It would seem that the media of a democratic state should have paid attention to an outstanding personality who protested against the policy of military confrontation. The fighter for peace on American television was given very little airtime in such a way that only those citizens who suffered from insomnia could learn about the details of the action.
But in India and in countries that have chosen the socialist path of development, the theme of Haider was untwisted, as they say, to its fullest. Moreover, he was presented as a hero, devoted to many publications on the pages of the Izvestia newspaper and television reports from the very heart of the United States. They clearly showed notes of sympathy, and Charles Haider received his moral support.
Protest at the White House fence
A hunger strike lasting 218 days, which was dubbed a marathon, was chosen as a protest action. It began on September 23, 1986, and Lafayette Park, located next to the presidential residence, was chosen as the venue. Dr. Hyder behaved defiantly and confidently. Photos of the man were published in all newspaper editions of the world.
In his statement, the protester voiced the accusation of the then American president of spurring the arms race. Reagan will inevitably face the judgment of history. Astrophysicist Charles Haider was uncompromisingly set - eating any foodwill begin when the US government meets the following conditions:
- Nuclear warheads have no place in the US.
- Military force should not be used as leverage in matters relating to international relations.
Offer of the President of the USSR
From the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Dr. Haider received a letter with a request to stop further torture of the body. M. Gorbachev also promised that if the scientist decides to come to the Soviet Union, he will be provided with research work.
Hider did not take advantage of the last offer of the President of the USSR. Shortly after the end of the hunger strike, he fought for the presidency as an independent candidate without any chance of success, the result of the campaign was the election of George W. Bush as president. But in any case, such a person as Dr. Haider went down in history. The man's hunger strike did not yield any results, but made a fuss in some states.
Early termination of promotion
What did Hyder really achieve by sitting by the fence of the White House? He was sitting on the lawn in the literal sense of the word, because the presidential administration limited him in comfort, forbidding him to put chairs and a table.
First of all, the protest had a positive effect on the state of the organism of the 56-year-old scientific husband. In seven months of a strict diet, Dr. Haider lost 45 kilograms, which he simply needed. Initially, the body weight was 135 kilograms with a height of 1 meter 88 centimeters, i.e.there was pronounced obesity!
Was there a hunger strike?
However, one photographer claimed that after three months the doctor did not seem to him a haggard man. Six months after the start of the action, further fasting was often carried out at home. The ex-wife controlled the process.
Haider announced an early end to the hunger strike on May 4, 1987, thus falling short of the scheduled 2 weeks. The motivation for such an act turned out to be banal - he just changed his mind. But, despite this, the scientist Haider caused a lot of talk. The hunger strike benefited only him!
Stunts left behind the scenes
According to nutritionists, an ordinary person cannot withstand such a strict fast for more than three months. In the case of Haider, he was helped by the resource accumulated by the body in the form of fat mass. Perhaps another way to maintain the vital activity of the body was used - taking vitamins. Haider, on the other hand, denied all accusations of slyness: he drinks only warm water, and periodically (two days a week) adds a small amount of sea s alt to the diet.
There were also such ill-wishers who slandered the "fighter for disarmament" as if he was secretly having dinner at dusk in a nearby church. She also clandestinely visits the McDonald's restroom in the evening to relieve one of her natural needs.
Be that as it may, Dr. Haider killed two birds with one stone: he became slimmer andbecame famous. Soviet propaganda added another fighter against evil (which meant world imperialism) to the list. At one time, legendary personalities Joseph Maury, Leonard Peltier, Angela Davis, promoted by the Vremya news program, were awarded such an honor. Biography of Haider is known to few. A man was born in 1930, graduated from high school and even served in the army. He received his first degree in 1964, he studied solar flares for many years and even published about 50 papers on this topic. Then there was the fight against the nuclear weapon, which made him famous.
Acting talent
Based on such considerations, one cannot deny Haider's talent. Indeed, all this was more like a staging, the purpose of which was to create a beautiful impressive picture. Before the eyes of the Soviet citizen appeared the image of a scientist who, without any support, at the risk of his he alth, is trying to stop the aggressive policy of President Reagan. None of the viewers even suspected that the correspondent of the State Radio and Television had resorted to tricks. All day long he filmed scenes, dressing in different suits, changing ties, creating the illusion that he came to the White House fence every day for filming. Ordinary spectators sincerely believed in this and watched the anti-nuclear fighter with interest.
Be that as it may, despite the tricks described, this man was not a swindler. Still, PR was not an end in itself, Dr. Haider sincerely wanted to ensure that nuclear weapons were eliminated. He did not have enough endurance, or maybe allies? This question willit is difficult to find an answer, on June 21, 2004, this man died. During his last years, he lived in a nursing home and kept talking about how one fought against an unjust state.
