Brand and Paxman
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I know we have been going on and on about comedians and politics but i found some of what this American comedian saying to be even more insightful than Brand.http://www.vulture.com/2014/11/chris-rock-frank-rich-in-conversation.html
Quote:It’s hard for me to figure out people voting against their own self-interests. At some point you go, Okay: Is that what they want?Quote:If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets. If the average person could see theVirgin Airlines first-class lounge, they’d go, “What? What? This is food, and it’s free, and they … what? Massage? Are you kidding me?”Quote:Or just ignoring race to a fault. You can’t say “the black kid over there.” No, it’s “the guy with the red shoes.” You can’t even be offensive on your way to being inoffensive.Quote:my kids grew up not only with a black president but with a black secretary of State, a black joint chief of staff, a black attorney general. My children are going to be the first black children in the history of America to actually have the benefit of the doubt of just being moral, intelligent people.Quote:you got to remember, the women’s movement and the civil-rights movement, even getting rid of Prohibition — it all loosened up the country for the gay-rights movement. Anybody that’s old enough realizes none of these movements has ever been stopped.Quote:to say Obama is progress is saying that he’s the first black person that is qualified to be president. That’s not black progress. That’s white progress. There’s been black people qualified to be president for hundreds of years…The question is, you know, my kids are smart, educated, beautiful, polite children. There have been smart, educated, beautiful, polite black children for hundreds of years. The advantage that my children have is that my children are encountering the nicest white people that America has ever produced. Let’s hope America keeps producing nicer white people.I am in full agreement about comedy and consciousness, Alan. You only have to look at what 'The Life of Brian' did for Christianity.
Quote:What is unique about him – and he will be the first of many, I’ll wager – is that he doesn’t need the conventional media to support him. He can take on Murdoch and the Daily Mail because his voice is not limited to their platforms. He can respond to the “hypocrite” accusations within hours online and hundreds and thousands will watch it. He tweets to nearly 9m followers, broadcasts via YouTube and writes best-selling books. He is not going to go away.Another front page attack on Brand by the Sun:http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/6153586/Exclusive-Sun-poll-finds-nation-think-Russell-Brand-IS-a-hypocrite.htmlReminds me of the poem:
Quote:You cannot hope to bribe or twist (thank God!) the British journalist. But, seeing what the man will do unbribed, there’s no occasion to.All grist to the mill.
Chris Rock is definitely funnier than Brand but he is a supporter of Obama who campaigns closely with him.
I think this is only the start of a media campaign against him. One can only imagine what they will accuse him of. Eating babies?
Vin wrote:I think this is only the start of a media campaign against him. One can only imagine what they will accuse him of. Eating babies?That sounds more like the hyperbole of Russell Brand. Brand is well in with much of the media, or else what would we be writing him an open letter for?
Nick Clegg comes to Brand's defence:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/nick-clegg-defends-russell-brand-over-the-sun-hypocrite-claims-9903236.htmlActually, he makes a couple of good points.
ALB wrote:Another front page attack on Brand by the Sun:http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/6153586/Exclusive-Sun-poll-finds-nation-think-Russell-Brand-IS-a-hypocrite.htmlReminds me of the poem:Quote:You cannot hope to bribe or twist(thank God!) the British journalist.But, seeing what the man will dounbribed, there’s no occasion to.All grist to the mill.
The site is subscription only and I don't read the Sun. The reason for the accusation of hypocrisy, as far as I can gather is about the fact he pays a fair old amount of loot a year in rent.Where would we be without The Sun, Brand obviously wasn't aware of the rule that says, rich people are not allowed to criticise the system that made them rich. It comes just after the rule that says, if you're poor and you critcise the system that creates rich and poor, it's because you're envious of the rich.
Quote:"Revolution is change. I believe in change, personal change most of all. Know, too that I have seen what fame and fortune have to offer and I know it's not the answer."Of course I have to change as an individual and part of that will be sharing wealth, though without systemic change, that will be a sweet, futile gesture."I believe that ,according to polls, Clegg is the most unpopular party leader in history. Even according to his own party.
Another Angry Voice
On urban 75 I posted a link to my blog about Russell Brand, which someone commented was "clearly written by a squeebygeebee". Made me feel quite proud.
A "squeebygeebee", an AF comrade when i was in the IWW always used that term regards SPGBers. He also pointed out to me that from what he seen, and he often wondered why, many ex-SPGBers would re-join in later life. We already see many ex-members on this forum, that remain attached to us politically and perhaps emotionally.
Darren redstar wrote:On urban 75 I posted a link to my blog about Russell Brand, which someone commented was "clearly written by a squeebygeebee". Made me feel quite proud.I think it must be this bit. It's a bit of a giveaway:
Quote:For over a hundred years the cause of socialism has been dominated by the machinations of two statist creeds, social democracy and Leninism. These have fed off the discontent and aspirations of the working class to become alternative managers of Capitalism. Their heydays are long past; the labourites have long abandoned any pretence to 'reforming Capitalism' in favour of simply managing it, after the end of 'Communism' the Leninists have been reduced to mini sects which replicate within their own structures the regimes of the old Stalinist States in a homage to Marx's dictum, "first as tragedy, now as farce". Their aspirations have shrunk with their horizons, whilst they grandly imagine storming the winter palace and fantasise about bloody revolutions, in reality they have little or no belief in the working class ever rallying to their 'proletarian leadership', and even less in the ability of the working class to emancipate itself. They hide themselves in front campaigns for partial reforms, and embrace and promote a succession of 'Saviours from high' who they are sure will deliver us, until the inevitable betrayal, when they move on to the next. For these 'socialists' what Brand is for is unimportant,it is enough that He is. All previous revolutions have been the overthrow of one minority ruling class and the victory of a new one. Such revolutions have needed abstract slogans and ideals ( Liberté, Fraternité, Egalité, Peace, land, bread, ) in order to enlist the support of the masses. They have needed heroes and demagogues to inspire the majority to give their lives for the victory of new masters. The state socialists may talk about socialism, but in reality they wish to replace our present system of class exploitation with another, only with a new bureaucratic exploitative class. This is why they too need heroes, martyrs, demagogues and saviours, because they need to beguile the masses to support their revolution, to support another new ruling class. The socialist revolution can only take place when the majority of the working class not only understand that it is possible, but also desirable. It needs no abstract ideals to mask it's true purpose, no demagogues to beguile the masses. It needs no heroes.Russell Brand is appearing on BBC One's Question Time tonight at 10.30pm. And apparently Nigel Farage is also on the panel. Some papers have already speculated that fists might fly.However I expect the issues that will dominate tonights programe will be the Senate Committee Report on the CIA's use of torture and what the British government, then and now, involvement is. And the issue of privatisation of the NHS by stealth.There's plenty for Russell to get stuck in to. Might be an interesting debate.
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