Brand and Paxman

[rodshaw]

He was on Radio 4 this morning. If he can at least get a few people to pull the blinkers from their eyes, good for him I say.  And especially if he can stand up to some of the ridiculous criticism he gets from people trying to defend the status quo.

[ALB]

Black Blob anarchists reject Brand here:http://blackrobinanarchy.blogspot.nl/2014/10/russell-brand-anarchist-critique-of-his.html

[DJP]

ALB wrote:

Black Blob anarchists reject Brand here:http://blackrobinanarchy.blogspot.nl/2014/10/russell-brand-anarchist-critique-of-his.html

I think this guy got "Anarchist" and "Ninja" mixed up.

[steve colborn]

Black Blob needs a serious image makeover, then he can concentrate on the bollocks that comes from his keyboard. Then and only then, I may and I say in all seriousness, may, take him seriously.

[norm_burns]

This that he says of Brand is correct "You do not call for the abolition of the state or capital. You want a "reduction" of the profit motive, "heavily taxing" corporations and putting extra "responsibility" on them to be green." I heard him say just that on Radio 4 Monday morning. It's populism, as the guy says. If Brand wasn't a celebrity, an 'important' 'convert we think we might get to peddle our views behind, we'd all be putting his non-revolutionary 'revolution' down as the same old same old it is. Wouldn't we?

[steve colborn]

Brand, regardless of his faults and they are many, has done one thing, brought talk of "revolution" onto the agenda. That isn't something that has been to overt over the years, now is it?This letter in the Guardian, from Steve Coleman, just about sums it up!http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/oct/27/russell-brand-and-questions-raised-by-rich-revolutionaries

[norm_burns]

But it's not 'our' revolution, now, is it? If it was, he wouldn't be on radio 4, now, would he? And he wouldn't have loads of followers, would he? Just like we're not and don't. And if he wasn't a celebrity, wouldn't we be castigating this quote by 'black robin' of Brand's 'revolution' – "reduction" of the profit motive, "heavily taxing" corporations and putting extra "responsibility" on them to be green." – as hopeless reformism? In fact, shouln't we be? Double standards?

[ALB]

norm_burns wrote:

But it's not 'our' revolution, now, is it? If it was, he wouldn't be on radio 4, now, would he?

Not a convincing argument on its own. Otherwise why we were invited to appear on BBC2's "Politics Show" ?

[steve colborn]

But it's not 'our' revolution, now, is it? If it was, he wouldn't be on radio 4, now, would he? And he wouldn't have loads of followers, would he?Tell the truth norm, the term "followers" merely refers to those that follow his posts on twitter etc. He's not really some sort of messiah you know! And, as a matter of fact, it is "our" revolution, the workers that is, unless someone reckons Brand can bring about a new society by his lonesome!

[norm_burns]

ALB wrote:

norm_burns wrote:

But it's not 'our' revolution, now, is it? If it was, he wouldn't be on radio 4, now, would he?

Not a convincing argument on its own. Otherwise why we were invited to appear on BBC2's "Politics Show" ?

Yes, i forgot about that! I was thinking more historically, we've not been as popular as sliced bread, have we? They've not usually come rushing to us for our views on 'revolution'. The ones worked out and honed over a 150 or so years, the practical, concrete, realisable ones that don't involve taxing corporations or asking them to be 'nicer' but taking them under common ownership and democratic control. Mind you, we haven't got his stage-presence or speaking abilities, (as far as i know)  – it's all about the show, isnt it. But i just don't get the fuss, from this party i mean.

[Anonymous]

ALB wrote:

norm_burns wrote:

But it's not 'our' revolution, now, is it? If it was, he wouldn't be on radio 4, now, would he?

Not a convincing argument on its own. Otherwise why we were invited to appear on BBC2's "Politics Show" ?

I'll tell you why.  We had a full list of ten candidates standing in the South East England region during the European Elections. The more we do that the more chance we'll have of being taken seriously.As for Brand, he's just another flash in the pan in much the same way as the Occupy Movement and the Zeitgeist Movement.  And it's quite clear that he does regard himself as "some sort of messiah" figure.Brand on stage during his "Messiah Complex" tourHis recent Newsnight interview was like watching a spoilt brat; shouting, groping, glancing around for approval of what he was saying and generally demonstrating his incapability of listening to any voice but his own.Like a lot of people who value their own bluster, he places a misguided value on the bluster of others.  He was forced to cancel his own debate recently when it was pointed out that one of the participants, Laurence Easeman, may have connections to far-right and possibly even neo-Nazi groups.  And he works with Johann Hari, who was called out for plagiarising and anonymously trashing fellow journalists on Wikipedia.  While one is reluctant to judge someone by the company they keep, one can invariably judge someone by their lack of judgment.

[steve colborn]

I cannot disagree more. Whatever else, I dont see Brand seeing himself as a "new messiah". I guess gnome, you dont set a great deal of credence to the letter, refered to, from Steve Coleman, re Brand! But given your previous posts re Steve, why am I not surprised.So thats Brand and Coleman in, as they say, your demerit book, well hallelua brother and up the revolution. OOps, I've used the R word, naughty me!!!

[northern light]

Never been a fan of Russell Brand. He seemed to me to be a drugged up plonker, so I was somewhat surprised, when I heard him talking and relating to working class issues. I was equally delighted to see he has a following of millions. He is, probibly by his notoriety and not by his witt, recieving plenty of publicity from the press. But the British Press is fickle and that which they build up, they eventually pull down.  Brand has opened the ears of millions, we have to somehow, make those ears hear our message.

[alanjjohnstone]

The Scottish Socialist Party associated itself with a Messiah figure in the person of Tommy 'i'm not a liar' Sheridan and we saw the outcome for the party when he fell from his pedestal. (or RESPECT with Miaow Galloway…and i am sure others can be cited)We can sympathise with some of his views and quote in support of some of what Brand is trying to say just as we can with another very politicalised comedian who many seem to have forgotten all about even though he was regularly appearing on television offering astute observations although albeit more calling for "radical reform" than revolution – Mark Thomas – but we have to be wary of completely identifying with Brand or any one individual be it a media megastar or an academic one-time member (which strangely enough we possess a number of…surely this is a question to be pondered).  

[ALB]

Robin, the Black Blobber, writes to Brand:

Quote:

You do not call for the abolition of the state or capital. You want a "reduction" of the profit motive, "heavily taxing" corporations and putting extra "responsibility" on them to be green. The substance of your critique of the political class is not structural but is aimed at the fact that many of them went to public school. You say nothing that suggests you are a revolutionary in anything other than a Fabian reformist viewpoint. This is just populism. No doubt, that populism sells you books.

Actually, Brand does call for the abolition of the state and of capitalism. It's true that he does also advocate the other measures but, as far as I can see, as palliatives — just as, as far as I can also see, does the Black Blob which participates (and attempts to disrupt) demonstrations called to demand them.What I see as different in Brand's approach is that he has realised that such campaigns are only attempts to make things less bad under capitalism and that only a "revolution" against capitalism to establish a new society based on something different can ensure that the problems they address will be solved or won't arise. Most of the others involved in such campaigns don't realise this.Having said this, I'm now over a third way through his book Revolution and so far it is disappointing as it's mainly about his own "spiritual revolution". Maybe it will get better. I'll let you know.Incidentally, Gnome has misunderstood what Brand's show the Messiah Complex (to give it its full title is about). It's not about him being a Messiah. He's actually against Messiahs and Leaders and is not putting himself forward as one. See, for instance this:.

Quote:

Messiah Complex is a mental disorder where you think you might be the messiah

[Author]

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