Russell Brand's alternative politics

Russell Brand has been talking about a political revolution for a year now.

He has been attacked for being naive and a hypocrite. People seem especially offended that he says 'don't vote'.

At the same time a lot of young people share this dissatisfaction with mainstream politics.

Here in Sheffield quite a few people went to a screening last week of his conversation with Owen Jones in which they explored his ideas a bit more. I was there and a few things struck me:

1.He says 'don't vote', but he doesn't say 'and sit on your arse'. He says 'get out and take action, organise, form new networks, and help each other'.

2.He is positive. He thinks the capitalist system is screwing us and the planet, but he thinks it can be changed, and he promotes other people's positive ideas and actions.

3.He says its not the immigrants, benefit claimants and powerless who are to blame. He says its the corporations, the establishment, those with power.

4 He doesn't say 'follow me, I have all the answers'. He says 'I'll amplify the voices of those that are not heard'.

It feels like he's the only person saying these things in the mainstream media. And a lot of people hate him for it.

I'm wondering if there are other people here who want to talk about these things. Not about him as a person, but alternative politics.

Yes I share his sentiments and believe he does genuinely want change.

Our media will hate him because his pushing an alternative message of respect, help and love for another, instead of their divide and rule agendas.

Look at the praise, support and voice he gave to the E15 mums when the mainstream media and Labour party tried to silence and criminlise them.

I love what he's doing at the moment. I saw him in London last week at the occupy movement.

I think the message he is spreading is very important. I just hope people actually listen, because we're all f***ed if we carry on as we are.

---------- Post added 25-10-2014 at 19:04 ----------

Yes I share his sentiments and believe he does genuinely want change.

 

Our media will hate him because his pushing an alternative message of respect, help and love for another, instead of their divide and rule agendas.

 

Look at the praise, support and voice he gave to the E15 mums when the mainstream media and Labour party tried to silence and criminlise them.

Correct......modern politics doesn't cater for the general public. We get the rough deal every time, when bankers and large corporations are given free reign! Cameron fights for the rights of bankers getting bonuses, yet demonises Firefighters for wanting to protect their pension and working conditions?!?

---------- Post added 26-10-2014 at 10:05 ----------

Russell Brand has been talking about a political revolution for a year now.

He has been attacked for being naive and a hypocrite. People seem especially offended that he says 'don't vote'.

At the same time a lot of young people share this dissatisfaction with mainstream politics.

Here in Sheffield quite a few people went to a screening last week of his conversation with Owen Jones in which they explored his ideas a bit more. I was there and a few things struck me:

1.He says 'don't vote', but he doesn't say 'and sit on your arse'. He says 'get out and take action, organise, form new networks, and help each other'.

2.He is positive. He thinks the capitalist system is screwing us and the planet, but he thinks it can be changed, and he promotes other people's positive ideas and actions.

3.He says its not the immigrants, benefit claimants and powerless who are to blame. He says its the corporations, the establishment, those with power.

4 He doesn't say 'follow me, I have all the answers'. He says 'I'll amplify the voices of those that are not heard'.

It feels like he's the only person saying these things in the mainstream media. And a lot of people hate him for it.

I'm wondering if there are other people here who want to talk about these things. Not about him as a person, but alternative politics.

Just goes to show you what people think about making a genuine change. The thread about tomato juice in pubs has got more attention!

I love what he's doing at the moment. I saw him in London last week at the occupy movement.

 

I think the message he is spreading is very important. I just hope people actually listen, because we're all f***ed if we carry on as we are.

 

---------- Post added 25-10-2014 at 19:04 ----------

 

 

Correct......modern politics doesn't cater for the general public. We get the rough deal every time, when bankers and large corporations are given free reign! Cameron fights for the rights of bankers getting bonuses, yet demonises Firefighters for wanting to protect their pension and working conditions?!?

 

---------- Post added 26-10-2014 at 10:05 ----------

 

 

Just goes to show you what people think about making a genuine change. The thread about tomato juice in pubs has got more attention!

Can you say you are happy with the way things are going?

Do you trust politicians, and still think they have our best interests at heart?

Have you ever said 'No, but there's nothing we can do about it.'

Russell Brand wants political revolution, not blood on the streets revolution, which is surely what an awful lot of people want judging by the swings to Lib Dem and now Ukip. We don't want an Arab spring but we do want change.

As I've said before, the establishment holds all the cards. They have all the power, and the media in their pockets to spin things and make sure their version of events is the only one heard.

All we have is force of numbers.

We need to act together; all of us who are not 'the establishment,' ie. most of us.

Russell Brand is is simply giving a rallying call, and a high profile voice to those who are being ignored. There's nothing wrong with that if it evens up the odds a bit. Personally, I think that's great, and historically, it's the only way change will come.

I'm very interested in what Russell brand (estimated worth £15m) has to say about capitalism. I'm positively captivated.

<<cough HYPOCRITE cough>>

I'm very interested in what Russell brand (estimated worth £15m) has to say about capitalism. I'm positively captivated.

 

<<cough HYPOCRITE cough>>

But that's the paradox.

If he wasn't high profile and worth £15million - would he get on TV and would anybody listen?

But that's the paradox.

 

If he wasn't high profile and worth £15million - would he get on TV and would anybody listen?

I might if put his accounts on Facebook and showed any tax avoidance schemes he used, how much he have to charity etc (for all his critics David beckham for example gave a years salary to charity when at psg plus does other charity work) etc etc.

I like russell brand. He can be quite funny and he was great in get him to the Greek. Loved it. But he has done very very well out of capitalism. And people not voting keeps the status quo - which he might just prefer.

I might if put his accounts on Facebook and showed any tax avoidance schemes he used, how much he have to charity etc (for all his critics David beckham for example gave a years salary to charity when at psg plus does other charity work) etc etc.

 

I like russell brand. He can be quite funny and he was great in get him to the Greek. Loved it. But he has done very very well out of capitalism. And people not voting keeps the status quo - which he might just prefer.

I looked him up on Wikipeadia. He's an ordinary Essex boy who's had a fairly troubled life. Establishment he is not. There's no doubt he's a flawed individual, but he does a fair bit for charity, and seems honest enough in his beliefs - that puts him ahead of most politicians in my book.

He reminds me a bit of Bob Geldoff, a rough diamond who wants to change things. Difference is Bob attacked third world hunger and was made a 'saint' whereas Russell attacks the establishment and is therefore a threat. Hence the bad press.

Our media will hate him because his pushing an alternative message of respect, help and love for another...

...unless you happen to be Andrew Sachs?

I looked him up on Wikipeadia. He's an ordinary Essex boy who's had a fairly troubled life. Establishment he is not. There's no doubt he's a flawed individual, but he does a fair bit for charity, and seems honest enough in his beliefs - that puts him ahead of most politicians in my book.

 

He reminds me a bit of Bob Geldoff, a rough diamond who wants to change things. Difference is Bob attacked third world hunger and was made a 'saint' whereas Russell attacks the establishment and is therefore a threat. Hence the bad press.

But based on what you've just posted, brand is the poster boy for capitalism. No silver spoon or going to the right school, he's got his money through graft and talent (often working for and getting paid by big corporations).

From what I can see all he is trying to do is good.

But based on what you've just posted, brand is the poster boy for capitalism. No silver spoon or going to the right school, he's got his money through graft and talent (often working for and getting paid by big corporations).

but if he's done that and used this 'power'(sic?) that he has, to get to where he is to voice his opinion, then he's against capitalism, surely...