Russell Brand on Revolution

[DexterTCN]

It was. It was their result though, not Brand's.

That's pretty much what Brand said, yup.

Even though those involved said he had a hand in it.

 

[killer b]

OK. But the article we're talking about talks about it as Brand's victory, Brand's revolution. Cant you see how damaging that is?

 

[DexterTCN]

OK. But the article we're talking about talks about it as Brand's victory, Brand's revolution. Cant you see how damaging that is?

I wasn't talking about an article.

I was talking about the result...and how the people leading it from the estate said Brand was a big help.

 

[killer b]

I'm sure they did. Not sure how that affects what's being discussed here?

 

[killer b]

(fuck off with your snide smilies as well)

 

[DexterTCN]

I thought what was being discussed here was how bad Brand was for the causes he supports?

 

[coley]

Brands rebuttal of the bank lunch guy is a good riposte, nowt wrong with a bit of doorstopping imho.
http://www.russellbrand.com/2014/12/8164/

He comes across much better in print.

 

[chilango]

I thought what was being discussed here was how bad Brand was for the causes he supports?

Yup.

Can you not see how a victory won by a group being painted as a victory won by a celebrity is a damaging thing in the longer term?

 

[DexterTCN]

Yup.

Can you not see how a victory won by a group being painted as a victory won by a celebrity is a damaging thing in the longer term?

The residents keep their houses. That's what I see. And of course all the publicity means that other people in similar situations can organise and have a better chance of positive outcomes.

 

[chilango]

The residents keep their houses.

Which is good.

And of course all the publicity means that other people in similar situations can organise and have a better chance of positive outcomes.

Does it mean that?

...or does it mean, if this ends up being spun as a victory for Brand, that;

a) Campaigns without the blessing/presence of Brand will feel disempowered?

b) will see courting celebrities and/or media attention as the most viable tactic (when in fact it isn't) to the detriment of other more effective strategies.

c) At some point in the future Brand will get bored and fuck off, leaving those that were relying upon his grace to win high and dry.

d) Some other campaign in the future gets the Brand seal only to find that this is when the media decide to reel out all of Brand's unsavoury links, mates and quote thus tarring the campaign with the indelible taint of anti-semtism, conspiralunacy or misogeny.

 

[Anudder Oik]

Yup.

Can you not see how a victory won by a group being painted as a victory won by a celebrity is a damaging thing in the longer term?

The right wing press is designed to damage and curtail opposition to the system, so we cannot expect anything other than that. It seems people's opinions in this thread have been conditioned by this fact into being overly defensive and pessimistic.

Now we have a situation whereby in order to attack Brand the press must bring attention to the campaigns he is highlighting and imo this creates interest in his answers and also in those very campaigns. It puts activism higher up on the agenda. The damage doesn't necessarily have to be one way.

Do people here really think that if Brand doesn't make an appearance at a campaign it will flounder?

There has just been a victory of a campaign which should lead to more people feeling that their own campaigns can advance. Given the fact that there is a massive vacuum on the left, publicity that gives oxygen to such campaigns and possibly encourages them to link up is not a bad thing.

I'll ask again. How can this alleged damage (caused by Brand) be measured?

 

[gosub]

The key activists considered him an asset.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Capitalists, eh? It's almost like they're turning rebellion into money...

They've got Burton suits. You think it's funny?

 

[Pickman's model]

The key activists considered him an asset.

i don't think many people would consider him an asset. i'm sure the police and mi5 have much better assets within the various groups on the left and local campaigns.

 

[ViolentPanda]

walking down cecil court earlier i saw 'revolution' in the window of watkins books, the famous esoterick booksellers.

Well, Brand does preach a form of spirituality, when all is said and done.

 

[ViolentPanda]

I thought what was being discussed here was how bad Brand was for the causes he supports?

No, it's what effect he has, and whether that effect is beneficial or not.

 

[ViolentPanda]

The right wing press is designed to damage and curtail opposition to the system...

More accurately, to the system that the right wing favours, otherwise they're happy as pigs in shit to be opposed to "the system".

 

[brogdale]

They've got Burton suits. You think it's funny?

If Adolf Hitler flew in today...

 

[chilango]

I'll ask again. How can this alleged damage (caused by Brand) be measured?

History will be the judge of that.

 

[treelover]

'Raise the roof for Housing' Left Unity Housing Conference in Liverpool in March, wonder if Brand will turn up?

 

[treelover]

that's a revolting article. It made me quite cross.

It does look like Brand is becoming the story, though I would still like it if he turned his fire on Duncan Smith and the deaths/suicides as a consequence of the benefit cuts.

I imagine the disabled people of our country who have been hit with £6bn of benefit cuts during the period that RBS received £46bn of public bail-out money feel similarly cheesed off.

Ah, he has begun to in his reply to 'Jo', can't imagine Vanessa or Tariq highlighting such basic issues..

 

[Pickman's model]

History will be the judge of that.

i doubt it will absolve him

 

[treelover]

On his website it say all net profits from his book, will go to good causes(unspecified) can't argue with that.

I was there with filmmaker Michael Winterbottom making a documentary about how the economic crises caused by the banking industry (RBS were found guilty of rigging Libor and the foreign exchange) has led to an economic attack on the most vulnerable people in society.

Now I’ll be the first to admit your lunch has been an unwitting casualty in this well-intentioned quest but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to ask new RBS boss Ross McEwan if he thinks it’s right that he got a £3.2m “golden hello” when the RBS is sellotaped together with money that comes from everyone else’s taxes. I wonder what he would’ve said? Or whether it’s right that Fred “the shred” (he shredded evidence of impropriety) Goodwin gets to keep his £320k a year pension while disabled people have had their independent living fund scrapped.

Btw, its Winterbottom who is directing his doc, heavy hitter.Whatever his faults I find it fascinating and heartening he has chosen to focus on very basic issues, housing, benefits, etc, not the usual causes for celebs', and I suspect he will be funding worthwhile grassroots groups like Rob Newman did.

 

[butchersapron]

On his website it say all net profits from his book, will go to good causes(unspecified) can't argue with that.

What does he actually say?

 

[Buckaroo]

The FT as well ffs.

View attachment 65293

Banking. Housing. Buildings and loans. Poundshop George Bailey. Merry Christmas to everyone in Pottersville!

 

[DexterTCN]

Which is good.



Does it mean that? (snip)

...or does it mean, if this ends up being spun as a victory for Brand, that;... Some other campaign in the future gets the Brand seal only to find that this is when the media decide to reel out all of Brand's unsavoury links, mates and quote thus tarring the campaign with the indelible taint of anti-semtism, conspiralunacy or misogeny.

You mean like urban is?

Urban was doing that during this campaign, wasn't it?

Urban was throwing all that shit to tar him during the campaign to keep those people in their houses, yeah?

 

[butchersapron]

You mean like urban is?

Urban was doing that during this campaign, wasn't it?

Urban was throwing all that shit to tar him during the campaign to keep those people in their houses, yeah?

What is urban? And no, no one was tying any campaigns to any such things. This is where you show that 'urban' was. Or where you say that you don't respond to people who bring up your past.

 

[butchersapron]

The right wing press is designed to damage and curtail opposition to the system, so we cannot expect anything other than that. It seems people's opinions in this thread have been conditioned by this fact into being overly defensive and pessimistic.

Now we have a situation whereby in order to attack Brand the press must bring attention to the campaigns he is highlighting and imo this creates interest in his answers and also in those very campaigns. It puts activism higher up on the agenda. The damage doesn't necessarily have to be one way.

Do people here really think that if Brand doesn't make an appearance at a campaign it will flounder?

There has just been a victory of a campaign which should lead to more people feeling that their own campaigns can advance. Given the fact that there is a massive vacuum on the left, publicity that gives oxygen to such campaigns and possibly encourages them to link up is not a bad thing.

I'll ask again. How can this alleged damage (caused by Brand) be measured?

If it can't be measured then it can't happen. Listen to yourself. Measure me anything of this. FFS. How did you measure that?

 

[Cheesypoof]

If it can't be measured then it can't happen. Listen to yourself. Measure me anything of this. FFS. How did you measure that?

Apart from acting like a prick on here and shouting down others ideas, have you devised any manifestos of your own?

if so, we'd love to hear them.

 

[butchersapron]

Apart from acting like a prick on here and shouting down others ideas, have you devised any manifestos of your own?

if so, we'd love to hear them.

Have you ever been involved in a collective political project the cheese one? I'd guess not.