Brand v Paxman

[Seagull kimchi]

No they don't. Are you expecting me to argue against that point? What do you suggest we do with them?

So you're not the cure then...disappointing.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Brand would have you believe revolution is around the corner, but I don't see any evidence to suggest UK politicians are making much of a difference to our lives. All 3 main parties have been in government in recent times and I can't say my life has really been affected by whether Labour or Tory are in power.

As for the underclass, is this the underclass with the iPhones and widescreen TVs that are better than mine, the underclass with better trainers than mine, the ones that are too lazy to seek work so get Eastern Europe to do it for them?

Yes there are problems and yes there is apathy but it is apathy partly borne by things being so comfortable for so long. In fact things are so comfortable some people go out of their way to find some non-story to get worked up about.

In terms of "the underclass", I think you need to get a grip on reality.

 

[beorhthelm]

K

Not proven no. But there is some interesting theories. Understanding of autism is in its infancy, to rule any links out at such an early stage is folly.

not understanding autism itself but there have been bonkers numbers of studies on the MMR/autism link, following Wakefields claim (i will note a claim that he didnt even make at first, others interprted and he went along with). there's no verifiable causual link found, every study that shows their might be a statistical link is found to be unrepeatable or flawed. i recall is stat that more have autism that have not had the MMR, than those that did (accounting for the period the MMR was available and widespread). i do know that the MMR doesnt even contain mercury anymore, which as one of the supposed triggers for the link.

 

[Nibble]

So you're not the cure then...disappointing.

Nice. Didn't think you'd have an answer. Oh and by the way genius, people's signatures don't necessarily pertain to every single thing they post. My one was from years ago, a quote from some thread about something I forget. As a device in an argument, it's just about the weakest you could have used.

With minds like yours on the job we can all rest easy I'm sure.

 

[beorhthelm]

totally this.

It's a head off between the economy, solar flare, and meteors (comet isons tail), fun times ahead, and the sleepy masses who still sit in front of the bbc believing the illusion of labor v tory will be caught cold.

The elite might even be "killing the dollar" deliberately, and may bring britcoin out of the martial law madness that will ensue. Plenty of memes, plenty of trajectories, one thing is for sure - impermanence is king.

Bingo!

 

[Husty]

K

Not proven no. But there is some interesting theories. Understanding of autism is in its infancy, to rule any links out at such an early stage is folly.

Interesting theories Like all those interesting theories about homeopathy.

I have several interesting theories about you personally, but im not going masquerading them as facts.

 

[Seagull kimchi]

Nice. Didn't think you'd have an answer. Oh and by the way genius, people's signatures don't necessarily pertain to every single thing they post. My one was from years ago, a quote from some thread about something I forget. As a device in an argument, it's just about the weakest you could have used.

With minds like yours on the job we can all rest easy I'm sure.

Grow a humour gland fellow seagull!!! It was a cheap shot - but it was there for the taking! A solution, yes arrest them and make them hang with Tommy the sex offender for a week to see if they still feel it's ok to rob and cheat us just because they hold a position of power.

 

[Nibble]

If Brand wishes to gain real credibility and make a tangible difference then he should not reject our current political system, he should get involved and change it for the better.

The only other alternative is for him to come up with a perfect utopian political solution that will supersede democracy and solve humanity's problems at a stroke. Seeing as that challenge has proven too much for every political philosopher in human history, it's safe to say that's a pretty big ask.


With that I bid you a fine farewell.

 

[Seagull kimchi]

If Brand wishes to gain real credibility and make a tangible difference then he should not reject our current political system, he should get involved and change it for the better.

The only other alternative is for him to come up with a perfect utopian political solution that will supersede democracy and solve humanity's problems at a stroke. Seeing as that challenge has proven too much for every political philosopher in human history, it's safe to say that's a pretty big ask.


With that I bid you a fine farewell.

Fair point - and he could also just raise some awareness about some glaring disparities in society to a lot of young impressionable people - which he did quite well.

 

[Nibble]

Oh, just popped back to say don't forget the option of course that this could be the last political system we ever see on earth. Instead of revolution we could of course all be atomised by nutjobs rather than be swimming through the Matrix with unicorns n stuff.

 

[Leighgull]

Most of you revolutionaries are just the kept wanting to be the keeper .

Which is, inevitably, why all Empires fall in the end.

 

[Seagull kimchi]

I would so love to be swimming with unicorns right now.

However, First things first - can we get a point from Watford?

 

[beorhthelm]

Capitalism is the problem that democracy is failing to fix.

you say this, meanwhile the largest nation has move from economic communism to capitalism to solve alot of its problems.

 

[symyjym]

I don't agree with the man - I agree with the message.

Yep I agree with this.

Edit = Apart from the not voting

 

[brightonrock]

Brand is advocating the passive protest of refusing to contribute to democracy, to try and change capitalism. I disagree as (a) its too extreme, and (b) its unworkable. As you point out though, the Ancient Greek version of democracy was similar to jury duty now - it was a mandatory responsibility as a citizen, a duty you couldn't duck out of - if the ballot drew your name, it was your turn to propose/vote on new laws. As you say Mustafa, unworkable in modern times, but an example of a variation of the same theme of democracy and 'everyone having their say'. I'm glad this sort of thing is in the public domain more - the mainstream parties have gotten hugely complacent, IMO, and assume 'the masses' have no will or right to question the existing structure. I don't think a revolution is coming in the purest sense, but over the next few years I think we could well see a shift towards the PR system of political appointment, because no single party is trusted on a big enough scale to win a FPTP majority. Maybe the next generation, in this modern era, will be bring about more change, and about time it was properly discussed too.

 

[symyjym]

I disagree with this bit. I think Jonathon Ross was in the wrong with the Sachs call, Brand didn't actually say that much of offence.

Well he did sing down the phone about having sex with his grand daughter, I didn't hear JR say that. A childish prank on both parts but Brand takes it one step further.

 

[Mellotron]

Well he did sing down the phone about having sex with his grand daughter, I didn't hear JR say that. A childish prank on both parts but Brand takes it one step further.

Nowhere near as bad when taken in the context of the show rather than as a standalone moment. A silly thing to do sure but the size of scandal compared to offence caused was utterly ****ing mental. All driven by the Daily Mail - a drug addict who has recovered and made something of himself is the exact opposite of what the Daily Mail stand for.

 

[The Truth]

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/10/russell-brand-on-revolution

 

[symyjym]

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/10/russell-brand-on-revolution

So what does he mean when he says;

Hear you this, regular New Statesman reader, browsing with irritation that the culture of celebrity has just banjoed the arse of another sacred cow and a Halloween-haired, Sachsgate-enacting, estuary-whining, glitter-lacquered, priapic berk has been undeservedly hoisted upon another cultural plinth, but – young people, poor people, not-rich people, most people do not give a **** about politics.

Why can't he just say "young people, poor people, not-rich people, most people do not give a **** about politics."?

If he spoke proper English it would help, instead of stamiping his inane Brandlisms all over it.

 

[Guinness Boy]

The change of localisation i.e. Transition Towns is a major step forward to sustainability in my humble view, this is the sort of panacea that would be very useful. The world has 5 million farmers, it probably needs 50 million: we need to go back to the land and I'm not talking about hippy communes. Make no mistake, there is a reason why the price of petrol has increased five fold in the last decade and that the Energy Companies are struggling despite making a vast profit.

Back to the land? That's exactly what starved China during the Great Leap Forward and Cultrsl Revolution. Starved because suddenly doctors and lawyers and intellectuals were sent to farms to be not very good farmers producing not very good food.

The idea that there is some sort of panacea or global system that would solve the problems you see is also pretty stupid. Different regions, territories, countries will inevitably have different systems. If there won't be a revolution here there certainly won't be a global one. Different systems SUIT different countries. I like Liberal Democracy just fine but I don't think it's necessarily suitable for a tribal society like Afghanistan (I suspect you and I would agree on the stupid wars we've been fighting using terror as a smoke screen for cultural imperialism). Again using China as an example it probably needs authoritative dictatorship to hold such a huge place together. The alternative is probably the US model of States rather than the UK system.

To think there's a global panacea based on localism and farming is just barking.