Brand v Paxman

[beorhthelm]

sorry, are people taking Brand seriously? or more the point, do you think Paxman was? Brand is a comedian with a long history of anti-establishment views, the interview ran like any other interveiw with a artist, actor, director type figure, who have something to say a bit beyond their latest work. i like Brand and his comedy, but he's hardly setting the world alight with progressive political thinking is he? when challenged with the most basic question "whats your alternative" Brand had nothing.

and he's wrong anyway, there isnt about to be a revolution. a passing interest in history will tell you there have been far harder times (in living memory) and we've not had a revolution, even the civil war left the social and political structures intact. we have instead evolved over decades and centuries. he mentioned Occupy movment and that rather illustrates the point - where are they now? a fad idea for a society that gets bored of an idea in a week or two. there is no fervor for revolution.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I think his wife Jo is more funnier and also more political - good pair them two ....

 

[BadFish]

So you're convinced Bradley Manning is a liar and Cameron and Obama are telling the truth? Well thats only what you believe. But you can't be sure? you only get this info from print or tv? You don't know these people and you don't experience the war at first hand. So surely I could say, you too may be making up lies? (I'm only basing it on your lie theory) I personally think that the world we live in right now is stuck in the middle of honesty and lies. It's no ones fault for believing the wrong thing in todays world, it's the people who manipulate them who are the problem.

it is the people who lack the media literacy to spot lies when they see them and then spread those lies around the internet that are also a problem.

 

[somerset]

So you're convinced Bradley Manning is a liar ........

Bradley Manning ( aka Chelsea Manning) is simply a government employee who broke both the law and his contract of employment by placing sensitive and embargoed information into the public domain, its that simple on the most basic of levels. Questions about the rights or wrongs of the issues and incidents revealed in these documents are, in these types of discussions, red herrings, the information was restricted by the current laws of the country or countries affected. Pick out specific information from those documents and discuss them by all means, but any mitigation from Manning about his 'noble' reasons for their release are surely just a smoke screen.

 

[Nibble]

it is the people who lack the media literacy to spot lies when they see them and then spread those lies around the internet that are also a problem.

Direct hit.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I like Brand and I think he articulates his views very well and they do at least provide a start point for a debate, even if you disagree with them.

Personally I disagree with not voting, the fewer voters that politicians have to worry about the easier their job is as they only have to appeal to the views of the few and not the many. I would be in favour in a "none of the above" option on the ballot so that the disenfranchised can actually be counted and the regular pols can be held to some sort of account.

At the moment the fate of the country is in the hands of a very small minority of eligible voters and that is one of the reasons our 'democracy' is so broken. Maybe brand should take another look at Brewsters Millions and get inspired.

 

[Nibble]

Wasn't Bradley Manning the ruddy cheeked ginge from 'Enders who got flattened by a car one Chrimbo? What the hell has he been doing now?

 

[The Truth]

it is the people who lack the media literacy to spot lies when they see them and then spread those lies around the internet that are also a problem.

So what's your angle on the different religions in our society and how they preach out? Do you think they are all intentionally trying to spread lies? Fair play, one of them may be correct for all I know, but the rest must be telling lies then Badfish? Have these people all failed their media literacy to spot lies too ?

 

[BadFish]

So what's your angle on the different religions in our society and how they preach out? Do you think they are all intentionally trying to spread lies? Fair play, one of them may be correct for all I know, but the rest must be telling lies then Badfish? Have these people all failed their media literacy and ability to spot lies too ?

So you are suggesting that you are deluded rather than lying. I suppose I can live with that definition. It really depends on your definition of a lie. Does it need to be intentional ? I suppose it does.

Blimey I really shoudl have put 'discuss' on the end.

 

[brightn'ove]

As a 3rd year politics student, I will also not be voting at the next election [not exactly true, i will spoil my ballot]. I partly agree with Brand in that voting means that you accept the system as it is, but I can't agree with his revolutionary views. Change has to be progressive and revolution isn't the way to go. People dying is not the way to solve the crisis of humanity, it is just replacing one murderous amoral ideology with another. People often say that if you don't vote you don't have any right to have a view on politics, which in my opinion is absolute bollocks; not voting is not a display of apathy (although, obviously in some cases it is), it is showing that you're dissatisfied with current options and believe that you cannot be represented. I don't agree with any of the main parties on the key issues, nor any of the periphery, why should I sign them into power?

I've found especially that academic politics is a self-perpetuating cycle of pointless arguments which serve absolutely no purpose to the reality of politics. Very rarely does a philosopher or a political scientist actually attempt to make any sort of impact on the real world of politics.

 

[Nibble]

Sorry The Truth, not personal but I'm for one am not particularly happy to see you back on here. Every potentially interesting thread, with your appearance, descends into you blathering on about mainstream media and what YOU believe in. It's always the same beliefs, always the same rhetoric, always the same agenda. It's incredibly dull and ruins threads for those that cannot be bothered to engage with you.

 

[The Truth]

So you are suggesting that you are deluded rather than lying. I suppose I can live with that definition. It really depends on your definition of a lie. Does it need to be intentional ? I suppose it does.

Nope, I said:

So what's your angle on the different religions in our society and how they preach out? Do you think they are all intentionally trying to spread lies? Fair play, one of them may be correct for all I know, but the rest must be telling lies then Badfish? Have these people all failed their media literacy to spot lies too ?

It's Questions, I've said nothing about myself and yet you think people who lack media literacy are a danger to others!?

Any chance of answering the question Teacher?

 

[BadFish]

Sorry The Truth, not personal but I'm for one am not particularly happy to see you back on here. Every potentially interesting thread, with your appearance, descends into you blathering on about mainstream media and what YOU believe in. It's always the same beliefs, always the same rhetoric, always the same agenda. It's incredibly dull and ruins threads for those that cannot be bothered to engage with you.

My apologies for engaging I broke my golden rule

and it wasn't 'never get involved in a land war in Asia"

 

[BadFish]

Nope, I said:

So what's your angle on the different religions in our society and how they preach out? Do you think they are all intentionally trying to spread lies? Fair play, one of them may be correct for all I know, but the rest must be telling lies then Badfish? Have these people all failed their media literacy to spot lies too ?

It's Questions, I've said nothing about myself and yet you think people who lack media literacy are a danger to others!?

Any chance of answering the question Teacher?

Nah, I am done.

 

[somerset]

As a 3rd year politics student, I will also not be voting at the next election [not exactly true, i will spoil my ballot]. I partly agree with Brand in that voting means that you accept the system as it is, but I can't agree with his revolutionary views. Change has to be progressive and revolution isn't the way to go. People dying is not the way to solve the crisis of humanity, it is just replacing one murderous amoral ideology with another. People often say that if you don't vote you don't have any right to have a view on politics, which in my opinion is absolute bollocks; not voting is not a display of apathy (although, obviously in some cases it is), it is showing that you're dissatisfied with current options and believe that you cannot be represented. I don't agree with any of the main parties on the key issues, nor any of the periphery, why should I sign them into power?

But by the laws of this country, and the parameters of this democratic structure, you have the right and ability to challenge that system, the right and ability to voice objections, the right to vote for someone who does fulfil by manifesto and conviction, your view of how the system should work. I think what you are really saying can be illustrated best by the 'its my ball, so I am taking it home' analogy.... if you cant have what you want, nobody can.... but that's just my view.

NB: A revolutionary action/reaction should surely be motivated by a conviction, and also have and objective and an achievable outcome,... not voting says nothing, achieves nothing and has in fact played into the hands of those who you wish to challenge.

 

[KZNSeagull]

As a 3rd year politics student, I will also not be voting at the next election [not exactly true, i will spoil my ballot]. I partly agree with Brand in that voting means that you accept the system as it is, but I can't agree with his revolutionary views. Change has to be progressive and revolution isn't the way to go. People dying is not the way to solve the crisis of humanity, it is just replacing one murderous amoral ideology with another. People often say that if you don't vote you don't have any right to have a view on politics, which in my opinion is absolute bollocks; not voting is not a display of apathy (although, obviously in some cases it is), it is showing that you're dissatisfied with current options and believe that you cannot be represented. I don't agree with any of the main parties on the key issues, nor any of the periphery, why should I sign them into power?

I can understand this point of view.

The thing is, if you, Brand or whoever are not going to come up with an alternative, then this "call for a revolution" sounds hollow and ridiculous. All this comes across as is "I do not agree with the options we currently have to vote for, but I cannot be bothered to come up with an alternative, so let's just smash it up".

Millions of people across the globe have died for the right to vote and he just cannot be bothered with it as he has no-one to vote for. So I say, find all these other people who agree with him, come up with that alternative, form a political party to run in the elections and get people to vote for you. If people are as disenfranchised as he says, his new party/movement, whatever he wants to call it, will win easily.

 

[Nibble]

Personally anyone that goes on telly trying to flog his tour tickets and his Christmas comedy DVD by dressing it up as revolution then tells me how to vote can feck off. He's a prick.

 

[The Truth]

Nah, I am done.

Major fail there then? I thought you knew everything which was true and not true. But then again, you used to go around pretending to be a teacher!?

 

[The Truth]

Sorry The Truth, not personal but I'm for one am not particularly happy to see you back on here. Every potentially interesting thread, with your appearance, descends into you blathering on about mainstream media and what YOU believe in. It's always the same beliefs, always the same rhetoric, always the same agenda. It's incredibly dull and ruins threads for those that cannot be bothered to engage with you.

So why are you writing to me? I don't just randomly start chatting to you? Can't you just ignore me or block me from your mind or do something other than type to me? Ever thought about trying some yoga or eating some soya beans or something which seems a bit different? 45 minute jogs do wonders for the mind, give it a go, it'll beat reading every single one of my dull and boring, same old shitty post hey Nibble? I don't know why you torture yourself?

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Okay, I read the posts first before then listening to the clip.

Classic, outspoken nonconformist. I don't like what we have, but I don't know what to do to improve it.
Not voting does NOT send the right message. The answer is to create your own political party and convince the majority to vote for you. Trouble is, if you can't create a manifesto of your intended plans, no one [with any sense] will vote for you.

Big mouth claptrap.