Russell Brand writes a good piece involving Caroline Lucas

[Tricky Dicky]

So, what are you saying ? Brand did poogate ? Blimey, that's a turn up.

Seriously quite an interesting, if verbose piece, but then I guess he has to fill a cloumn.

 

[Spider]

The Russell Brand podcasts are still some of the funniest things I've ever heard. If you think you don't like Brand (and he definetely comes across as a knob a lot of the time) then seek them out.

 

[willalbion]

Signed.

 

[Adam Virgo's Shirt]

I love the way he writes!

 

[The Stout Yeoman]

The lady herself ....http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22875243

 

[fataddick]

The lady herself ....http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22875243

Good stuff. Even the most fleck-spittled green-basher on here will have to doff their cap to her over this. Good politicing.

 

[sten_super]

I've got nothing in particular against Russell Brand, but good lord how can you say that's a good piece of writing? He takes in excess of 1,800 words when his actual message is less than 300! The below is quoted verbatim (otherwise it could be cut down to about 3 sentences).

The reason I was in Parliament to meet Caroline Lucas, a person who is there, oddly, for the stated function of the place – to represent us, is because she is proposing that the government investigate the efficacy of their current drug policy. The prohibition of narcotics, the criminalisation of addicts, the prescription of methadone and the demonisation of people in the grips of an illness. Of this I can speak first hand. In all my years as a junkie I never encountered an addict who was persuaded to stop using by their drug’s legal status. “What?! This is illegal? Oh no! I’ve been taking it EVERYDAY!!!” Drug addicts don’t care that drugs are illegal, it’s irrelevant. If you’re addicted to drugs, you are going to get drugs at any cost. This is not a moral quandary but a physical necessity. My belief is that the only way to help drug addicts is to get them off drugs and to help them stay clean one day at a time. It is a lot harder to do this if they are regarded as degenerate from the get go. It skews our perspective. But what do I know? Perhaps what the government is doing is working, a thorough study will reveal how effective current drug policy is. That is what Caroline Lucas is proposing, I’m advocating and I am asking you to support. Let’s look at the evidence and then see what we should do. If we get 100,000 signatures on this online survey http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/45969 then Caroline can push it in the House Of Commons.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Russell Brand is an incredibly erudite, intelligent bloke.

Exactly. Brilliant writer. Shame his talent is being wasted in Hollywood.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I've got nothing in particular against Russell Brand, but good lord how can you say that's a good piece of writing? He takes in excess of 1,800 words when his actual message is less than 300! The below is quoted verbatim (otherwise it could be cut down to about 3 sentences).

I think Russell Brand is a total idiot for some of the things he has said and done in the past, but I can QUITE EASILY say that this is a good bit of writing. He makes some very good points, it is intelligently and well argued and it is entertainingly written. I read it when it first appeared in my paper, have just re-read it and have read other things by him recently which I have similarly enjoyed reading.

Yes, you probably could have boiled down what he said to about 5 words - I exaggerate - but you could say the same of War and Peace. I have a heavily literature based Modern Languages degree, I like words and what you can do with them, and so, obviously, does Mr Brand.

 

[sten_super]

I think Russell Brand is a total idiot for some of the things he has said and done in the past, but I can QUITE EASILY say that this is a good bit of writing. He makes some very good points, it is intelligently and well argued and it is entertainingly written. I read it when it first appeared in my paper, have just re-read it and have read other things by him recently which I have similarly enjoyed reading.

Yes, you probably could have boiled down what he said to about 5 words - I exaggerate - but you could say the same of War and Peace. I have a heavily literature based Modern Languages degree, I like words and what you can do with them, and so, obviously, does Mr Brand.

Surely the difference is that War & Peace (or any other lengthy book for that matter) is reading for readings sake, whereas Brand is trying to get a point across? War & Peace is (probably, I've never read it) a fantastically interesting read, and does what it aims to do - but Brand pontificates about nothing in particular for 1500 words before suddenly remembering he had a point to make. I'm happy to accept that we have different perspectives, but in terms of meeting it's aims I don't think that article does it very well at all.

As an aside, I read his piece on Woolwich after posting my first comment - and I think that's a much better piece, primarily because he has a topic and he sticks to writing about it.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Surely the difference is that War & Peace (or any other lengthy book for that matter) is reading for readings sake, whereas Brand is trying to get a point across? War & Peace is (probably, I've never read it) a fantastically interesting read, and does what it aims to do - but Brand pontificates about nothing in particular for 1500 words before suddenly remembering he had a point to make. I'm happy to accept that we have different perspectives, but in terms of meeting it's aims I don't think that article does it very well at all.

As an aside, I read his piece on Woolwich after posting my first comment - and I think that's a much better piece, primarily because he has a topic and he sticks to writing about it.

It's probably, partly, because I agreed with just about everything that he said, so wasn't too worried if he rambled.

 

[Diego Napier]

Surely the difference is that War & Peace (or any other lengthy book for that matter) is reading for readings sake, whereas Brand is trying to get a point across? War & Peace is (probably, I've never read it) a fantastically interesting read, and does what it aims to do - but Brand pontificates about nothing in particular for 1500 words before suddenly remembering he had a point to make. I'm happy to accept that we have different perspectives, but in terms of meeting it's aims I don't think that article does it very well at all.

As an aside, I read his piece on Woolwich after posting my first comment - and I think that's a much better piece, primarily because he has a topic and he sticks to writing about it.

Yep, most columnists do but not many in such an entertaining and erudite fashion.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Surely the difference is that War & Peace (or any other lengthy book for that matter) is reading for readings sake, whereas Brand is trying to get a point across? War & Peace is (probably, I've never read it) a fantastically interesting read, and does what it aims to do - but Brand pontificates about nothing in particular for 1500 words before suddenly remembering he had a point to make. I'm happy to accept that we have different perspectives, but in terms of meeting it's aims I don't think that article does it very well at all.

As an aside, I read his piece on Woolwich after posting my first comment - and I think that's a much better piece, primarily because he has a topic and he sticks to writing about it.

I think you could have got this post done in under 30 words. Just saying.

 

[Dick Head]

I think you could have got this post done in under 30 words. Just saying.

U wot m8?

 

[Doc Lynam]

The lady herself ....http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22875243

Fair play to her.

 

[pastafarian]

Likes to use lots of big words while saying nothing

bloody hell THIS.

sums the bloke up in a nutshell,very articulate when he writes(and has oodles of time to think what he is writing),much less so when he appears on live TV.

there is a massive difference from being articulate and clever.

More worrying is why news channels like RT and CNN have had big interviews with this guy on his current affairs viewpoints in the last few days

Is this wally the best thats on offer? Russel Brands views on Turkey, Woolwich and the secrecy debate in the USA


we are all screwed.

 

[mona]

Regardless of the content, that is a dreadful piece of writing full of empty waffle and meanderings. It proves that Brand's articles in newspapers, which can be amusing, are well edited.