Russell Brand is such a tool

[Comrade Jacob]

But I don't think you need telling.
A week ago he was advocating a "socialistic" revolution, then the Green party then the day after the fucking Labour party!

Tool

[Futility Personified]

I think the issue of tactical voting and a pragmatic approach to bourgeois politics is a pertinent one, but brand has gone through left stages faster than a 12 year old on here after he figures out you can change your tendency.

I'd have more respect for him if he wasn't so soft on miliband. Labour are probably going to be slightly better than the tories (that said the exit poll was pretty damning but the morning will be clearer) but he was just weak. Sure, vote labour to keep the tories out, it is a shit reality that many of us on here judging by some of the polls have decided to play into, but take that fucker to task, let these people know what they are, class traitor motherfuckers who only get the time of the day because they taste less like piss and shit than the other brand.

I'd vote for labour if I was in a seat where they could beat the tories, but holding my nose, as half of their membership must be. Fuck.... even without capitalism, our voting system is ridiculous.

The only true avenue for struggle is through working class attack on the institutions that be, occupy, strike, picket, steal, whatever.... Those feel like empty platitudes at this time, but something has to happen, and something has to change. Western capitalism can lose it's supremacy, it is the will of the market, but waiting for labour to beat the tories is such a depressing way to look forward to a slightly less neo-liberal future.

[The Intransigent Faction]

Someone gave me his book "Revolution", and I gave it a read...There were sympathetic moments where he recalled his struggle with drug addiction and a few valid points which were mostly reiterations of statistics and arguments made elsewhere. Aside from that, however, it was riddled with Transcendental Meditation new-age spiritualist nonsense.

His interview with Paxman was fantastic, but sadly he (sort of) abandoned his "Don't vote" position soon after. He seems to consider Syriza's victory a sign that electoral politics are a legitimate avenue for pseudo-'revolutionary' change after all. When you treat alienation as a spiritual phenomenon and actually rail against "materialism" (understood, albeit not consistently, in the philosophical sense) as its cause, it might be easier to perceive any moderate alteration of the status quo with enough apparent vitality attached to it as revolutionary.

That he cites Gandhi and the Dalai Lama as inspirational figures just further confirms his new-age hippie status, but he deserves some credit for occasional insights. This video comes to mind when I hear his name:

ALEaAAU3KAE

[motion denied]

he's not the hero we want, but the hero we deserve

[Palmares]

he's not the hero we want, but the herow e deserve

dq4aOaDXIfY

[BIXX]

he's not the hero we want, but the hero we deserve
So we'll hate him.

[RA89]

That's not entirely true. He said only people in Brighton Pavilion should vote green. He changed from not voting to labour- so what?

People change their stance. I do think it came late- many people might not have even registered in time if they followed his way initially.

Honestly the guy strikes me as genuine, his heart is in the right place. At least he makes an effort to help people who are getting fucked over.

[The Intransigent Faction]

People change their stance.

No they don't!
...Seriously, way to straw-man with such an abstract statement.

[RA89]

No they don't!
...Seriously, way to straw-man with such an abstract statement.

Would you rather he stuck with his original stance even if he didn't believe in it?

I don't see what is wrong with his explanation of why he shifted. He explained why he didn't want to vote. Then he spoke about how people around him convinced him a Tory gov would be terrible for many poor and vulnerable people- enough that he would be better off trying to influence people into keeping the Tories out.

[Pancakes Rühle]

I half expected him to begin writing for the Weekly Worker after he started promoting Labour.

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

But I don't think you need telling.
A week ago he was advocating a "socialistic" revolution, then the Green party then the day after the fucking Labour party!

Tool

United Frontism. How's that being a tool?

This does lead me to believe that TFU and RB are one and the same. :wub: oh my, the vapors, lol

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

Like them or not, elections are a part of the 'democratic' process in this country and when they are on we should engage with them in some way, even if this does not translate into standing candidates ourselves nor giving full support to an existing party.

[The Intransigent Faction]

A boycott on the basis of democratic illegitimacy is a form of active political engagement. That's not to say it's sufficient on its own.

[John Nada]

Like them or not, elections are a part of the 'democratic' process in this country and when they are on we should engage with them in some way, even if this does not translate into standing candidates ourselves nor giving full support to an existing party.NO! For voting is an abomination in the eyes of Marx(or Bakunin, depending on your religion). He will smite thee, and thy will spend eternity in Hades with Nixon, Reagan, Thatcher and Yeltsin!:ohmy:

I go on a case-by-case bases. But in my case one party wins no matter what. I see Democrats run "left", but then see their voting record, the bills they sponsor, the amendments they add, and the laws passed, they end up like the Republicans when in power. And the districts are so gerrymandered that one party wins all the time no matter what.

Some I've know have talked to some major politicians personally. They either put on an act out of opportunism, or they can't do what they want due to various procedures in place. In the US, the political system, by it's vary nature, favors rightist. And none of the parties are like mass parties one joins. More electioneering tools. Think it's different in other countries.

And it's like torture watching the rhetoric during election season. It turns into a pissing contest over who hates "illegals"(aka Latinos) the most.:mad:
A boycott on the basis of democratic illegitimacy is a form of active political engagement. That's not to say it's sufficient on its own.IMO it needs to be an official organized effort. Otherwise they'll say it's just voter apathy. And since low voter turnout usually means a Republican win in the US, Democrats think more people just need to vote, and the ones who didn't are stupid. Besides, it's not unheard of for less than 50% turnout. Even if no one listens to the call for a boycott, they can still take credit(or blame).:)

[Carlos-Marcos]

Telling people to vote Labour was the right move, shame Brand did that too late.

Better to be realistic and try to keep the Tories out.

Green Party are a total waste of time, that is one seat lost for Labour = 1 more for Tories.

[mushroompizza]

Brand 2edgy4me

He's just some asshole that read one leftie article online and thinks he is a political genius.

[Mr. Piccolo]

Someone gave me his book "Revolution", and I gave it a read...There were sympathetic moments where he recalled his struggle with drug addiction and a few valid points which were mostly reiterations of statistics and arguments made elsewhere. Aside from that, however, it was riddled with Transcendental Meditation new-age spiritualist nonsense.

His interview with Paxman was fantastic, but sadly he (sort of) abandoned his "Don't vote" position soon after. He seems to consider Syriza's victory a sign that electoral politics are a legitimate avenue for pseudo-'revolutionary' change after all. When you treat alienation as a spiritual phenomenon and actually rail against "materialism" (understood, albeit not consistently, in the philosophical sense) as its cause, it might be easier to perceive any moderate alteration of the status quo with enough apparent vitality attached to it as revolutionary.

That he cites Gandhi and the Dalai Lama as inspirational figures just further confirms his new-age hippie status, but he deserves some credit for occasional insights. This video comes to mind when I hear his name:

ALEaAAU3KAE

This seems to be a common theme with many rich Leftists. They probably experience the alienation of living in a capitalist society at a different level which is more akin to ennui. The reality for the vast majority of workers is much more brutal.

[RA89]

Russell Brand comes across as very genuine imo. You should watch his "Trews" videos. He's probably done more to raise class consciousness than anyone here or anywhere else in the last few years.

[The_Southern_Leftist]

I did not even know that Russel Brand considered himself a leftist until recently:laugh:

[Anglo-Saxon Philistine]

Russell Brand comes across as very genuine imo. You should watch his "Trews" videos. He's probably done more to raise class consciousness than anyone here or anywhere else in the last few years.

I think some people here have a very odd view of class consciousness.

Class consciousness is gained through struggle against capitalism and the active intervention of a communist minority into that struggle. It would be a very strange consciousness that could be brought by some rich toff telling people they should vote Labour.

[RA89]

I think some people here have a very odd view of class consciousness.

Class consciousness is gained through struggle against capitalism and the active intervention of a communist minority into that struggle. It would be a very strange consciousness that could be brought by some rich toff telling people they should vote Labour.

This post is the same as someone coming here calling everyone champagne socialists.

Watch his videos. Just because he doesn't use the words "communism" doesn't make it any less valid.

Brand has said himself Labour wouldn't have been much better, but it was worth trying to get rid of the Tories which is perfectly fair.

[BIXX]

This post is the same as someone coming here calling everyone champagne socialists.

Watch his videos. Just because he doesn't use the words "communism" doesn't make it any less valid.

Brand has said himself Labour wouldn't have been much better, but it was worth trying to get rid of the Tories which is perfectly fair.

True, but that's not what's going onneith RB is it? He's promoting noncommunist (and anti-communist) measures in the name of social reform.

I find my agreement with 870 disturbing.

[Anglo-Saxon Philistine]

This post is the same as someone coming here calling everyone champagne socialists.

Watch his videos. Just because he doesn't use the words "communism" doesn't make it any less valid.

Brand has said himself Labour wouldn't have been much better, but it was worth trying to get rid of the Tories which is perfectly fair.

Here's an interesting thing: if Brand were an actual communist, but did not use the term "communism" and tried to pass himself off as something else, this would mean he is willfully misleading people (and "Communists disdain to conceal their aims" and all that). But he's not. He calls for a "spiritual revolution" and a Labour government. I did watch his videos. They were bad.

And of course, calling on the working class to vote Labour is a ritual for the British fake left. At this point, the workers aren't really buying it. If capitalism survives another century, the political descendants of these people are going to be voting for Labour "without illusions" decades after the last worker has cast a ballot.

[Decolonize The Left]

Brand is, like all celebrities, an exchangeable commodity sign. His words are likewise.

[Bee]

We live in a world where Russell brand gets more recognition on the political left than heroically indispensable Marxist thinkers.

[The Intransigent Faction]

Russell Brand comes across as very genuine imo. You should watch his "Trews" videos. He's probably done more to raise class consciousness than anyone here or anywhere else in the last few years.

I've not only watch several of his "Trews" videos but have also read one of his books, and whether or not he's "genuine" isn't the issue. Thatcher was a genuine reactionary, but being genuine didn't make that commendable.

So, unless you can actually put up an argument for his inconsistent electoralism based upon New Age mysticism as somehow being preferable to materialism and socialism, find another thread instead of filling this one with straw-men and ad-hominems. :)

[consuming negativity]

maybe they put a gun to his head and made him recant the revolutionary shit because he said it without permission

or, more likely, convinced him that it would be better for whatever he is to appeal to more mainstream persons

or even more likely, he's just baked as fuck and doesn't really know what he's saying half the time, and you should really catch him sober

no but seriously he's way better than [insert senate and house of representatives here] and frankly the inability to see the good for the bad on this site annoys me

[Jacky Hearts]

I think the underlying advantage of Russell Brand is, in spite of his ideological 'hodge podge' (love that phrase), he at least raises an interest within people about politics and about alternative approaches to politics, such as grass roots, localised activities. I don't like the guy but I'd rather him be there than not be there.

[Hit The North]

At least he's parroting our ideas rather than reactionary, neo-liberal, nationalism. We have enough twats in the British media doing that.

I don't mind him because he winds people up and when he first came out and asked what's the point in voting he struck a chord with layers of disillusioned students who had been betrayed by the Lib Dems who they voted for in their tens of thousands. He was the first media figure to articulate this feeling and his solution was to become an activist instead of a voter. So far, so good.

Of course, the limitations of his political position and his privileged, individualistic vantage point were exposed when he belatedly called for a Labour vote because he'd had a meeting with Miliband and became, in stark contrast to millions of workers, a convert to the cause of Milifandom.

But revolutionaries don't make a fetish of voting or not-voting and his public questioning of how representative representative-democracy actually is, remains an important question.

Nearly one-third of the electorate - predominantly young and/or working class - tacitly agree with Grant and they didn't bother to vote. The Tories, who were roundly defeated in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, won a working majority on something like 25% of the electorate.

[IrishAnarchist]

I also think he is a tool. But I like the fact that he is talking about how shite the system is. People out there would listen to him just because of who he is, so I think he has some use lol :lol: :lol: :lol:

[ChangeAndChance]

Skip to 4:00 and look at this shit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWZMCWQLqj0

#Love the Police: the stupid is just too much to deal with.
He has absolutely no understanding of the police's primary role as protectors of private property and the bourgeoisie.
No matter what anyone says, he is a liberal through and fucking through.

[Zoop]

Skip to 4:00 and look at this shit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWZMCWQLqj0

#Love the Police: the stupid is just too much to deal with.
He has absolutely no understanding of the police's primary role as protectors of private property and the bourgeoisie.
No matter what anyone says, he is a liberal through and fucking through.

"We should come together in public spaces and noisily, loudly, creatively protest for the rights of the police."

:glare:

[Os Cangaceiros]

He represents my beliefs about as well as a aged, burnt-out hippy with a cannabis headband, furtively sucking on a joint and talking about the healing power of crystals.

[human strike]

When did everyone forget about that time he slut-shamed a young woman on a national radio show with millions of listeners and then harassed and taunted her elderly grandfather bragging about how he slept with her? I guess we collectively decided all is forgiven and he is now our spiritual leader (or at least the People's Assembly did).

Also, what kind of a prick does he think he is telling Black and Asian youth they should "love the police?" Someone seriously has to stop this man. "Is it their fault they've become henchmen for the establishment?" Of course it fucking is! "Oh, it seems I've accidentally become the guard dog of capitalist white supremacy. Fiddlesticks! I guess I'll just have to wait for some hippies to protest for me so I can stop being a henchman." And wtf is he talking about, "Situationism... is about the creation of spectacles." Erm, no it wasn't? Arghhh

[mushroompizza]

Hes a hindu too, how can you believe in racial discrimination and anarcho-communism?

[happy]

He was pretty redpilled before, but something changed him lately.
I guess the drugs that he abused in his childhood work their magic