Best/Worse political speeches...

[RedGeorge]

Both of mine occured at an A-level politics conference I went to in London yesterday. Best was George Galloway, spoke brilliantly in my opinion. He got the best reception of the day (apart from a few booing pro-war arseholes), and his speech was just incredible, so full of passion and honesty. He talked about how imperialism and capitalism have put the world in the place it is today (i.e. falling apart), and he made a number of startling points about the current conflict in Iraq. One example:

He said how recently politicians and members of the monarchy had gotten together in London to pay their respects to the 55 (I think) people who were killed in the 7th of July bomb attacks. This, of course, recieved blanket media coverage, as it should. However, also recently American bombs killed 45 women and children in Baghdad, and have we heard about it? Have we shit. He made the point that all human life is equal, and yet in this and many other cases it is not seen as that way.

It was just such a great speech, shown in the huge round of applause we all gave him. Top stuff, the adrenaline was pumping by the time he had finished.

At the complete oppoiste end of the scale we have Geoff Hoon, who came across as a complete wanker, basically. One person stood up and told him that they knew soldiers who had fought in Iraq who had told them that they didn't have enough ammunition/supplies when they went over. Hoon began his answer "Well, If you will believe such Daily Mail propaganda.." before the guy interrupted him to say again that soldiers had personally told him this. But Hooney wouldn't listen. Seeing this soulless, lying hypocrite on stage made me wonder again if the reason that all New Labour MPs come across as such a bunch of tits is because they have no philosophy or ideology to back up the shit that spews out of their mouths. Hmm.

So, the best speech I' ve ever heard has come from Galloway; the worst from Geoff Hooney. What are the experiences of other comrades?

[RedStarOverChina]

I attended a news conference where Canada's Minister of Multiculturalism answers questions regarding compensations for families of Chinese railway workers.
The minister himself could not explain what multiculturalism means, and tries to make the claim that those families do not want compensations from the government.

Apparently the role of the "minister of multiculturalism" serves only to represent the interest of the government among the people, not the other way around. No wonder understanding multiculturalism is not a part of his agenda.

[kingbee]

galloway is a great orator. having not heard him in person, i can only say that his debate against hitchens, or his defence in the senate are the best speeches i have heard.

[Intifada]

I saw Galloway on his "Audience with George Galloway" tour in the local Music Hall.

He is a fantastic public speaker, no matter how much one may disagree with his views.

[rebelworker]

For the worst I once got into a argument with paul Martin(then economics minister) he tried to convine me that the two rusty deisel subs we had just bought from the UK would be used to patroll the arctic for polluters.

On a high note two speakers come to mind.
The first time I saw splitting the sky(former AIM member and gustafesen lake defender) he was increadible. He had barely survived the storming of attica prison and had also nearly lost his life against the Canadian millitary attack in BC.

Unfortunately he has gone a bit over the edge and the last time I saw him he was going off about phsycho sexual energy and the liberatory power of masturbation....

But too this day the best speaker two speakers I have seen are former Black Panthers
Ashanti Alston and Lorenzo Kamboa Ervin.

Ashanti Gave a talk I helped organize in montreal last spring on his experience with the Panthers. his life was unreal, I think you can get an audio copy on his webpage
www.anarco-nyc.net/anarchistpanther.html
He was a memebr of the Panthers from age 16 and later went underground with the Black liberation Army. One story in particular when he and some comrades stormed a jail, kidnapped the guards and then tried to use a cutting torch to free some brothers and sisters only to run out of accetaline with three inches of steel left to cut, man this shit is unreal, his final showdown with the cops that lead to his 20 year imprisonment is also unbeleivable.

Lorenzo Spoke more about modern revolutionary organizing but the power in his voice was moving, the intensity and urgency, it set such a mood that you could imagine what it was like to be in a Panthers meeting back in the day. The room was packed with hundreds of people, energy was increadible, so inspiring, it gave me alot of hope for change.

[Doshka]

The best: Michael Tarazi, PLO's legal advisor. He's always on BBC. I invited him to Amman as keynote speaker for Amman Model United Nations that I was organizing (never get into MUN by the way, it's such bullshit...it took me 11 conferences to get that but at least I know it now). I knew he was a good speaker from what I had seen of him, but the speech he gave was phenomenal. DEMOLISHED Israel, but with facts! and maps! and...it was just a relief. Because even though our struggle is justified and backed with facts, too few Palestinian representatives bother to use these facts, and we end up looking like ignorant (if passionate) fools more often than not.

The worst: Marwan Muasher...last years AMMUN closing ceremony key-note speaker and ex-prime minister of Jordan. Absolute fucking disaster. The man left the podium three hours and 570 suicides later. I haven't a clue what he spoke about.

I cannot BELIEVE you got Galloway. Lucky shit...

[Creature]

The worst political speech I heard was from two people back in highschool.

The first was a public servant to do with tax who was telling us that we HAVE to pay tax because tax pays for everything and without tax that nothing will exist and civilisation will crumble.

(the short version)The second was one of the schools coordinators who told us that we had to conform and respect him and that is respect shouldnt have to be earned. The short version of it is, he didn't give us an exact reason why he had to conform and obey his orders.

[deak]

anything done by the "Objectivism" cult of Ayan fucking Rand. Those people are so twisted you can;t even stand to listen. Not to mention that Fountainheads is the worst goddamn book ever created.

[Guerrilla22]

Toss up between Ward Churchill at campus earlier this year and Chomsky in Denver a couple years ago.

[Doshka]

Read Anthem by Ayn Rand. It's interesting to see what she think a communist society becomes. And I believe it is necessary for us to understand her distorted view. It's good to read left-wing literature, Sontag, Chomsky, Said, Klien and the rest of them, but it doesn't get us very far if we do not understand what they are up against. What we are all up against.

[*PRC*Kensei]

best speeces... fidel castro / martin luter king... thats clear for me.

worst:

"no judes in my germany" by A.hitler :P

[Doshka]

You got to hear Hitler and King in person? wow. impressive.

[*PRC*Kensei]

oops, in person :P

[bolshevik butcher]

Well i remember when i was leafleting at g8 there were several awful speaches form various libreal organizations, but the award has to go to the guy who was there from operation christ or something. He was a mad christian fanatic anyway.

[Atlas Swallowed]

The best speaker I ever saw was Al Sharpton in Washington DC in January 2003. I don't particularly like Al but he is an awsome speaker. The man has a gift. He was booed when he first started by the end of his speech he had the crowd eating out of his hand. He is a very powerful and charismatic person. Too bad he is not an honest and decent person. A man with his gift could do alot of good for the working class. Who can blame him though, look at Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. In the USA if you are a strong leader for the working class (especially if you are not white) death awaits you.

[Atlas Swallowed]

Originally posted by [email protected] 9 2005, 10:21 AM
Read Anthem by Ayn Rand. It's interesting to see what she think a communist society becomes. And I believe it is necessary for us to understand her distorted view.
Please do not buy it, get it at a library or steal it. Giving money to the Rand Institute is not a good thing. Doshka were you able to read Anthem (or any of that fruity *****es books) without vomitting or smashing your furniture? As for understanding her distorted views, I can't or more accuratly I won't.

[Doshka]

Getting angry and annoyed is inevitable when you're reading Ayn Rand, and I have read all her books, but I still think we should. I think it is wise to have that knowledge as a weapon, and when you're facing right-wingers and capitalists, it is essential. It gives you credibility and power over them. The worst thing you can do is walk into a debate unprepared. Then you're screwed, as is your cause.
Haha by the way, nice name. Cute play on words. I didn't notice the first time.

[The Grey Blur]

I saw/heard Ronnie Kasrils, former head of the ANC's military wing (and now minister of intelligence for the current ANC government), give a speech talking about how he used to fight the apartheid forces in South Africa and how he used to "love his AK-47" :lol: . The speech alone was quite good but also, Martin McGuiness former IRA member (he denies this for legal reasons of course) and now Sinn Féin's chief negotiator, was also at the speech and I remember wondering when the day would come that Martin McGuiness could talk about his days fighting British forces in Ireland as freely as Ronnie did about battling the pro-apartheid forces.

[BattleOfTheCowshed]

One of the best speeches I've heard was at the Northeast Socialist Conference this year. This guy named Alejandro Abarca spoke. He is an immigrant who helped his fellow immigrant laborers organize a union in Freehold, NJ that successfully fought the city of Freehold's attempt to criminalize and arrest day laborers. He started off his speech just talking about his experience and ended by talking about the nature of the class war and the resilience of workers and the necessity for the destruction of racism within the working class. It was pretty inspirational.

Worst speech? Hmmm, I dunno, Ive heard some shitty speeches, too hard to choose. Does TV count? If so then maybe anything by Pat Buchanan or George Bush or any of them. I've never heard any Rand-ist Objectivists give speeches but they make me pretty damn sick anyway, so Im sure if I ever heard them that would be one of the worst.