Russell Brand in the Groan expanding on his recent comments – not least because Robert Webb had a go. I found it amusing that Webb exhorted Brand to read Orwell. I suggest Webb revisits it and takes a close look at the democracy we currently have. Not least, the Labour Party he has rejoined and their attempts when in government to impose ever more spying on us – and who can forget the ID cards legislation. Read fucking Orwell? I have done, mate and I saw his dystopian vision being enacted by the charlatans you now embrace. Those nasty little shits were using it as an instruction manual.
Brand seems a little surprised at the reaction to his comments – but, frankly, as he observes here, it’s nothing new, merely he has voiced the discontent many of us have felt for a long time. Time and again, we are told that democracy is a good thing – some sort of magical end in itself and that we should strive for it, yet it is merely the majority imposing its will on the minority. Fucking great if you are a member of the unfortunate minority as I usually am (and if you live in a safe seat, your vote doesn’t count anyway). Indeed, our erstwhile government and the US one decided it was so good they would bomb the hell out of Iraq to give them a taste of it. Likewise we have troops dying to impose it in Afghanistan. Yet in reality, democracy is not the means to liberty that it should be – it is a tyranny that is decided by a few swing voters in key marginals. A slim majority of MPs means that for five years the party in power can do pretty much as it pleases and actively undermine our liberty and here is no come-back. The Lords were nobbled and the Queen will sign any rubbish they place before her. No one is looking out for our interests.
There is nothing we can do within this system. Anyone who has wasted ink (or pixels) lobbying their MP will discover that for the most part they will vote along party lines. What you get back is some patronising cockwaffle that says nothing but is intended to fob you off. And we pay these popinjays over £60k per annum to act as our gaolers and surrogate parents. They treat us like children, voting to restrict our liberties (to protect us against naughty terrorists, natch) and arse-rape our wallets to fund their own extravagance and to feed the voracious fake charities, single-interest lobby groups and quangos as well as pissing it away on foreign aid, puerile, nagging, nannying adverts telling us what to eat and drink, not to mention giving swathes of it to that unelected, undemocratic and unaccountable whorehouse in Brussels.
And we are expected to endorse these criminals every five years. Yup, once every five years the bastards feign interest in our opinions – knowing full well that manifesto promises don’t need to be honoured and won’t be unless it involves yet another restriction on our liberty or intrusion into our personal lives. Opinions they will promptly ignore once they have the levers of power in their grubby little hands. Make no mistake, our representatives do not represent their constituents, they represent themselves and their party – country, constituency and the electorate don’t even figure in the equation. We are just the proles to be herded like so many farm animals. We are incapable of seeing the big picture that our elected and incompetent criminal scum politicians can. That’s why they make such a fine job of everything they do. After all, the economy is doing fine, we are at peace with the world and everything is happy…
They are scum. the sooner there is a revolution that rids us of them the better, frankly. So, my opinion of Russell Brand went up a notch. He has done what the tactless man usually does – said what everyone else is thinking. Good for him (even though he is talking shit when it comes to tax avoidance).
And, no, I will not be voting in 2015.
Those nasty little shits were using it as an instruction manual.
Oh, well said!
I can’t imagine it was deliberate, but you’d have thought that it might have occurred to them, at some point in their endless renaming and extending of government departments (complete, of course, with expensive new logo and mission statement) that there was something oddly familiar about the whole business – or perhaps it did and they just didn’t care.
Webb said that “revolution always ends in Gulags, Death Camps and repression.”
Funny that the ‘socialists’ he has rejoined are ‘always’ the ones who create gulags, death camps and repression.
Removing the name from the register is the only way to ‘not vote’.
Brilliant post.
Indeed, Webb has rejoined the worst offenders. revolution does not have to be violent. As for not voting – simply withholding it is fine as far as I am concerned. They might read it as apathy, but it is a positive decision; I am declining to endorse them or their system.
“Anyone who has wasted ink (or pixels) lobbying their MP will discover that for the most part they will vote along party lines”
You should think yourself lucky – my MP is a government whip…
Funny I read this piece in my least favourite daily rag this morning, now whilst Russell makes some good points I do find some of his piffle a bit upsetting and I am of the firm belief that if he wants to change the world then give up comedy and take up politics alternatively stay a comedian and shut up. My reasoning is this Russell Brand is popular and adored by sections of the public, some of whom and I do know a few, find thinking for themselves tricky and are easily led by celebrity status. My own dear Stepdaughter is a prime example she is already down the path to lefttardness and has been on some very …shall we say dubious demos. She went to see Russell the other night and came home full of love and adoration for some of Mr Brands more leftie views, she is very naive and easily influenced, ergo some of Russells ravings bother me, this said however he is clearly a lot more solid and stable than the dreadful best friend of Victoria Coren Mitchells husband the also highly lefttard David Mitchell. Robert Webb is deluded in the extreme. However the upshot of this whole debacle is it’s another celebrity handbags at dawn encounter in the press, just like Sinead O’Conner and Miley Cyrus. Personally I wish the press would focus on “news” rather than these celebrity bitch fests. What next Sir Bruce Forsyth and Dame Judi Dench in a press spat over gas prices!
I think you have to look past the wibble at the underlying point he is making. And I don’t mind that a celeb is making it because no one is listening to me ranting and shouting. They are listening to him.
His underlying point being; it’s broken and beyond repair. He’s right about that.
yes he is and as I say he makes some good and valid points but I still find this whole cause celebre a little irksome. People listen to him because he is famous for putting his foot in it, does this mean they take him seriously? I have my doubts. I admit he acquitted himself well on Question Time sensible (in the main) but his inability to resist showing off means he can never be serious for just quite long enough to make the point valid, (but thats just my personal view) . I think that he is seen as “Good entertainment value” you know some producer says ” I know lets boost viewing figures get Russell Brand on he’s always good for a laugh and ratings, and guaranteed he will stick his foot in it and upset someone”. Its that shock factor and for me thats where it loses gravitas and meaning. *shrugs* but then I am very old fashioned and soon to be a granny 😉 so maybe I just miss the point due to senility and old age!
I think your article is correct to a point, but I disagree that Brand’s exhortations have no value at all.
As you rightly say, currently we are stuck in rut where a few marginal seats determine the outcome and frankly the polticians don’t give a fuck about either (a) those in safe seats or (b) those who don’t vote.
Brand campaigns for disillusioned people not to vote but that is completely wrong. With some 40% not even turning out last time round what we all need to do is go out and vote – just not for the three parties of monkeys.
We all need to vote for someone really fucking unacceptable. The Nazis should do it (UKIP alas is not enough of a statement).
If the smug wankers who currently inhabit Westminster all got it into thier heads that the rest of us were all going to vote BNP then I bet they would take an interest in democratic engagement.