A Political Revolution (UK) - Russel Brand & Jeremy Paxman - Is it wrong not to vote?

/rant-incoming (you've been warned)

You've probably seen the Russel Brand interview by Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight if you're British or maybe otherwise. If you don't know Paxman, he's one of the journalist/broadcaster types who likes to interrogate politicians. Now, I'll be the first to admit I hate Brand and how he acts sometimes (as a comedian and other things including but not limited to prank calling an elderly actor and telling them he shagged their granddaughter.. anywho) but the man's pretty darn intelligent and may be speaking some truth here.

Brand's main points (If you tl;dw):

• He's indifferent to any current parties in the UK and therefore doesn't vote
• He doesn't think he should be looked down at for not voting - if he votes for some random party he's then giving them consent when he doesn't want them to have his consent
• He doesn't think any current parties really give a damn about the working class, but rather, the big corporations.
  • He makes a good point in saying that the Government last month were at the EU defending bankers bonuses (IMO).
• He says a revolution is on it's way and somewhat is behind it happening. Not in a full-blown war type of way but in terms of ideologies and people wanting the so-called exploitation to stop.
• We shouldn't have a Government or rather, a "political class". We should have "Admin bods" (a joking term he uses) to carry out the wishes of the people.

I do sort of sympathise with what he's saying, he's a recovered drug-addict who has made quite a wealthy lifestyle for himself and still holds what he came from dear. I do also acknowledge that there has been the same bullshit problems for decades looking back no matter who's been in power and I sometimes feel indifferent to all of them as well.

Take the London riots for example, people blame it all on social media and teenagers just being bad for the sake of it - but I think it's deeper than that. I think it's feeling ignored and let down by the system, people who come from the hard, working-class background most of us are familiar with are constantly being fucked over by corporations and politicians. They run a mockery at our expense most of the time. Every day you turn on News 24 and/or watch parliamentary debates and so much is happening that is unnecessary when all that effort could be put in to taking people off the streets and making life easier for those who genuinely are struggling.

Anyways, perhaps I'm just in a foul mood today and have seen the Government fuck the working-class one too many times. I wouldn't even consider myself in need of any sort of Government support but I definitely feel for those who do due to no fault of their own and need that tax reduction or that in-home care to make their lives manageable. Now don't get me wrong I'm not an extreme left wing communist, but I definitely hold strong, socialist values for now - I've only started taking politics seriously for the past few years so my mind does sway rather a lot.. at the moment I'm a Labour voter though



Do you think there will be an ideological revolution? Will someone else come along who really, really makes it better for the working class? What are your views in general? Are the working-class just making excuses for their own shortcomings? Are you a socialist or a conservative? Just what're your thoughts on British politics in general. I'm curious.

#russelbrandforPM#yolo


/rant​

 

As someone who is majoring in polisci, I like his comedy but think his politics are impractical. I'm glad that's he trying to make a difference in reforming government. However, his positions on certain political issues are vague, plus he seems to hint in the interview that he's for a socialistic-based economy instead of a free-market one.

In the interview he mentions that he's for higher taxes, massive redistribution of the wealth, and making corporations pay more in taxes. I agree with him on the corporations part, we definitely need to make more competition for more partnerships and solo proprietorships to exist. However, with the other two stances that he's taking, I don't support him on. We've been down this road before and the outcome is not pretty. Isn't that right Soviet Union? Oh wait a minute, where are they today, I don't see them on a map.

 

Well yes, but as he said he's nowhere near qualified or knowledgeable in the field to devise a solution and a whole ideology - he's simply begging for some sort of shift which doesn't render him indifferent.
Yeah, I'm definitely not for some authoritarian, communist society - but I think he does strike a rather appealing note. Especially under the Tories as we are now. Just look back to the last couple of centuries - Karl Marx is a prime example.

He predicted a revolution and there was one (Liberal reforms, universal suffrage etc. etc.). Are we not just heading straight back to where we were before by creating such an underclass?

 

Saw the video after it being referred to the young turks. He had some good points which he kept repeating over and over. Paxman can't take russel seriously for him being a comedian and such. They are friends though, he interviewed him in 2008 I'm pretty sure.

I was not aware of the UK's status and political issues as I'm usually more focused on the more corrupt government in America.

After reading your points, we share the same problems. I'm going to have to look into this more. Unfortunately I'm on my phone so I can't give a credible response.

 

Politics is a very nasty business.

I'll be able to vote now seeing as I'm 18, though I'm not sure I will vote. Seems whoever is elected just seems to fuck everything up even more. The Conservative party favours the rich in my opinion, though the Lib Dems and Labour aren't that much better.

 

i always think of it this way, even if your vote doesnt count, atleast you can cancel the vote of some idiot.

 

And if you think that both sides are corrupt and ineffective? I personally will not ever be voting, I don't think that the current system allows for any real political change. Does that mean that I'm politically apathetic or uninformed? Far from it.

 

Lmao, I wrote a long reply and I quit my browser forgetting to copy it :/...

The point of it was : Who cares about there bullshit decision making, what they choose effects everyone, so everyone has to pay the price, and if it effects everyone by say a rating of 2 then if EVERYONE is effected it would cancel it out due to everyone beeing the same.

Yes you can go into crap like tax and all that shit, but at the end of the say why complain just deal with the current situation and move on?

 

I don't vote because my voting information gets sent to my mothers address despite not having lived there for 3 1/2 years.

 

I am a proponent of libertarian socialism, or a friendlier term would probably be a social anarchy.

 

Considering I dislike his comical attributes, I couldn't fault his argument. His background and upbringing gives validity to his argument, and to be honest I think that a revolution, in one form or another, will most likely occur in the next century.