Privatising Profit

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 11 Dec 2014, 11:20

Shortfall wrote:
emordnilap wrote:We need more Russell Brands.
+1. He's a bit of a t**t but his heart's in the right place.

A tart? I agree!

3rdRock · Post by **3rdRock** » 11 Dec 2014, 11:21

emordnilap wrote:A tart? I agree!

Nah, there's a 'w' in there somewhere.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 11 Dec 2014, 11:43

We can all be twits.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 11 Dec 2014, 12:14

stevecook172001 wrote:Until the streets run with blood and our elite's backs are against the wall, nothing will change.

How Liberal Democracy Promotes Inequality

Western-style democracies — not the dictatorships they replaced — have allowed deeply undemocratic economic systems to flourish. So what's to be done?

Perhaps we are now in for some of those radical shocks. Perhaps current developments in Iraq and Syria are not marginal events but explosions that will sooner or later also occur in other regions, including the North. When the political explosions occasioned by inequality and the search for identity are combined with what many foresee as the turbulent social consequences of the climate apocalypse, then perhaps we are not too far away from catastrophic change after all.

another_exlurker · Post by **another_exlurker** » 11 Dec 2014, 14:04

emordnilap wrote:We need more Russell Brands.

I've just finished reading "Revolution". He makes a lot of sense. Although, in my case, he's pretty much preaching to the converted.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 11 Dec 2014, 14:17

another_exlurker wrote:
emordnilap wrote:We need more Russell Brands.
I've just finished reading "Revolution". He makes a lot of sense. Although, in my case, he's pretty much preaching to the converted.

Likewise and I also found that Naomi Klein's This Changes Everything - with its quite extensive descriptions of individual, collective and local actions - was far less 'inspiring' than Brand's self-exploration and woo. I look forward to Revolution II.

Tarrel · Post by **Tarrel** » 11 Dec 2014, 17:42

He's on Question Time with Nigel Farage tonight. Should be a bit of a laugh.

3rdRock · Post by **3rdRock** » 11 Dec 2014, 18:14

Tarrel wrote:He's on Question Time with Nigel Farage tonight. Should be a bit of a laugh.

To reiterate, I sincerely hope that he shows up Farage for what he is - a hypocritical snake oil salesman.

3rdRock · Post by **3rdRock** » 12 Dec 2014, 09:34

Tarrel wrote:He's on Question Time with Nigel Farage tonight. Should be a bit of a laugh.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 19527.html

Brand on Farage:

"This man is not a cartoon character. He ain't Delboy. He ain't Arthur Daley. He's a pound-shop Enoch Powell and we've got to watch him."

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 12 Dec 2014, 13:00

Whatever one thinks of Brand there's no denying he put words together in an order that demonstrate sheer creative genius.

3rdRock · Post by **3rdRock** » 12 Dec 2014, 14:34

biffvernon wrote:Whatever one thinks of Brand there's no denying he put words together in an order that demonstrate sheer creative genius.

Agreed. It's just a shame that he didn't maintain the same sense of dignity that was unusually exhibited by Farage.

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 12 Dec 2014, 16:17

He's the one thing/person that/who keeps UKIP together: no Farage, no UKIP.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 12 Dec 2014, 16:23

Shortfall wrote:Agreed. It's just a shame that he didn't maintain the same sense of dignity that was unusually exhibited by Farage.

That's why Farage will make it into government where Brand never could. Meaning, it's not dignity - it's politics. Not the same thing at all. Brand, as he implied, would have to become one of them.

3rdRock · Post by **3rdRock** » 12 Dec 2014, 19:34

emordnilap wrote:
Shortfall wrote:Agreed. It's just a shame that he didn't maintain the same sense of dignity that was unusually exhibited by Farage.
That's why Farage will make it into government where Brand never could. Meaning, it's not dignity - it's politics. Not the same thing at all. Brand, as he implied, would have to become one of them.

I appreciate that Farage is a smooth and slippery operator but Brand doesn't do himself any favours by resorting to theatrical outbursts.

He has a serious message to impart and if he wants to appeal to those who's beliefs lie in the centre ground (this could be an age related observation), he needs to consider his approach carefully. There's no point in only connecting with the far left. They're already on side.

Don't get me wrong, I'm 100% behind RB and his views on the political and banking system but to effectively inform and convince a much larger (older?) audience, he needs to demonstrate a little bit more maturity. IMHO.

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 12 Dec 2014, 19:40

Don't agree with that analysis of Brand's performance Shortfall. I think there was a carefully planned editorial decision by the BBC to subtly F--k Brand over by allowing at least one boorish and irrational person into the audience who was on Brand's side of the argument in order to denigrate his arguments by association. Also, every other panellist was given the opportunity on at least two occasions to make personal digs at Brand's integrity. But, Brand was not given the opportunity to respond to those digs. Nevertheless, despite this, I still think he made a good show of himself. What was also glaring by omission was any mention whatsoever of the CIA report in torture.

We are all being managed.

Never in my lifetime have I seen such an orchestrated manipulation of the media.