It is amusing that Polly Toynbee attacks Russell Brand on the grounds there is a real difference between Labour and the Conservatives, on the day Ed Balls argues immigrants must be kept out by amending the EU treaties – in the same paper!
I have never been a great fan of Russell Brand’s media persona, and for a revolutionary to be shacked up with Jemima Khan’s millions is perhaps some kind of extended exercise in post-modern irony as performance art. But Brand’s perception that the neo-con political parties are all the same is absolutely correct, and his is almost the only voice the media will broadcast saying it. When I have been saying precisely the same thing for a decade it is not news. News, apparently, lies not in what is said, but whether or not it is a celebrity who says it.
Not voting is a perfectly reasonable choice. I would prefer that people voted Green, or independent, or SNP in Scotland or Plaid Cymru in Wales. But Brand’s option of not voting is also valid – the entire system of corporations, media and politicians is designed to block real change.
Polly Toynbee is a very rich woman compared to the rest of us, with a great deal of inherited wealth and a Guardian salary well into six figures, for writing a constant stream of tribal pro-Labour drivel. She quotes with approval John Lydon’s observation:
it’s clear, if you’ve got a pile of money in the bank, you vote for people with piles of money in the bank
Which is absolutely true, and why Polly Toynbee votes Labour. Another irony which flies over the head of the humourless old moneybag-toting harridan.
Toynbee is delighted to discover that the rambling Lydon is not really a revolutionary. The rest of the world had known it was only a money-spinning pose for forty years, and he is pretty right wing.
Extraordinary that Toynbee points out the strangeness of treating Russell Brand as a political guru, and then sets up John Lydon instead. The silly old bat really, really doesn’t get irony, does she? Or is Polly Toynbee in fact herself some kind of monumental performance art installation, designed on every level to project the futility and hypocrisy of New Labour?
The Scots referendum meant we could not start bombing Assad for fear of handing the vote on a plate to Alex Salmond. Ditto the upcoming May 2015 General election,no bombing Syria until then,and Cameron has made it very clear to the powers that be that if they are thinking of installing millipede then, he will spill the beans on 7/7 and even 9/11 – with his cryptic speech at the UN. All pent-up bombing hell may be expected to break loose after his re-election then, the FOIe gras across all three parties are powerless till then, unless Jihadi John comes up with a very compelling video.But then Assad is an angel compared to satanyahu, and it will be interesting to see how the Force intercedes for him then.
Our state broadcaster is desperate not to use the word Nazis, or imply that the Banderites fought with the Nazis:
“Violence erupted when the protesters demanded that MPs pass a law to recognise a World War Two nationalist group which opposed Soviet forces.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29611588
John Spencer=Davis bang on the money.
Brand is controlled opposition imo,undermining any slightly progressive ideas he promotes with 6th form sniggering and innuendo thereby rendering anything he says as puerile and ill-thought through-which im sure suits his handlers interests and agenda perfeclty.
John Lydon is a multi-millionaire constantly claiming he’s skint,who has an extensive property portfolio,lives in mansion and is married to a German publishing heiress.
I’m not all that keen on Brand, I recall him and Johnathon Ross, disgusting antics on a radio show where they insulted Andrew Sach daughter.
I’m of the group that virtually all personalities are egotistical, and are in it for themselves, you just have to look at Bono and Bob Geldof, and their endorsements for the UN or UNICEF, did they really make any difference? but their profiles shot through the roof, worldwide.
______________________________
Geldof and others such as Bono of the rock band U2 have almost made new careers of being figureheads of poverty charities whilst reaping the benefits these events provide them, that is name and face recognition.
For instance, in November 2008, Geldof was paid $100,000 in Australia for a brief speech addressing Third World poverty whilst Bono was recently implicated in a scandal relating to his own charity and its total lack of actual monetary contributions to the causes it is said to support, despite its $20m per annum turnover.
http://chrisspivey.org/john-hamer-charities/
Toexpression is the new earcandling. By energising the toe chakra with a traditional Sumatran housebrick when Saturn is in Gemini, the Toh energy can be made to rise through Kundalini when Saturn is in Gemini, enriching your spiritual and, incidentally, sexual life.
There is no charge for this information.
Mary
__________
I like your new Alexander “Greek” Thomson style,entablature, very stylish indeed.
Thomson is one of my favourite architects, with works like St Vincent St church, and his Egyptian Halls in Union st.
O/T
Meanwhile the lowlife scumbag that is Lord Freud has apologised for his crass, and derogatory remarks aimed at the disabled.
Freud, hopefully won’t survive a cull as its to close to a GE and he’ll remind voters, that the Tories are the nasty party.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29628557
never liked or read Ms Toynbee, nor do I want to comment on this washed out paper. Their provocative scribbling is inconsequential to what is about to happen.
Wondrous, ponderous how many gatekeepers there really are.
Toynbee’s witterings are not worth reading so I’m wondering why Craig even bothered with this post. Of course extremists will always encourage people not to vote; a low turn out is just what an active minority need to gain power. Brand of course is not an extremist, his only motivation was publicity. In a recent interview he condemned profit as “filth” and yet he’s the director of three companies which produce millions of pounds worth of “filth” every year which pays for his stays at the Dorchester and Savoy and fund his growing property portfolio.
Two (or is it three?) blatant hypocrites having a public spat. With everything else that’s going on in the world why are we wasting time on this?
What can you expect from Toynbee, she worked for the BBC and the Guardian, along side Andrew Marr, she’s also deputy treasurer of the Fabian Society, and as you say Craig she’s got a few bob, there’s even a hall in the east end of London named after, the family name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toynbee_Hall
“British Parliament sends a message to Obama”, but is Obama listening, and even if he is, will he do anything about it (US political circumstances being what they are)?
RoS It’s actually the shekel sign repeated. I got fed up yesterday with the rows of $ and £ signs on the numerous posts of someone who shall be nameless. A little counter ploy 🙂
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shekel_sign
Kempe 15 Oct, 2014 – 4:14 pm
” …. With everything else that’s going on in the world why are we wasting time on this?”
While you’re waiting for a topic worthy of your intellect, care to cast your eye over these comments on the disappearance of Malaysian flight MH370 and remind us again why we are all lunatic conspiracy theorists?
Ishmael
I am not sure there is any need for me to do that – I thought I had made it fairly clear in previous posts that I’m not disagreeing with him politically.
I was trying to make this point: why him? What is so special about Brand, that he is on the media so much about these issues? Craig Murray puts it very well, I think:
“…Brand’s perception that the neo-con political parties are all the same is absolutely correct, and his is almost the only voice the media will broadcast saying it.”
Craig Murray makes the point that he’s a celebrity and that’s the reason why what he says is news. I have no doubt that he’s right and that is one reason. I don’t believe it’s the only reason, or even the main reason. I think he’s on the media so much because he is so damaging to the causes he espouses. Contrary to Jives, I don’t think he’s an agent provocateur. I’m sure he’s very well-meaning, and I also agree with you that he is certainly trying his best to do something. I’m not really trying to get at Brand. You’re fully entitled to like him. I certainly do not like him, and perhaps I am not being very charitable in that respect.
You also say that he’s one of very few celebrities trying to achieve something. I don’t know that. The death of Robin Williams and the stories that came out about him afterwards illustrated that a good deal of quiet activism very likely goes on that we hear very little about, among “celebrities”. In my opinion, the media do not want thoughtful, likeable people laying out serious criticism of the status quo. George Galloway is another good example. Everybody hates George Galloway and yet he’s constantly on radio and television. Why? You very seldom see, say, someone like Jeremy Corbyn, who holds very similar views and is quiet, reasonable, serious and highly intelligent and articulate, being interviewed. They’d rather have headbangers like Brand, or Lydon for that matter, or easy targets like Galloway.
Kind regards, John
RoS It’s actually the shekel sign repeated. I got fed up yesterday with the rows of $ and £ signs on the numerous posts of someone who shall be nameless. A little counter ploy
_____________________________
Ha! nice one Mary, getting one over on the cold fish.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bs8i0w6ux79ai9o/2014-08-23%20MH370%20Landing%20at%20Banda%20Aceh.pdf?dl=0
I wasn’t aware of this link. Georesonance, a Ukrainian company, insisted the search was in the wrong place. So, gold?
MH370 Scenario with a Landing At Banda Aceh, by Victor Iannello, August 23, 20148Figure 5. Flight cancellation at Diego Garcia.Even More Conjecture About aLink to MH17On the surface, the shooting down of flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpuron July 17in Ukraine seems unrelated to MH370 except that both were Malaysia Air flights.Upon closer inspection, the gold cargo that might have been loaded onto MH370 at Kuala Lumpur and unloaded at Banda Aceh might be the key to finding a common link.In the days before the disappearance of MH370, there were stories reported in the Western press about 20 billiondollars of missing goldreserves of Ukraine that were stolen by the recently-ousted, pro-Russian regime of Viktor Yanukovych.http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/27/ukraine-search-missing-billions-yanukovych-russiaThere was also a report in the Russian media that on March 7 (the day before the disappearance of MH370), the gold reserves of Ukraine were airlifted from Kiev under the custody of the New York Federal Reserve, possibly to protect the reserves in the event of a Russian-led invasion. The reserves were worth an estimated 1.8 billion dollars.http://www.globalresearch.ca/ukraines-gold-reserves-secretely-flown-out-and-confiscated-by-the-new-york-federal-reserve/5373446
His three companies. Hardly a tycoon.
http://companycheck.co.uk/director/911642835/MR-RUSSELL-EDWARD-BRAND
Director Overview
Russell Brand holds 3 appointments at 3 active companies, has resigned from 0 companies and held 1 appointments at 1 dissolved companies. Russell began his first appointment at the age of 24. His longest current appointment spans 8 years and 0 months at PABLO DIABLO’S LEGITIMATE BUSINESS FIRM LIMITED.
The combined cash at bank value for all businesses where Russell holds a current appointment equals £657,813, with a combined total current assets value of £2,826,250 and total current liabilities of £1,419,493. Roles associated with Russell Brand within the recorded businesses include: Director
Glenn_uk
“Not voting indicates you don’t care one way or any other”
Bollocks. I know many politically active people who do not vote.
Not voting can be a reasonable reaction to the lack of options available or a considered rejection of representative democracy. And probably other things apart from apathy.
As for apathetic not voting. People know it makes no difference and simply withdraw from the game. I find it hard to judge this most realistic position.
Not voting suits the Westminster Party.
Thousands of spoilt ballot papers are harder to ignore. If a drone won with 20,000 votes, it would be newsworthy if there was 21,000 spoilt ballots with the word ‘cunt’ written on them.
KingOfWelshNoir
“Habbabkuk
I meant former ambassadors in general, not Craig specifically.”
____________________
That’s what I thought, but thank you for the confirmation.
You would therefore be of the opinion that former Ambassador Charles Crawford CMG – a bête noir for certain people on this blog – has gravitas and authority?
I do like his blog. And the blog run by yet another former Ambassador – Sir Brian Barder KCMG – is also worth following (it attracts thoughtful and knowledgeable comments as a bonus..)
“Toynbee’s just an op-ed hack. Money for old rope, and generally erroneous rope at that. Not worth worrying about, Craig: no-one else does.”
____________________
I would certainly agree with all three elements of that comment of Baal Zevul’s. And, consequently, find it puzzling that Craig should have focussed so strongly on her to illustrate what would be be a fair (if not original) point in its own right.
@Ha…
Perhaps Craig is suggesting that it is unhealthy in a ‘democracy’ to have ex politicians being employed as ‘reporters’?
John Spencer-Davis
“I think he’s [Brand] on the media so much because he is so damaging to the causes he espouses.”
How is he damaging? You offer nothing except he is a “headbanger” type of arguments.
The court jester is a real and honourable tradition which has long served as a challenge to power. Mockery diminishes pomposity. We need more merry pranksters.
“I’m surprised to read this. Not voting means you have no voice, and no business complaining at any outcome.”
Just on the off chance there is somebody didn’t see it already George Carlin had an interesting take on the subject.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxsQ7jJJcEA
Juteman
“Perhaps Craig is suggesting that it is unhealthy in a ‘democracy’ to have ex politicians being employed as ‘reporters’?”
__________________
No, I don’t think so.
https://twitter.com/charlesforelle/status/522367587733495808
Dow crashing now as well. Margin calls at 3 pm EDT.
I agree that not voting is a valid option. In particular, I would not vote if I felt that my understanding of the issues was inadequate, or if the dishonesty of candidates and/or their parties prevented me from making any accurate choice, or if there was no advantage to any of the candidates / parties, or if all the candidates / parties seemed worse than the incumbent.
@Clark.
See my previous post. Don’t you think that would make more of a statement?
Juteman
15 Oct, 2014 – 6:13 pm
“Thousands of spoilt ballot papers are harder to ignore”
______________________________________________
Agreed, Juteman, a large increase in spoiled ballots on a good turn-out would be noticed and discussed in the media and parliament.
Let’s all do it in the next election!
“They’re all the same” is the cry of the stupid and lazy. If they’re all the same then the least you can do is spoil your ballot paper. Advocating not voting is a populist cop-out, whether it is Brand or Hitchens.