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?
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..)
________________________________
Habb
There’s no fool like an old fool Barder seemed to think negotiations between an independent Scotland and Westminster would’ve taken at least five years.
No wonder you spout drivel in here listening to advice like that, thoughtful and knowledgeable ha ha ha ha.
@Doug Scorgie.
I won’t be spoiling my ballot paper, as i have the SNP to vote for, 🙂
Bracing for the margin calls..oh wait this is from 1929
https://twitter.com/VICTORLEONARDIB/status/522026171358142465/photo/1
Juteman, 6:52 pm: thank you; sloppy thinking from me. Yes, carefully ‘spoilt’ ballot papers are much better than merely not voting.
RepublicofScotland
Brian Barder is a very good man and a friend of mine, as well as my former boss.
In some countries it is compulsory to vote,therefore the spoiled vote is the best protest method, but aren’t there countries where the vote is not valid unless turnout is over a certain % ?
He hasn’t posted anything about you since 2006, or did I miss something, Craig?
Tom
“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.”
Populist? Fucking idiotic. Not voting is a considered position, an honourable political tradition, taken by many who have no platform to be populist with.
Spoiling ballot papers may make you feel better but it is no superior seditious act. Voting, not voting or spoiling the paper all amount to the same thing. Sweet fanny adams.
Jemima Khan, from fame to media gossip.
http://rehmat1.com/2014/08/17/pakistan-mass-anti-government-protests/
RepublicofScotland
Brian Barder is a very good man and a friend of mine, as well as my former boss.
________________________
Point taken, though I still think his five year scenario, was way out of kilter, but hey its his opinion and that’s fair enough.
The SNP are taking the show on the road, tickets free.
____________________________
The largest event in the series will be a capacity crowd of 12,000 at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, making it the biggest indoor political gathering held in Scotland – or indeed anywhere in the UK – in recent times.
Edinburgh
Wednesday 29 October, Corn Exchange
Dumfries
Friday 31 October, Easterbrook Hall
Dundee
Friday 7 November, Caird Hall
Inverness
Monday 10 November, Eden Court Theatre
Glasgow
Saturday 22 November, The SSE Hydro
Aberdeen
Sunday 7 December, Music Hall
In addition, on Tuesday 11 November, I’ll take part in an online interview and Facebook Q&A session for new members in rural and remote parts of Scotland.
Well said Juteman.
We all have the SNP to vote for in Scotland.
So far we have not had a wrecker like Harold Wilson. Devalued the pound by 10%,limited the amount of money that could taken out of the country to £50.00, and put the country on a three day week.
No Thatcher type has emerged from the ranks of the SNP. Four million unemployed, and if the media was to be believed, all their own fault. Get on your bike and find work, they said.
No war mongering New Labour types either, or “boom and bust” types either in the SNP.
Slow learners my countrymen and women.
Support your own, for once in your life. You know it makes sense. So do it!
Craig
“RepublicofScotland
Brian Barder is a very good man and a friend of mine, as well as my former boss.”
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I agree and I’m glad you said that.
Republicofscotland – despite the scorn he professes – obviously follows BB’s blog because he picked up on the ‘five years of negotiations’ bit.
I do not wish to embarrass you, Craig, and so shan’t ask you what you think of the quality of the commments on that blog compared to those on yours (I say comments, not your lead-ins) 🙂
Robert Crawford
“So far we have not had a wrecker like Harold Wilson. Devalued the pound by 10%,limited the amount of money that could taken out of the country to £50.00, and put the country on a three day week.”
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Are we talking about the same Harold Wilson?
Devaluation was around 14% and the three day week happened on Edward Heath’s watch.
Re the £50 travel allowance, well, it was £50 per person (I think) and needs to be measured in relation to a period when a quality newspaper cost 6d, a half pound of butter 11d and the pound sterling bought around 10 Swiss francs.
Having set you straight may I ask what your point was?
I have always believed that Polly Toynbee the person does not really exist. In George Orwell’s “1984”, I think Julia worked in the literature department where a machine turned out pornographic novels, that were actually just two or three plots, regurgitated all the time. That is what her articles read like — identikit New Labour setpieces. If she were a character in “Animal Farm”, it would be a sheep trained to pipe up, on command: “Red tories – good, blue tories – bad” ad nauseum. The thought never crosses her dull mind that there are other parties, you know, like the Greens…. But that would never do. The Greens are not the useful idiots of the Tory Establishment. So it must be until the world ends “Labour…. drone…. labour…. drone…. labour….”
The Pistols were nothing more than a cynical money-making project for svengali Malcolm McClaren. Sure, they came up with some cool riffs but they were ultimately an empty exercise. Rather like Toynbee. I recall Pilger describing her blubbings over Blair’s departure as “vomit”. He was of course entirely correct.
Phil spake thusly:
G: “Not voting indicates you don’t care one way or any other”
P: Bollocks. I know many politically active people who do not vote.
Which do you suppose a politician cares more about – people who vote, or those who don’t bother?
You might note how old people (who definitely turn out to vote in larger proportions) get pandered to by all political parties, and that’s not just because politicians are so soft hearted.
I bet those politicians are quaking in their boots, thinking about your mates who are bold and “activist” enough not to bother voting 🙂
**
Fred: Always worth watching a Carlin clip. They only really have two parties over there, mind.
” I still think his five year scenario, was way out of kilter. ”
Yes it sounds hopelessly optimistic.
You have to remember the sort of people who would be involved in these talks. Bureaucrats, lawyers and politicians.
” remind us again why we are all lunatic conspiracy theorists.”
You don’t seem to need reminding.
When Sir Tim produces some evidence to support his opinion it might be worth taking account of. I could be tempted to suggest that the boss of an airline that relies heavily on the B777 might have reasons to defend its reputation and reliability.
Habbabkuk.
No faker pal.
All of the above mentioned put the people through hell.
They keep doing it. Have you not noticed? Or are you a “civil servant” immune from gov. folly?
One Public employee said to me at the change over from New Labour to Conservative, “recession, what recession”?. No visits to food banks for them.
There is three things happen to you when you get to my age, one your memory goes. and I can’t remember what the other two are. Whether it was Labour or Tory, the result is always the same, “boom and bust”. The poor get poorer and the rich get richer. Why?, because it is the rich who make the Laws and decide the policies, that protect each other. Mutual self protection at the top!
As promised, another entry from Sapiens Promise, for every time you insult me.
Zionism in practice – Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Property
24 hours to 8am 13 October 2014
23 raids including home invasions – 1 beaten – 8 injured – economic sabotage – 25 taken prisoner – 15 detained – 109 restrictions of movement
Israeli Army assault on school – stun and tear gas grenades fired towards children
Joint Israeli Army/settler raid: two 15-year-old boys injured
13-year-old boy wounded and hospitalised in Israeli Army terror raid
Neighbours foil Occupation settler’s attempt to abduct 4-year-old child
Settler mob occupies Palestinian home
Israeli troops abduct 16-year-old youth
Israeli soldiers terrorise 6 youngsters aged 12 to 17
Night peace disruption and/or home invasions in refugee camp and 12 towns and villages
http://www.sapienspromise.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3288
Been reading this blog- without contributing to the discussion, for sometime now. Craig comes across as an honest man, if a little pompous at times. However, I can’t fault his courage or direct, uncompromising writing style.
The threads however, contribute very little- cept sycophancy, point scoring, arrogance and general wind baggery.
Don’t know if your aware but another journalist from the AM has recently been arrested for exposing similar injustices and nefarious behaviour. He even seems to have been fitted up for exposing the filthy goings on by our ruling masters.
Instead of scoring points against each other on here- why don’t you display some real balls and give this man your support.
BTW, the journalist in question is Chris Spivey.
John Spencer Davis
Russel Brand a headbanger?
I don’t think so..
His charm never fails to endear him to interviewers, male and female… Watch him interviewed by John Snow on Utube.
He has charisma twinned with a razor sharp wit yet humility, which is a word that is fast vanishing from the language. These are rare qualities and he must surely be having an influence upon the web generation..are you Craig?
re, John
“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?”
Nothing special, it’s not the point. like UKIP he also used a lot of recycled material from actavists who highlighted stuff years ago. My point is it should not be just him. Btw, I don’t know how hard he is trying to do something. I think you think I believe something I don’t about him.
I do agree many people do a lot of quiet stuff that’s better perhaps. None celebrity’s more so. But generally I don’t think individuals can do much, and significant change is always bought by below and mass movements. Why they are always ignoring them and diverting people to vote, something that should be at a periphery of an engaged life imo. .
And Brand is making suggestions on ways to act. He get’s a good reach with ideas on specific issues that are good to cover, some very grave ones in an easily digestible way for young people especially. People who should not have to deal with these things, and wouldn’t if we had more than totally selfish people in the establishment only looking to consolidate there positions and big themselves up. .
I tend to think strategically, and we also need people who do have some privilege to do public stuff like this. Out of the box. And though the background stuff goes on maybe it’s really not enough to be a silent celebrity, or any part of the establishment for that matter. I think hell, they should do it for themselves.
What they see as doing for themselves is obliviously quite different. But to me doing something with your own volition is the greatest uses of human freedom and creativity you’ll get. I look and think what impotent human beings they must really be. So restricted in what they think they can say or do. That’s real poverty imo.
As Noam Said, they have been indoctrinated to serve all there life. And maybe it is worse than torture. At least with torture you can still act and be free to yourself. Whatever you individually feel that to be.
Mary.
Psychiatrists say the abused can become the abuser.
When I was at school my school Atlas said Palestine where now the map I have at home says Israel, with a little bit down in the corner called Gaza. Who did the conveyancing of all that area? Mr. Gun?
The Laws of the Universe are so accurate, what you have sown is what you will reap. If that is too religious for anyone, then, what you put out, is what you will get back.
When dealing with people and animals, mistreat then and sooner or later they will turn on you. Even if they have very little, they will find a way. You may have noticed. The Bible tells a story about such a man. You know his name well. Can you guess? SAMSON. Then the wee boy who took on the giant and won, David. Have you noticed similar type events in the world this last few years?
I like to call it “poetic justice”.
“I would prefer that people voted Green, or independent, or SNP in Scotland or Plaid Cymru in Wales.”
Or Sinn Fein in Ireland/Northern Ireland?
Russell Brand is okay.He just happens to be a celebrity.He cant help being the clown,but he does illuminate alot of the crap.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5YK-kb2LsYE
And here he is on Scotland. Russell is not a sheep shearer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CNBHAm9YGCY
On the subject of liberation. I see society as an extended school where peoples own life is sucked out.
Just watch this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlfl0KTJjqw&list=UUcrUUveMcpbonoJsdlyP5Eg
Doesnt it make you want to cry on some level. People everywhere prostrating themselves before cooperate beast in this way. And it ends up that people loose themselves. In school at least you still know underneath that it’s all crap. Your always as perfect as you need to be.
But as this intensifies in later life and people feel the need to embrace it. It becomes part of your identity, ‘success’, ‘achievement’ , What about human freedom god dam it. Ar’nt we worth more than this. And it does not improve your ability to do anything significant, in fact it totally controls peoples lives.