Talking about a revolution
Here’s an entertaining and interesting interview with Russell Brand that was doing the interweb rounds last week:
And here’s the capacious essay which expands upon these thoughts.
I have a great deal of admiration for Mr. B. I’ve seen him do stand-up three times in the last year and he’s always been very intelligent and articulate (I think he’s on tour now if you want to find out for yourself). I even liked Get Him To The Greek.
But this isn’t about him.
It’s about us.
Here’s how I see the world:
We’re ruining it to the point where it’s going to be uninhabitable. Whether physically, through the consequences of environmental damage, or in terms of quality of life, where the iniquities of privilege are detroying the existences of the vast majority of the people on Earth.
I also feel either powerless or apathetic about how to improve that.
Even though I think about it every single day – are we just heading for a version of The Road, or waiting to drown much of the planet in rising sea levels, or pissing people off so much that at some point they (we?) will rise up and lead us (them?) into martial oblivion – I can’t quite stir myself to make a difference (aside from writing this post and hoping it will do some good, but simultaneously believing it will do no such thing).
I read about the rich screwing the poor every day, but I do it on one of my iPads from the bedroom of my Primrose Hill flat next to a wardrobe full of Prada clothes. I’m definitely part of the problem, which might be why I don’t want to do anything about it, but it doesn’t seem like there’s a great deal of enthusiasm from the rest of society. I’d happily reduce my wages to increase those of somebody else, but only if we all do it. Selfishly I don’t see why I should knock my salary down to the average if someone else is going to continue earning £1m a year.
And obviously that attitude will never help anything. Sorry about that.
But what will cure the world? What will reverse the damage? What will save us?
I suppose I’ll just continue to think none of it really applies to me until it’s right there in front of my face and I have to confront the fact that my grandchildren will grow up in an unliveable Hades that used to be a green and pleasant land with plenty for all. Or maybe, just maybe, I’ll do something to stop the snowball rolling down the hill…
Or maybe you will.
If you’re still wondering about what it all means, have a listen to Mr. Sagan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=923jxZY2NPI
You mean you aren’t at least going to pull up the loquacious long streak of piss for his bottled water consumption and point him in the direction of The Ancient Mariner inspired titled website…and as for ‘GHTTG’, surely you jest?
Ben, thank you for that Russell Brand/Jeremy Paxman interview. I’ve always found Brand to be funny and interesting, I’m certainly adding admiration. Let’s hope it goes somewhere. Thanks again.
What’s GHTTG?
And I sometimes drink bottled water myself. I’d rather people didn’t but in the great scheme of things, one bottle from Mr. B is no biggie.
Thanks for the Sagan vid. Lovely piece of commentary.
The elephant in the room is overpopulation. Deal with that and everything goes good again.
I think you’re saying that Stalin/Hitler/Pot etc. were ahead-of-their-time humanitarians.
There’s comedy gold in disparity. Brand should forget about serious and just concentrate on some new material and making his jokes more funnier. At least his idea of a brave new world then might be more bearable.
Maybe he could even make them more funnierer.
This really is a load of drivel.
Did he say anything remotely interesting? No. It was all like a rather dull student rant. Systems, corporations, capitalism, like, are bad. Real insightful stuff.
@Anonymous
well, you didn’t write anything interesting as well.
at least he’s all over world news with his student rant.
you? well… how’s kindergarten?
Wil it matter very much if humans manage to wipe themselves out? I’m sure the planet will recover and get on very well without us.
I’m more concerned about the period before we wipe ourselves out.
For some reason I don’t think it’s going to be very nice.
It undoubtedly won’t be. But I doubt we’ll be here to witness it.
@Alvanta. Riveting post. Please expand on it.
Not sure how saying that we need to do something drastic is in any way contentious. The sad irony is that if the government were to do the things necessary to sort out climate change, disparity in wealth etc there would probably be an uprising.
If Russell Brand was more than just a big mouth he’d develop a more nuanced view of the world in which the contradictions in his opinions would become glaringly obvious. But that would mean he couldn’t spout ignorant shit any more and we couldn’t have that could we.
FUCKING USE YOUR VOTE!! The cartoon pirate, Russell Brand, is a dangerous voice in a social media generation that knows little about politics or cares. He uses fancy words that contain no substance and people high five him because he uses wit to ‘outsmart’ the suits. But really he’s an embarrassment and clearly thinking of Facebook likes (Paxman clearly humouring him). For the ‘voice’ of a disgruntled generation to tell people dont bother voting is truly idiotic. How about an answer Rus? Oh you dont have one do you – quick make a beard joke!
I think you maybe being a little harsh on yourself Ben. If you earn well, good for you. If you live and eat well, good for you. The problem lies at the very top, the super rich and powerful who control our lives, how much tax we pay, how many years we have to work, who to invade, who to exploit.
You are guilty of merely doing the best for yourself within their system. If there was a different system, you would probably excel in that one also.
As for humans, if we wipe ourselves out, so be it, it was meant to be. I find humans very arrogant that for some reason, this planet is all about us. Millions of species share earth, more species have become extinct than have survived. If we go, especially with our level of intelligence, then we deserve it. The earth will survive long after we all dead, buried and forgotten.
Whether you like Russell or not, he does have a point in his article. We are individuals who act on our survival instincts which conflict with the greater good of the planet/humanity.
Democracy, religion, capitalism, socialism etc have all failed to unify humanity in a global effort to make life better for everyone and not destroy the planet in the process.
It’s true that he doesn’t have an answer to what that could be. But it seems like no one else does either.
@DF: I’m not really bothered about the ‘survival’ of the planet either. Of course it will survive long after we’re gone (we’ve been here for the tiniest fraction of Earth’s 5 billion years).
What concerns me is the human suffering that will happen before the end.
And maybe I’m not the worst offender, but if I don’t take responsibility for being some part of the cause of the problem then I have no power to provide the solution.
Whatever that may be…
Designer’s friend, that’s a massive cop out. It’s not their system. It’s our system.
The problem isn’t them, somewhere up there. It’s us.
@Ben. You are of good heart, like the majority of the world populace, and it hurts to see suffering etc. We all know though, that the powers that be have the ability to fix the majority or the earths problems in a heartbeat.
Hunger and poverty needn’t be, yet they are.
Wars needn’t be fought, yet they are.
I could write a long list here but I have
wars to fundtaxes to pay.A truly mind shattering take on wealth disparity in the USA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM&hd=1
@anonymous (the one who believes I’m copping out)
I admire your childlike innocence and naivity. I only wish I had read less.
On a completely unrelated note…
I know you’re a big fan of the New Yorker caption competition, but these guys aren’t. Or are. I can’t tell. http://suckmydicknewyorker.tumblr.com/
I have intended and tried to start a Tumblr called ‘When is this fucking acid going to wear off?’, which is the caption that works for almost every New Yorker caption competition.
I think it’d be funnier than that site (although that site is pretty funny).
@designers friend. It’s a shame your default action is to patronise me because I’ve got shit to do.
The idea that the leaders of the world could solve the world’s problems in a heartbeat is unbelievably childish.
The world’s problems are incredibly difficult to solve because people are selfish, not because governments are evil.
There are limited resources in the world and, because they are desirable, we compete for them and exploit them. We are not ordered to do this by a higher power. It’s in our nature.
Also, because we, in the West, have become so comfortable as a result of successfully competing for and exploiting those resources, we have no moral right to stop other from people doing the same. Unless of course, you want to go back to subsistence farming. That’s pretty much it.
If you have a simple solution to the above in any of your books, please share. I would LOVE to hear it.
@Anon 27: The leaders of the world could solve the problems if they were truly leaders and not merely defenders of the staus quo. Governments look at problems ass backwards. Take the situation in the U.S. for instance. People are living longer. They should work longer. Social Security is in trouble because there aren’t enough people paying in to support those who will soon retire. So what should we do? Keep hiking the retirement age. WRONG! I say do the exact opposite. Go back to full benefits at 55. Masses of workers will retire, freeing up jobs for the next generation so they can be independent and have families and spend money that they have been postponing because there are no jobs. More families means more people to pay into the system. Not to mention all the retirees spending money on travel and enjoyment that also stimulates the economy. What? You say the money isn’t there? The government borrows to bail out banks and corporations, why not borrow it so people like me who are sick of working and were told our whole lives that we would get SSN at 55 only to see that number being pushed higher and higher the closer we get can finally get off this bullshit treadmill. Now that’s a real solution. Makes more sense than telling people now they need to work into their seventies.
That comment says it all:
The world’s leaders COULD solve the problems in a heartbeat but they can’t under the current circumstances. People don’t have to be selfish, and not all people are. Also, exploiting something to a ridiculous degree so that there is none left for anyone else is not ‘in our nature’. It where many people are now because of their experiences, not what’s in their blood.
No one has any moral right to do anything. Morality is a myth. We only have what does or doesn’t work, and right now we have to either trade some of that comfort for the comfort of others or watch the human race collapse under the weight of its dysfunction.
Is there a solution? Yes: be more considerate of other people and try to end their suffering. It can be done, but will it? Not as long as people think its impossible. As soon as we recreate it in or minds as an attainable goal it will become just that.
In case I’ve been misunderstood I am not saying this is the way things have to be or should be. I am saying this is the way things are and changing them isn’t going to be easy and can’t be legislated.
@Rob: fancy a pint sometime? You make more sense than that dicksucker’s friend.
@steakandcheese. If I said something that doesn’t make sense to you, please ask me to further explain myself rather than calling me a dicksucker. It’s ironic that you’re the one asking a guy out for a drink.
@anonymous. You posted anonymously, dismissed what I had said without reason and then stated your own view once again without anything to back it up. I therefore used humour to respond. Apologies for any offence caused.
This makes an interesting read http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/who-runs-the-world-solid-proof-that-a-core-group-of-wealthy-elitists-is-pulling-the-strings
Hah, sorry about that, meant to write “designer’s friend”. Honest.
Jeez, designer’s friend. Take your tinfoil hat off and come out of your bunker. If you look at the ads on that page and the comments below the article you’ll see you’re mixing with some serious loonies.
I think you and most of the commentators are way too pessimistic. No, political and corporate leaders won’t solve the world’s problems: they never have, because the problems are insoluble. You cannot reconcile so many conflicting claims. But, when the alternative is oblivion, we will as usual muddle through. I think.
@steakandcheese:
Always up for a pint and good dialogue. Alas, I fear we may be continents apart…
I’ve never heard that proposition before Rob. It sounds plausible although are you proposing compulsory retirement at 55 or are you saying it’s optional?
@steakandcheese. No problem, we have all wrote things wrong when we have been thinking about something else.
@anonymous. I had to laugh there. I agree with you about the crazy comments and ads, however, the content of the article was excellent and there are a lot of scary facts.
@Bill Kay. We are all doomed
@ John. Not compulsory. Voluntary. Certainly not everyone is in a position to retire on SSN at 55. They couldn’t live on it due to debt, mortgages, helping kids, etc. But there are a great many who would. Personally, I would sell everything I own and retire to central or south America, where people with a guaranteed income are welcomed with open arms and hearts. With my savings I could live quite comfortably on the beach in Nicaragua. Now let’s play a game of “what if?”
What if instead of bailing out GM and Goldman Sachs and all the other banks that got bailed out to the tune of trillions and trillions of dollars, the government had said: O.K. We will give anyone over 50 who wants it, one million dollars tax free to retire, but with three caveats. 1. You have to pay off your house. 2. You have to buy a new American car. 3. You have to opt-out of Social Security. Clearly, this wouldn’t appeal to everyone, especially if you lived in a $750,000 home. But for millions and millions it would be attractive. And it would have accomplished 4 things:
1. The banks would be flush with cash from everyone paying off their homes. 2. The automakers would have not needed a bailout because they would have sold a gazillion cars. 3. Social security would be saved, or at least well on their way to being saved. 4. Millions of jobs would have opened up for the “displaced” generation. Personally, I would have walked away with about $900,000, which I would start to spend on enjoying life. Not only would all that spending on travel and leisure and hobbies stimulate the economy, but the collective sigh of relief of millions of people not having to work anymore would have done wonders to elevate the happiness quotient of America. and the whole thing would have cost far less. I think government would do well to seek the input of creative people to solve complex problems, instead of relying on the idiot sons of idiot sons we keep electing to office. I’ll step down from my soapbox now. I just wish I could do it in Hyde Park.
Is this a joke? Inflation would go through the roof, the value of savings would plummet. Millions of people who contribute to the economy by working would stop and you’d fuck off to South America and spend your now worthless money there.
If you want to revive an economy you do it by educating people and developing infrastructure, not by encouraging them to stop working and start spending.
Rob, before Hyde Park you could start off with Upton Park…it’s a good sounding board over there!
@anonymous 40: You don’t contribute to the economy by working, you contribute by spending. And all those workers would be replaced by younger workers who are twiddling their thumbs in their parents’ basements right now. Or flipping burgers at McDs for minimum wage. As for inflation, how do you know? Plenty of bankers on Wall street paying themselves 6 and 7 figure bonuses every year and I haven’t seen inflation budge an inch–and they don’t even make anything. Oh, I get it. My ideas are too far out of the mainstream for you; too radical. Well if you champion the status quo you’re PART OF THE PROBLEM, NOT THE SOLUTION. I could envision some sort of incentive for the newly retired to help out by mentoring some of the younger people–get them up to speed to assume the reins, so to speak. I know, some people say I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one…
I wish I personally could give each and every American a million bucks regardless of their age and maybe they would ALL fuck off.
I love Russell brand, even if he doesn’t know whst the fuck he’s talking about, he is starting a debate and people are slowly going to pull their heads from their arseholes.
Rob, you confuse me, I always believed you economise by NOT spending hence the saying we need to economise my dear, those new tits will have to wait. Also banks make money from people being in debt to them. If everyone pays off their homes, the banks are screwed. One thing I do agree with you though is that people who champion status quo are part if the problem. I hate those long haired twats!
Fortunately or unfortunately, people don’t act (not so much) when they are in a bad context, as in a linear descent into “bad”.
People act when, suddenly, a dramatic dip occurs, and, from bad, we feel dramaticaly WORSE.
Corruption, massive inequality, empoverishment of nation-building middle classes, impotence, exhaustion both of the natural resources and the people, the very flawed principles of democracy (more or less representative, still is the hands of a very few) are, even in this times, cushioned by education, solidarity, families, NGOs, Health Services (empoverished as they are becoming), relentless common sense (“better this than war or rampant crime”, etc.), and, of course, good ol’ black economy.
All of them (and many others) serve the purpose of painkillers and lube in order for the clogs of our Western world to keep moving without proper (much needed or very unnecessary) revolutions.
Have a look outside the UK or USA (Detroit et al. notwithstanding). If, for example, Spain and Greece (almost 27% unemployement) are not burning in riot’s flames (as the most apocalyptics thought they would be), it isn’t cause their lovely politicians, or the very generous wealthy classes, are doing the hard work and leading hope. Quite the opposite.
What Mr. Brand criticises is also a matter of common sense. Things are not working as they should to benefit the mass population.
Consider this:
When the Crisis began, the voices to legally restrain and compulsorily change the way Capitalism works (banks, wild greed, loathsome bonuses, any type of financial bubbles…) were the stronger they had ever been.
After 5 weary years, Capitalism is doing better than ever. Bailouts for everything EXCEPT people. Nations, small/medium businesses, and people selling their assets at bargaing prices. The very strong few (USA, China, Russia, huge corps., the bloody rich…) buying and investing their way in an even more unequal and tightly controlled world.
And most of the nations, businesses and people being bought are fucking happy about it, beacuse today’s bread seems more important for us than half term weatlh redistribution. No head’s will be rolling in the (much needed or very unnecessary) 21st century’s guillotine.
As Ben and some of you say/feel (I do), of course we are accomplices of this. But that doesn’e mean we, as Mr. Brand fairly, facetiously and more or less resolutely has done, can’t argue or strongly complain about.
We all NEED to think about it. That’s a step. And if it takes a Comedian to spark talking and thinking in your part of the world, be it.
I don’t need Mr. Brand to set a perfect plan to achieve a bloody new Utopia. That should be the business of others, better qualified, pressured by us, the people.
What I need him is to make people question themselves more. That, in advertising terms, would be part of the success. Than comes the action.
BUT, for fuck’s sake, his advice on not voting… forget that part. We can forgive him on that. Voting is still one of the most important tools we may have in this flawed system. Vote blank when in dissagreement with all the cunts in power. But vote. Millions of blank votes are a MUCH better expression of dissatisfaction than not voting at all.
And pray for things not getting suddenly WORSE.
Oh, I just realized neither in the UK, nor in the USA you can cast a real “blank vote”.
We are doomed 🙂