AFAIK, libertarians despise Russell Brand as a socialist. I disagree with Russell Brand about not voting, then again, I’ve never really heard some sort of valid strategy from him in that regard. It gets pretty amorphous after that.
This is his big manifesto thing:
Part of this thing on “not voting” FTM:
I don’t vote because to me it seems like a tacit act of compliance; I know, I know my grandparents fought in two world wars (and one World Cup) so that I’d have the right to vote. Well, they were conned. As far as I’m concerned there is nothing to vote for. I feel it is a far more potent political act to completely renounce the current paradigm than to participate in even the most trivial and tokenistic manner, by obediently X-ing a little box.
Total revolution of consciousness and our entire social, political and economic system is what interests me, but that’s not on the ballot. Is utopian revolution possible? The freethinking social architect Buckminster Fuller said humanity now faces a choice: oblivion or utopia. We’re inertly ambling towards oblivion, is utopia really an option?
Say what we will, he resonated with a lot of younger adults with this. I fear it’s a combo of appealing to frustration and laziness since he doesn’t really use the term “utopian revolution” again and dissect it with a plan.
The rest is pretty much ramblings such as this:
I deplore corporate colonialism but not viscerally. The story isn’t presented in a way that rouses me. Apple seems like such an affable outfit; I like my iPhone. Occasionally I hear some yarn about tax avoidance or Chinese iPhone factory workers committing suicide because of dreadful working conditions but it doesn’t really bother me, it seems so abstract. Not in the same infuriating, visceral, immediate way that I get pissed off when I buy a new phone and they’ve changed the fucking chargers, then I want to get my old, perfectly good charger and lynch the executives with the cable. They make their own product, which they’ve already sold me, deliberately obsolete just to rinse a few more quid out of us.
Still waiting for that plan for a “utopian revolution”.
Further along… a lot of stuff about how he’s not a hypocrite. Fine. He think women are beautiful. Thinks we should all have more of sense of humor. I was surprised to hear that from a comedian. See, I was being funny.
Onward…
Capitalism is not real; it is an idea. America is not real; it is an idea that someone had ages ago. Britain, Christianity, Islam, karate, Wednesdays are all just ideas that we choose to believe in and very nice ideas they are, too, when they serve a purpose. These concepts, though, cannot be served to the detriment of actual reality.
I can dig it. We don’t have to follow the rules that society thrusts upon us, we can break rules and create our own realities. Ok, now the plan to enact this en masse?
To genuinely make a difference, we must become different; make the tiny, longitudinal shift. Meditate, direct our love indiscriminately and our condemnation exclusively at those with power.
Ok, solidarity. I can definitely agree that a lack of solidarity is hurting positive change.
Revolt in whatever way we want, with the spontaneity of the London rioters, with the certainty and willingness to die of religious fundamentalists or with the twinkling mischief of the trickster. We should include everyone, judging no one, without harming anyone.
Lost me… contradictory la la land.
The revolution of consciousness is a decision, decisions take a moment. In my mind the revolution has already begun.
Can we somehow get a hold of Russell Brand, convert him with some rational discussion and use his brand to spread a message that voting isn’t the only thing to do, but it’s vital nonetheless. Can some sense be talked into him or is it hopeless?