Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Selling brand Russell - idiocy writ large.

Russell Brand uses a lot of words to say nothing very much at all. One example of the efficacy of voting is that in Australia it is compulsory and while the political system is far from perfect, Government is and always has been, pretty effective and society, has been comparatively, more balanced. The least effective societies are those where the least people vote; the most dysfunctional and unjust are those where people are not and were not allowed to vote!

Brand of course is talking about the US where things are worse and trying to project it onto the UK where he doesn't live and has never voted anyway.

He calls for revolution with absolutely no idea of what mythical, fantastical system can replace democracy - one where no-one has to vote, clearly in his opinion that doesn't work, and where wealth is equally distributed - fall about laughing - who is going to make that happen, particularly in the US where inequality is the greatest and where most Americans are armed to the teeth -  and where there is less injustice.

And given that the place most in need of change is the US, which strictly speaking is not a democracy anyway, but a constitutional republic, how on earth does Brand think that change can be brought about without violent revolution? All those guns again. All that fear and hatred of Government which is so particular to Americans. The US is largely ungovernable as it is so just who and how is the current system to be changed if not through voting?

Is he suggesting the rich and powerful will just hand over and share? Is he suggesting that Americans, or anyone for that matter, will say sure, let's end voting and let's ponder what we replace our system with? Is he suggesting that the military take charge - plenty of historical evidence for that - all of it bloody?

Just how, without a system where citizens can register their opinion, a vote, can any system be changed without violence? And never more so than in the US where 300million guns, including military assault weapons, are in the hands of most Americans who live in fear of just such a scenario. Any such move would make most Americans as fanatical as the Preppers.

But in terms of Brand's wishlist, sure, everyone wants a better world, more justice and equality. That would be great - bring it on but the reason no-one has any system which could bring that about is because it is simply impossible. Brand like so many has no perspective on history - at this point in time, the evil, developed, democratic world and the influence it has on the undeveloped world means, more people on a percentage basis live with more freedom and quality of life than at any other time in history.

That would be great - bring it on but the reason no-one has any system which could bring that about is because it is simply impossible. Brand like so many has no perspective on history - at this point in time, the evil, developed, democratic world and the influence it has on the undeveloped world means, more people on a percentage basis live with more freedom and quality of life than at any other time in history.

'But it isn't perfect,' moans Brand. 'No, it isn't but it is far better than it was and far better than in countries where people don't vote.'

Only an idiot calls for revolution, they are never pretty and always violent, without having some idea of what might be put in place after the revolution.

Brand may sound intelligent, and maybe he is, but he doesn't have a shred of common sense which is far more important. Neither does he, living in the US, really have any idea of how well democracies can work in other developed nations.

But, if he makes people think and talk about their society and their political system then all to the good. We do need to improve things but only backward and fear-ridden societies believe it needs revolution. The revolutionary approach was what brought democracy to birth in the first place. A little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing and never more so than in the mind and mouth of the rich and famous.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-29/berg-voting-is-futile-but-elections-are-necessary/5052418

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