Russell Brand vs Brian May

And actually my comment isnt a non sequiter because many of your points are not in contradiction to Russell Brands, or Brian Mays. They are similar and you reach a similar conclusion in that you dont know what to do.

[QUOTE] [b]mooghead wrote:[/b]

They are both just as boring and ridiculous as each other when it comes to politics. Remember when Brian used to play guitar?[/QUOTE]

Does him being a guitarist preclude him from commenting about politics? I don't agree with him nor with Russel, but since he is a bright public individual with an interest in politics, he is entitled to comment.

About the Greens - these are renegades of their origins. The original Greens were ecofascist Nazis.

It doesn't preclude him at all.. the fact he was a famous guitar player means people are listening to the stuff he is spouting that really dont care about his political spiel.

The Greens are ok, they need an image overhaul. They need to start by changing the name.. 'Greens' implies hippies who shag trees and want the world to be vegan. What are their opinions on Europe and the NHS and immigration? Do they know? I dont.

[QUOTE] [b]thomasquinn 32989 wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE]
[b]AlbaNo1 wrote: [/b] [QUOTE] [/QUOTE]
Hi Russell, never knew you were a Queen fan
[/QUOTE]
your remark about Brian wanting to enfranchise badgers says all we need to know about the level you operate on with regards to discussions.[/QUOTE]

or he could've been joking?
just throwing that in for consideration

[quote]I don't have anything more to say that Russell Brand is an absolute moron[/quote]

I get Russell can across as annoying. I get that. However, i'm sick of people insulting Brand rather than counter-arguing the points he makes. Obviously people can hand pick a few things here or there which he says which they're not quite so sure about, but i don't understand how people can disagree with the majority of things he's pointing out - even if he does it in a slightly annoying way sometimes (and sometimes a funny way).

[QUOTE] [b]mooghead wrote:[/b]

'Greens' implies hippies who shag trees and want the world to be vegan. What are their opinions on Europe and the NHS and immigration? Do they know? I dont.[/QUOTE]
Call your nearest Green candidate and find out. I'm sure they'll have an answer.

Or do a quick google search like I did and you'll find something like this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11451936/General-Election-2015-Immigration-policy.html

http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/he.html

Your biases are getting the better of you. Green parties all over the world have complete platforms that include all the major issues, and they are not all a bunch of left wing loonies to be immediately dismissed because they make science the cornerstone of their platform. Indeed, you do have a point about the party name itself, but it isn't their fault that vegan naturopath morons have tainted the name in recent years. Green parties existed long before anti-vaxxers and hippies.

In Canada the Green party leader is Elizabeth May, who is by far the most intelligent person in our parliament. She was an advisor to Brian Mulroney's environment minister in the 80s. In other words - our Green party leader is actually a conservative. But most people don't realize that. She is no fool.

And if you do a bit of homework into who's running your Green party at home, I bet you'll find that they're no fool, either.

[QUOTE] [b]Supersonic_Man89 wrote:[/b]

i don't understand how people can disagree with the majority of things he's pointing out - even if he does it in a slightly annoying way sometimes (and sometimes a funny way).
[/QUOTE]

"Friends" was a successful show largely because the six characters were exaggerations of personality traits. When you stick out from the norm, you get people's attention and keep their interest. But while people like this approach in sitcoms and films, they don't like it when it comes to real life and issues that urgently need discussing. Our species is a funny bunch.

Politicians keep the status quo in place with their rhetoric, because the corporations with the money and power keep the campaign funding rolling in, and thus their jobs in place. But when anyone uses these exact same tactics from a retaliatory position, they are immediately dismissed. This simply illustrates how effective the method is when politicians do it. They've been doing it for long enough that they've almost branded the method for themselves and only themselves. And people call politicians idiots. Far from it. They are tacticians to the core. The more we see the corruption of the western system, the more we should be standing in sheer awe of the politicians who continue to get elected while they uphold the systematic inequality and corruption.

Fun fact - in France, corporate funding for elections/politicians is actually illegal. Some places in the world do get some things right.

Of course Brand is full of rhetoric and is being over the top. But look beyond the method and see the actual message. He's not a scholar, and he's not right about everything. But he's right about enough things (more than most politicians), so for that reason alone people should be at least listening intently before outright dismissing him. But he's fighting a losing battle. Unless people take to the streets like they did in Iceland, nothing is going to change.

/\ Good post. We should have a like button on this forum

[QUOTE] [b]thomasquinn 32989 wrote:[/b]

We don't want the transition from our current declining age to the next one to be like the last 'major' transition - through the blood of World War I and the poverty of the Great Depression.[/QUOTE]

But sometimes depressions are necessary. I cannot count how many stories I've heard from people in their 70s and 80s saying how the depression had a silver lining in the black cloud - that people simply took care of one another. There really is nothing like talking to old people to hear first hand accounts on what the world was like before television and commercial airlines.

In the early 30s most people ensured their neighbours had shelter and enough to eat. There was an overwhelming sense of selflessness. But when the depression ended, people once again returned to the old ways of protecting what was theirs. It's easy to be kind when you *and everyone else* has nothing. We need to learn from this and take the next step, which is to learn to cultivate this attitude when we are doing well.

Extreme events like war and depression are unfortunately the kick in the arse civilization sometimes needs in order to realize how good we once had it, and what truly is important. More broadly, life lessons tend to come from our failures and hardships, not successes.

Magnificent post, by the way. That fool who responded to you doesn't have one hundredth of your intellect or ability to communicate an idea.

[QUOTE] [b]Supersonic_Man89 wrote:[/b]

/\ Good post. We should have a like button on this forum[/QUOTE]

Thanks ! Just doing our best to make some sense here.

And we already have that - it's called the Queenzone facebook page ;)

*groan*


Here's a great current example of the right wing politics of maintaining the status quo. Even if one doesn't give a fuck about Canadian politics or know the names involved, this spells out everything that is wrong with the western socio-political model we currently adhere to.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-s-plan-for-the-middle-class-launches-spin-war-1.3060584

Furthermore - it is articles like this that have governments continuously decreasing funding to the public broadcaster (the CBC is like our BBC) as punishment for upholding their moral and journalistic integrity by actually doing their job as the media and reporting the news as it is without having to answer to corporate lobbies. This adherence to facts leads those in the positions of power (and those whom they hire to troll the news articles to "correct misinformation" - this is absolutely proven to be true) to accuse the public broadcaster of being a shill to the other political parties (with great success). And you won't find any of the private broadcasters reporting the news this accurately. Why? Because they *are* the corporate lobby. They are the ones who help fund the politicians, so they keep mum and the status quo continues. Neoliberalism wins every time.

Excellent posts, Wizard and Thomas ~~
The Trudeau Tax article was spot on.

I don't think Brian could go far on the politic road. He's too gentle for it. But at least he tries. I haven't. So thumb up to him.
I prefer him to focus on the guitar, which would benefit the human race more (in his particular case), but it is his choice and I respect it.

I hate politics, but it still stays, and it isn't going anywhere, so better to improve it than to ignore it.
On a side note, it needs more scientists in the government to create a more balanced and reasonable policy. But scientists generally aren't interested in it, because they think it's boring and rotten. So any scientists/artists going that road with a good intention are welcome.

I don't quite understand why Russel Brand was taken back by Brian's question. It is a thought-provoking question. Unless he wasn't taken back and the article made things up.
But his retort was kinda interesting. I can imagine the pressure that the good Doc put the band under when he's in a bad mood :D

[QUOTE] [b]hobbit in Rhye wrote:[/b]

Excellent posts, Wizard and Thomas ~~
The Trudeau Tax article was spot on.

I don't think Brian could go far on the politic road. He's too gentle for it. But at least he tries. I haven't. So thumb up to him.
I prefer him to focus on the guitar, which would benefit the human race more (in his particular case), but it is his choice and I respect it.

I hate politics, but it still stays, and it isn't going anywhere, so better to improve it than to ignore it.
On a side note, it needs more scientists in the government to create a more balanced and reasonable policy. But scientists generally aren't interested in it, because they think it's boring and rotten. So any scientists/artists going that road with a good intention are welcome.

I don't quite understand why Russel Brand was taken back by Brian's question. It is a thought-provoking question. Unless he wasn't taken back and the article made things up.
But his retort was kinda interesting. I can imagine the pressure that the good Doc put the band under when he's in a bad mood :D
[/QUOTE]

Brian has focused on his guitar quite enough, and the human race has more than had its share of benefit from this. His guitar heyday has passed, and that's why he now concentrates on other things things besides the guitar. He spent the 70s and 80s completely focused on that instrument.

Brian has been up Brand's arse for months now. Constantly mentioning Brand in tweets, hoping to get some response, it was becoming quite cringe worthy. At least Brian has Brand following him on Twitter now.

As for his common decency thing, I agree with a lot of what he appears to be trying to achieve. The problem is, you're only a 'decent' person/politician if you agree with his views! And as for being 'colorblind', he is, as long as you belong to a left wing party.

the problem now is that with Brand now endorsing the Labour Party - this could have one of TWO equally obvious consequences
1] plenty of Brand's 9m twitter followers vote labour
2] millions of undecided voters react to him voting labour by "not voting the same way as that t*at"

I really hope that 2] doesn't happen - as five more years of the current administration is bad for everyone except rich businessmen (regardless of who you voted for last time)

It looks like it will cone down to the same two parties with such a narrow majority that another coalition maybe the only way forepward again.

brENsKi is right about Brand siding with Labour, and also right when he says we need a change. The disturbing thing is that it my come down to a simple choice for many people. Fix the economy or save the NHS, although the political landscape is far more complex than that. Something it would appear is beyond Brands understanding in many ways.

Wizards coments about the Green Party in Canada are interesting, I think in the UK they are not taken seriously for a number of reasons, not least the fact that they seem unable to present any budgeting details that are based on anything other than an idea that hasn't been thought through.

UKIP's reasoning for leaving Europe makes good sense on the boarder control issues but shows total disregard for any wider economic grounds. For example a huge percentage of the UK car, van and truck building industry is lined by Germany, Japan and China. The eastern counties use UK production as a means to supply Europe, and BMW some of their brands in the Uk. If UKIP are given the power to govern they will run the county into the ground through creating unemployment and rising prices.

Back to Brand, him showing a political interest may focus young people on the idea of voting which is maybe the one really positive thing he can achieve.