Ok, to be clear - Glenn definitely does NOT agree the socialist revolutionary part of Russell Brand’s comments. That said, on radio this morning, Glenn argued that we must recognize the truths Brand articulated in a very candid interview with the BBC’s Newsnight.
During the interview, Brand openly call for a socialist-style “revolution” and the “massive redistribution of wealth,” he also urged people not to vote or participate in the “facade” that is modern-day politics. In his opinion, “the lies, treachery, and deceit of the political class that has been going on for generations” makes voting a pointless.
“When you hear people talking about revolution in Europe, you should be very concerned because the way revolution is understood in Europe is that the right is fascist and the left is communist. And those are your only two choices,” Glenn explained. “America has so discredited herself with progressivism over the last 100 years, nobody believes in true freedom, nobody believes in the power of the individual, that all men were created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. And everybody in Europe doesn’t look to us as an example. They say, ‘They are just like us. Just like us.’”
“So when you hear people, especially in Europe, talk about revolution, and you talk about hot revolution, people in the streets. Warning. It's not going to end well,” he continued. “If you thought Russell Brand was a total and complete moron before, here he is sitting in a very expensive hotel room talking about how much he hates the rich.”
Watch the interview from Newsnight below:
In the interview, Brand blames his addiction to drugs on the evil corporations. While Glenn found himself in agreement with Brand that “large corporations [i.e. Google and GE] are coopted by the Federal government.” No one can blame his/her addiction on a corporation.
“If anything, the government is doing things to prevent you from becoming a drug addict. Whether or not they should do this. They are talking about substances that cause addiction illegal,” Stu said. “I don't think the government is getting you addicted to drugs.”
BRAND: …also don't feel like they want to engage with the current political system because they see it doesn't work for them. They see it makes no difference. They see they are not served.
REPORTER: Of course it doesn’t work for them, if they don’t bother to vote.
BRAND: Jeremy, my darling, the apathy doesn't come from us the people. The apathy comes from the politicians. They are apathetic to our needs. They are only interested in servicing the needs of corporations. I mean look at the Tories taking the EU to court because they are trying to curtail the bank bonuses. Isn’t that what’s happening at the moment in our country? Isn’t it?
“Stop for a second. The guy is a moron, Stu. But what part of this is not accurate.” Glenn asked. “They don't care about the average person. Government does not care about the average person. They only care about their ‘real’ constituents, the ones who have money, the corporations.”
“Because we know what he is actually saying. He's saying the answer to this is much, much, much more government,” Stu responded. “I know his answer.”
“I know that, but we didn't get to the answer yet. And this is the problem. This is how they are going to win, if we don't recognize that what he's saying in the first half is 80% true,” Glenn pleaded. “Government is not making you a drug addict. That's your choice. That's a Marxist philosophy – that government always controls me. No, no, no it doesn't. Even in a concentration camp. You still have a choice. So the government doesn't control your choices, you do. Beyond that, everything else that he is saying here so far is pretty fair.”
Pat was still not convinced. “I don't know about that,” he said. “I don't know about that.”
“You are telling me that our government – and I know he's talking about England, which is further down the road than we are,” Glenn said. “But you are telling me that our government cares more about the individual than they do their real constituents of power, labor, and corporations?”
“No, but he's saying much more than that,” Pat reiterated. “He's blaming not just the government. He's blaming the corporations – because they make money, they are causing other people to be poor. He's saying it. He's about to. He's blaming his drug addiction on corporations!”
Glenn, however, still believed Pat and Stu were being too narrow minded.
“See, here's the problem. 80% of what he's saying is true. 20% of what he's saying – no. Guys, if we don't recognize, we'll never be able to recognize,” Glenn reiterated. “If we don't recognize that the system is no longer set up to listen nor care about the individual. They will do smoke and mirrors to the individual, but all they care about is the people in power, the people that have money, giant corporations, or labor. That's all they care about.”
“Second thing, I agree, we're erasing the middle class. The world's middle class in the last 10 years is being slowly erased. We are being impoverished. And you watch what is going to happen with the Fed. As they devalue our money, those who are in the know, those who are playing the game, they are going to have money… You won't have it,” he continued. “And so, the government, the elites, the corporations, labor, anybody who is in the special groups, they will be able to survive… We're headed toward cataclysmic shifts on that because we no longer believe in true freedom. His answer to the problems are wrong. His answers are wrong because he doesn't understand what America stood for and really means. But most Americans don't either.”
