(copied from elsewhere for archiving/sharing purposes, formatting and flow is probably a bit messed up as it was quickly lifted and adapted from a conversation) The whole point about figures of controversy who carry a serious message is that they live to provoke, and spark the debate, to bring change into being because it is proven time and again that you cannot change people;s minds for them, but you can lead them onto a path in which they will have the opportunity to change their minds for themselves. I have general misgivings about Brands apparent idolisation and much more about suggestions he should head up any sort of meaningful mainstream political movement. I think such a suggestion is verging on ludicrous, but Russell is far from the only person in the UK who is clued up to such a degree on these subjects - we share a lot of beliefs and passions but on the whole I feel we take different routes altogether towards approximately the same goals. Most people will not take what he says seriously, but many people will, and over time more and more people like Brand (in some ways but in others totally different) will emerge with various different routes and methods all of which resonate in different ways with different people until there is sufficient coverage that a revolution will actually start to appear feasible. Or something. To dismiss him as a pseudo-intellectual is simply short sighted, possibly even a little arrogant, imo. If you had the understanding that he has of the subjects he speaks about, from the angle he understands them, and if those things and the way he puts them across resonated with you, you wouldnt say that. I can however absolutely appreciate that his words will only really make sense to a minority right now. Whether that minority is significant enough and has the potential to grow and expand to incorporate other perspectives until the narrative being shot for makes real sense to a practical majority of people, is another question altogether but I strongly suspect (and not without good reason), that it is. While on the surface it might seem like hes just parroting the same old conspiracy bollocks youve heard a thousand times or more, it only appears this way if you havent otherwise got good reason to understand how and why his broader vision for the world and where it is going makes sense. Im sure nothing I can say about this will change opinions, but in a way that is exactly the point. The speed and reliability with which hes able to lucidly pull this complex and diverse information and theory up is the key to understanding this. Also the extent to which he has the capacity to floor most adversary points of view speaks volumes. Hes not just winging it, and its not some Darren Brown mind game either. And although there is a little bit of questionable bullshit peppered among the truth he speaks I can assure you it is essentially, for the most part, very much worth paying attention to. I dont believe his aim is to enter politics or to lead a revolutionary movement, as many have suggested or even called for recently (I wouldnt be entirely surprised to be proven wrong but I would also strongly and actively oppose such a thing), I do hope he achieves his goals though and I believe I see what hes shooting for. It helps to think of revolution as more of a long drawn out transition period rather than a guns blazing, throw the levers, change the locks, and hand power over to the bearded ones type affair that people like to imagine (or rather, the type that most people on some level fear even if they will not admit it even to themselves).
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 00:46:53 +0000
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