Russell Brand: $4 Billion Spent on Elections, But Feeding the Homeless is Illegal

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/hard-times-usa/4-billion-spent-elections-feeding-homeless-illegal



Russell Brand weighed in on the recent controversy surrounding the arrest of a 90-year-old Fort Lauderdale, Florida man whose only crime was violating a new city ordinance against feeding the homeless.

“He couldn’t look any more like an adorable old man, could he?” Brand began. “And yet he’s being ushered away by the police.”

“These values now aren’t the preserve of extreme activists, loonies in Anonymous masks tipping over police vans — they’re the values of elderly old war veteran men, because the values we’re talking about are just compassion and fairness.”

“There’s a prevailing idea,” he continued, “that there’s something ethically wrong with being poor, and that America’s run according to Christian values. But when people are practicing genuine Christian values, they themselves are directly prosecuted.”

[merrily]

1. Again: It's like "Back to the Future," after Biff got rich. To vote or not to vote: Brand debates

O'Donnell

[Bluenorthwest]

2. What's always missing from Russ that used to be part of what famous, spoiled, overpaid people

did when presenting their material as 'activism': There's supposed to be a section in which he says he sent lawyers to help the Florida man. But Russ will not, does not. He will exploit this man's plight and use it to build the Russell Machine, but he will not actually name the man, help the man, send funds, nothing.
So what good it his bleating and to whom? It serves as always only Russell, who is rich and spoiled and exploitative of those he claims to speak 'for'. Where is the part where Russ shares some of his vast pile of millions?
He preaches what he simply does not practice and while I used to like him very much, going back to before he blew up, I really can not bear the mediocre and inactive promoter of the status quo that he has become. Russell should be ashamed, but he's not because he's a selfish, greedy, fame craving self indulgence artist.
He's all talk. No action. Smile for the cameras Russ!

[whathehell]

3. Agree completely..

besides, he's a Brit. Maybe he should go home and lecture his own country.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. I want to be clear that I find him disappointing, that means I once was very impressed with his work

and I knew of him prior to his celebrity status and in his pre Big Movie days he was really something good.
He uses 'old man in Florida' in a way that serves Russ, but in no way serves the old man, who is not named, aided nor specifically located in the rant.
To make use of another in a way that primarily or exclusively benefits one's self is exploitation of the other.

[Dustlawyer]

5. I will take his help. He is doing something, he is raising awareness. I don't expect him to become

Mother Teresa. Stop attacking people because they do not drop everything and commit all that they have or do exactly like you would or should think they should be doing!

[Bluenorthwest]

7. You mean the way you are attacking me because I don't agree with you about an entertainer?

I speak for myself. I do not need your approval. Russell is a great disappointment as an artist. Have you seen his last few films? Have you? The first audition clip I saw of him years ago was the single best audition I have ever seen. Now he sucks rotten eggs for money.

[ReRe]

8. Do you know Russel Brand, personally?

Do you really know what he does with his money?

[zeemike]

12. I am SO tired of that right wing bullshit.

Of attacking the messenger by turning what they say back against them...it is done by the right wing all the time.
Remember when they would make videos that would ask people if they wanted higher taxes on the rich then they could send all their money to washington?...practice what you preach right? If you want government to have more money then donate but don't ask them to pay their fair share.

Fuck that shit...we let the criminals and sociopaths off the hook by attacking our own...and that seems to be the plan.

[randys1]

26. Yeah, Brand is annoying to me when he tells people not to vote, BUT at least he is SPEAKING out

in a way and from a platform that almost nobody else does.

Who knows what he does behind the scenes with his money, for all we know he his helping way more people than all of us here combined, we cant know that.

And I want him to stop telling Americans not to vote, but i dont want him to stop telling Americans to grow up.

[Shankapotomus]

17. Should one give to every cause one

opens their mouth about?

I don't know about you but I'm capable of pointing out way more injustice than I have resources to address.

Even with his millions, I'm sure the injustices of humanity far out pace Mr. Brands capacity to pay them to go away.

[joshcryer]

18. He's using the story in his media campaign "The Trews."

He's a multi-millionaire. He doesn't even have to give any money, just set up the fund, and advertize it. It's the difference between being a speak-tivist and an activist. Instead he advertizes for a march in Britian to help people facing eviction due to rate hikes in rent (where virtually anyone can get free housing).

[Shankapotomus]

19. But again

Does one have to take personal action on every injustice one points out? I mean, at some point it's the politicians who have to take action so we as community can direct our resources in a concerted effort to tackle injustice. One guy doing something privately is not going to fix it.

Are you saying Russel Brand has absolutely no causes at all he devotes his resources to?

[joshcryer]

28. This is one of those where the effort isn't that bad.

I understand one cannot expend effort for every injustice, but I think in this case it wouldn't be hard. The video has over 100k views. Would've been nice to tell a secretary or PR person who undoubtedly works for him to set something up.

Or at least, you know, go to the effort to find the information and support it: http://lovethyneighbor.org/how-to-help/make-a-donation/

Literally linking the fund is all he had to do.

[Shankapotomus]

30. If that's the case then

we're talking about condemning someone to liberal hell because they neglected to post a link online. If I may be so bold to suggest, the argument against Mr. Brand is getting somewhat ridiculous.

[joshcryer]

31. It's more than that for me.

I was hoping for an Occupy style organization being set up but it turned out to be a series of weekly YouTube videos. Brand has way more potential than he's expressing. I can be disappointed in lackluster results.

If he can't be bothered to link a fund to help someone he's talking about then I wonder what he can do in the future. I am not holding out much hope. But I equally hope I'm wrong. Millionaires can do stuff that regular plebs can't. I'm always disillusioned when rich liberals don't do anything with their resources, and am not merely singling out Brand.

[Bluenorthwest]

22. I'm saying when I first encountered him he was amazing and that he diluted himself

very quickly. As an activist, he's what he is. As an artist, he's not what he was. What he was was really worth paying attention to. I used to post his clips on DU.
If you don't think we should arrest people for feeding the homeless, then you need to be an active participant in society. He's telling Florida to leave those laws in place, stay home, do not change this. That's the problem. He's advocating two opposing things, first he says 'this law is bad' then he says 'don't vote to change any laws'.
I used to love Russell. He was my favorite. But I do not support this refusing to vote nonsense.

[Shankapotomus]

24. Well, then he's maybe guilty

of being poor at keeping track of his positions. I don't think he deserves to be scorned by liberals everywhere forever.

[raindaddy]

27. This is the same argument the republicans use..

You're using the same argument the right wing media uses against Michael Moore or anyone else who becomes successful and points out the many ways our system has become corrupted to the it no longer represents our interests. "Michael Moore is exploiting the very system that made him rich! If he's really practicing what he preaches why is he living in an expensive mansion and eating at expensive restaurants? What a self indulgent hypocrite, he's just exploiting the people he claims to support so he can build his personal empire!"

They've been doing it for years, spend hours on the air attacking the messenger then they don't have to address the message. And it works, they've ginned up all of these poor and middle class republicans who claim they hate Michael Moore even though he's in their corner. The RW media never mentions the fact that successful people like Moore, Brand, Damon, etc donate hours of their most precious commodity, their time and reputation.

So basically we're not going to allow anyone to point out that this government has been so corrupted it no longer represents our interests until they give away all their assets to the poor and disappear into the streets never to be heard from again? Perhaps they'll even feed the poor and get arrested like the old man you claim Brand is exploiting!

In your ad hominem attack on Brand you've ignored one important fact, Brand is getting airtime because he's witty talented and "famous". And it's the "money" he made that allows him to spend hours blogging his message and appearing on cable news shows that pay squat instead of working 60 hours a week struggling to make his rent.

[SomethingFishy]

33. Is it him or the message?

Would you say the same thing about Colbert or Stewart?


I'm grateful for anyone that has a public platform who points out just how ludicrous our country has become.

[Boom Sound 416]

4. Net worth - 20 million+

Typical

[True Blue Door]

9. Says the clown who told young people not to vote.

[groundloop]

11. EXACTLY..... and look at where people not voting got us

As already mentioned, I'd have a lot more favorable reaction to Russel if he put his money where his mouth is. And as far as his "involvement" in politics, telling people not to vote is asinine. GOPers couldn't have asked for a better spokesperson to reach young people of voting age.

[bbgrunt]

10. I guess there are some who would just rather these

arguments were not even voiced. "Shut up and sing."

The same arguments can/will be made against any media figure that has become well known enough to have his/her views covered on national media.

I, for one, will be grateful for the day when more millionaires had such views and were passionate enough to broadcast them. It would be a good thing

Stop trying to kill messengers.

[marmar]

13. K/R

[Takket]

14. What is so sick too is...

If we actually spent that 4 billion of dark money helping the homeless that 90 year old man would not be feeding them anymore because they WOULDN'T NEED THE FOOD! Then everybody would be happy! (Except the kochs).

[Sunlei]

15. local ordinances-the most oppressive of all. why won't the citys people call for ordinance change?

Seems like all Floridas local communities have bigger local Gov. , more ordinances, more fines, more jail, more local regulations every year. All directed towards the not- wealthy majority.

[democrank]

16. This thread should be studied to gain some understanding of what`s wrong here.

Here`s the issue.......4 BILLION DOLLARS ($4,000,000,000) was just spent on a mid-term election. Apparently that`s okay. A 90-year old man fed the homeless. Apparently that`s not okay.

Nothing else matters......not where Russell Brand was born, not what his politics are, not whether or not you like him. Why? Because the fact that a country with so much extra cash it could spend $4,000,000,000 on a mid-term election should be ashamed it has so many homeless people. That is far, far more important than commenting on Russell Brand. In fact, it should bother you so damned much that you would actually address it.

[Saviolo]

20. I'm discouraged

There are a bunch of problems going on here, and Russell Brand is not one of them.

The people who are complaining about Brand are not addressing the point of the discussion at all, only attacking Brand because he's... rich? Has a podium from which to speak? Isn't immediately busting the guy out of prison? Baloney.

This search for "perfect allies" has got to stop. No one is a perfect ally. It seems like, right now, the closer someone gets to being a perfect ally without actually getting there, the more they are denounced. It's like some kind of twisted uncanny valley. I watched the same thing happen to Macklemore after Same Love came out. Gay activists jumped all over him about how condescending that song was, and how "no homo" Macklemore sounded, instead of saying, "Hey, this guy just talked about the attitude towards gay people in hip hop music without being exploitative."

Also, Brand does not live in the USA, why would he ever in a million years get involved in a political struggle in the USA? He would be roundly (and rightly, I think) decried for meddling in the politics of another nation. Let him spend his money and time on political struggles where he lives. Having said that, if he wants to raise awareness of the absurdity of a system that spends $4billion on a political campaign, but arrests a 90 year old man actually feeding the poor, more power to him!

[PatrickforO]

21. Exactly

[99Forever]

25. We no longer discuss issues.

We demonize the messenger then shoot them.

[F4lconF16]

32. Yup.

It's very similar to a recent thread in which the whistleblower who broke her gag order was attacked for not coming out with the information about the banks earlier.

Absolutely disgusting

[JEB]

23. He makes an excellent point. eom

[whatchamacallit]

29. His excellent point will be lost in the shrieks

of vengeful bushbots obamabots.

[woo me with science]

34. kick