It's refreshing to hear a Liberal express his opinions...whether you agree or not. He seems to have a goal to improve society, but with no specific plan to achieve it...other than some sort of "Socialist Revolution" where wealth is forcibly redistributed from rich to poor. Btw, this guy is another multi-millionaire actor/comedian...(aka "the 1%") Does he believe what he says...or just pandering to the people that buy tickets to his show? ...you decide.
Out-of-touch liberals like Russell Brand are really, really stupid. Like you said, he wants a socialist revolution. JoeNation is probably in love with the guy.
When the rich start talking like that, I don't know how one can do anything but chuckle. The only redistribution of wealth he knows about is liberating his fan's money to himself. lol How come these multi millionaire socialists never seem to start their own communes. He could easily support 10 or 20 families in nice, socialist, egalitarian mini society. Show the world how it is done. Heck, become a corporation and tax the snot out of yourself to support the other families. lol
All I can say is that if you can discount the opinions of people based on their financial status, where does that crireria eventually get you? His opinion is just as valid as someone with $2.89 to their name. You not only listen the opinions of people like the Koch brothers, you actually march to their agenda. Just because they are doing it from behind the scenes doesn't mean their money is any different than Brand's money. If money was really the issue for you guys, there would be no Koch brothers sponsored Tea Party. The real issue here is that Brand is rich and expressing a liberal opinion that you don't agree with. You just don't choose to recognize your own hypocrisy like most people so you dismiss his opinion bassed on something that you accept without question from two guys much wealthier, much more influential due to their wealth, and simply more behind the scenes. Have you seen the Koch brothers Ad that actually tells people not to buy health care? These are two guys that could pay for any operation on earth with their pocket change telling young people not to buy health insurance. Why is that any different?
This is one aspect of the Left vs. Right debate that I find fascinating...who's correct? The Left: The Right:
I've never heard of the Koch brothers until now. Btw, the reason this video is so refreshing is that, for once, we get a Liberal expressing his "Plan" for uplifting society...unlike you, who hides behind Liberal talking points and offers nothing substantive to the dialog. I can't say that I agree with him, but it's refreshing to hear "something".
So you have no idea who is pulling your strings? I seriously doubt that. Citizens for a Sound Economy was co-founded by David Koch in the 1980s.[22] According to the Center for Public Integrity, the Koch Brothers donated a total amount of $7.9 million between 1986 and 1993.[1] In 1990, the brothers created the spinoff group Citizens for the Environment.[1] In 2004, Citizens for a Sound Economy was renamed FreedomWorks, while its affiliated Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation became Americans for Prosperity (AFP). Since then the Koch brothers have given more than one million dollars to AFP.[1][22][23] At an AFP rally in 2009, David Koch said "Five years ago, my brother Charles and I provided the funds to start the Americans for Prosperity, and it's beyond my wildest dreams how AFP has grown into this enormous organization."[23] AFP is the political arm of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, for which David Koch serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees.[22][24] Americans for Prosperity created Patients United Now, which advocated against a single-payer health care system during the 2009-2010 healthcare reform debate. Both FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity have provided support for the Tea Party movement.[25][26] Charles and David Koch also have been involved in, and have provided funding to, a number of other think tanks and advocacy organizations: They provided the initial funding for the Cato Institute, they are key donors to the Federalist Society,[22] and they also support, or are members of, the Mercatus Center, the Institute for Humane Studies, the Institute for Justice, the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, the Institute for Energy Research, the Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment, Heritage Foundation, the Manhattan Institute, the George C. Marshall Institute, the Reason Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute,[27][28] the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC),[29] and the Fraser Institute.[30][31] As of 2011, David Koch sits on the board of directors of the Cato institute,[32] the Reason Foundation and the Aspen Institute.[24] Cato Institute[edit] Following the 2011 death of William Niskanen, the co-founder and chairman of the Cato Institute, Charles and David Koch reportedly made an effort to procure the shares of that institute held by Niskanen’s widow, "arguing that they were not hers to hold".[33] Their efforts were criticized by some at the institute, including the institute's president Ed Crane, who in an email to staff stated that the Kochs were "in the process of trying to take over the Cato Institute and, in my opinion, reduce it to a partisan adjunct to Americans for Prosperity, the activist GOP group they control." The brothers denied any wrongdoing.[34] In June 2012, Cato and the brothers reached an agreement. Crane stepped down and was replaced by John A. Allison IV; the Kochs withdrew two lawsuits.[35] Freedom Partners[edit] An organization with ties to the Koch Brothers,[36] Freedom Partners, gave grants worth a total of $236 million to conservative organizations, including Tea Party groups like the Tea Party Patriots and organizations which opposed The Affordable Care Act prior to the 2012 election. A majority of Freedom Partners board of directors is made up of long-time employees of the Koch brothers,[37][38][39] and has been called "the Koch brothers' secret bank" for its function as a vehicle to provide large donations to external organizations that advance causes supported by the Kochs.[40]
I don't see your point...a couple of brothers that support Freedom and the environment. What's wrong with that? I support those things, too. You don't?
Are you just pretending to be that naive or is this something you have been trying to overcome your whole life? The idea that a major energy industry actually cares about the environment when they have proven so many times that they don't is just plain silly and sad on your part. If you want to continue to feign any knowledge of either the major backers of the Tea Party or how organization pick names that are exactly opposite of their real intentions, I will converse with someone more honest with themselves and me. If this is your idea of winning a debate, you are choosing to use ignorance as a surrogate for debate.
...and don't forget the still prevalent influence of the Teddy Kennedy faction of the far left movement... I think we've discussed some of this before...libs operate in the shadows, like a bunch of cock roaches...they know how stupid their agenda sounds when it's said aloud. That's precisely why fog-of- war is so hesitant to tell us (aside from the standard talking points) what he believes.
My nephew works for a company that contracts to the large oil producers (Shell, Exxon, etc). He has a Masters degree in Biology and GIS environmental studies from the University of Pennsylvania. His job is to predict and assess any environmental impact caused by ANY oil company operations. Yes...oil companies take environmental impact very seriously. Based on your post, the Koch Brothers donated $8.9 million (from the 1980's through 2004) to "Citizens for a Sound Economy" and "Citizens for the Environment". Not a huge amount of money, but generous none-the-less. If Conservatives don't support these initiatives, you call them "greedy", but when they do, you question their motives. If a grassroots movement sprung up in support of their initiatives...great! I've never been to a Tea Party rally, but I certainly support their positions. The middle class is Taxed Enough Already...we either need to cut spending or expand the tax base.
About 10 minutes ago - and it was not in the context of raising their taxes like Obama has done. When was the last time you even listened to the right?
I'm watching CNN right now and I've already seen two (2) commercials promoting real estate in Belize. A record number of the wealthy have been moving out of the country and relinquishing their citizenship to keep the US taxman out of their pockets. I know Joe will say, "Good Riddance! Don't let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya!" However, taxation isn't intended to be a punitive measure to strike back at those you envy. Taxation is to raise revenue to fund the necessary functions of government. There's a point where higher taxes actually reduce revenue. The goal should be to set a tax rate where maximum revenue is generated...whatever that rate happens to be. If that doesn't generate enough revenues to balance the budget, we either need to reduce spending or expand the tax base to generate additional revenues.
So we're quoting russel brand as liberal opinion? Is he even a us citizen? I know it's easy to spout hatred toward anything that sounds remotely "socialist" yet when it comes down to enjoying socialist benefits, such as social security, public schools and the interstate system, just to name a few, I never any complaining from the so called anti socialist right. Weird.
You don't have to be an American citizen to be Liberal. If you re-read the OP, I simply say it's refreshing to hear a Liberal express an actual plan of how they might address the shortcomings of society. It's up to each individual to decide whether or not they agree with his approach. Most Liberals speak in generalities, but don't offer any specifics...because their specifics make no sense. The interstate road system is a constitutional function of Government. Social Security is a pre-paid annuity. Public schools are a failure and should be privatized. There should be a College track and a Technical track and students compete for acceptance. Those that aren't accepted to either enter a six (6) year military enlistment after the 10th grade. Students that don't go on to college enter a four (4) year military commitment (at an elevated rank) after graduating High School. Except under extraordinary circumstances, I don't believe people should be deployed to a combat zone during their first term of enlistment...unless they volunteer and are accepted.
Yet they are still products of socialism whether you like it or not. Where any group combines to supply for another or themselves, is socialism. Ie, social security, free roads, schools and so forth. You may not like to admit it by spinning it, but it is what it is.
I hardly find that roads are free after getting my EZ-pass bill and I see the gas tax scrolling on the pump. I hardly find that Social Security is free when I get my W2 each year. I hardly find that schools are free when I get my property tax bill each year. I'm not sure I understand your point. If you're asking if I would rather forego these "Free Bees", then "Yes"...if I were given a choice, I would rather do without them.
