Russell Brand is someone who always struck me as someone who was an attention seeking fanny and whilst this might be true this week I have really came to respect his quality as an entertainer. In an attempt to line my pockets with gold and silver I have been doing a bit of an attempt at decorating (‘attempt’ being the operative there) and vacate myself from the mindlessness of such activities I have been occupying myself with podcasts – Adam & Joe; Stephen Fry; Ricky Gervais; BSM Records; Danny Wallace; Russell Brand. These have all been my company this week, and special attention given, surprisingly, to the off-centre humour of Brand et cohort Matt Morgan.
He speaks of Revolution – albeit in a narcissistic, comedic, self-serving way – and other podcasters often seem to fall back on discussing their childhood thoughts and imaginations. Both of these things have literally just reminded me of something I went through a phase of doing.
Rebellion ran thick through my veins like Nitrogen in a diver suffering the benz, I wanted change. From what I knew not, and to where I could only imagine. But the lure of the encircled A (ANARCHY!) held a promise of freedom and fun that would be thoroughly unrivalled. So in an attempt to inspire rebellious thoughts and deeds, and probably to show a strong third-digit to that figure head of our fascistic state that Bitch The Queen (OK, that is probably hyperbole but I’m trying to communicate the naivety and optism of youth), I used to scratch an ‘A’ the size of the coin over the Queen’s head on coppers thinking that when they go back into circulation people will see them and it would make a difference.
Obviously that was an idiotic thing to do, and for pretty idiotic reasons. I didn’t have any clue what Anarchy actually really meant (NO RULES, MAN!) and still don’t, to be honest.
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon’s stark idea that “All Property Is Theft” has come, about ten years later, into my consciousness via University assignments and Wikipedia providing me with a better understanding of where that little A had originated from. I think I quite like the idea of opposing profiteering organisations that don’t really work for their vast vast profits. Hello British Gas and various money-lending institutions. I’m thinking something along the lines of “Nationalise them all and keep pricing fair to the consumers who actually fuel the economy”. Does that make me Anarchist, or socialist?
Also, we need free electric trams or a monorail to ease congestion/traffic pollution for shorter journeys within suburbs/towns.
I don’t subscribe to global warming but a monorail sure would be fun.
October 23, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Nationalisation is a socialist principle, I think with thoughts like what you mentioned.. it’s how things sort of kick off. Proudhon was the father of anarchic thinking.. I guess, socialists might say all property is theft and that it belongs to the state but anarchists will say all property is theft, to ‘own’ something is to hold it back from someone else and there is nothing written in the sky which says it’s yours.. but as with most of history it’s whoever can exert the will to power over other individuals which really owns property.. i would say. It’s all a big fight really, the war of the gods of the lower case g.
I would say it’s in many cases it is only a matter of degree’s which distinguish ’socialism’ in practice to national socialism or fascism.. who defines the limit? All forms of control among people are oppressive I’d argue.. which I think is what Proudhon is his works voices, that isn’t to say there is no authority however I’d say.. but to make it lasting and meaningful it would have to be bigger than people. Something transcendental.
Theres a tension between something which unites people and something which controls them. We’re all slaves to something however I’d argue, it’s what which is the question.
Cool post.
October 23, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Wow, I’m quite impressed you managed to find some manner of coherence from my post, it was essentially just a shitstorm of loose ideas that are unfinished (I guess thats quintessentially blogging, though) and not well researched.
I think I just quite liked how my thoughts naturally went from Russell Brands podcast >> anarchism >> childhood >> Proudhon.
I agree that “to make it lasting and meaningful it would have to be bigger than people. Something transcendental.” Kind of like some kind of innate mechanism in everyone allowing for tolerance and harmony etc?
In a round about way I think the way Jimmy Wales explains how Wikipedia works as a community is quite relevant, and interesting. I suppose its just a case of MeatSpace being a different kettle of fish to the interweb. (He talks about it here: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jimmy_wales_on_the_birth_of_wikipedia.html)