#@rustyrockets

#BEWARE http://wp.me/s48uEX-beware

My next post is a comment I made on Russell Brand’s YouTube channel (in this case with a few edits):

Russell Brand, I must commend you for the great feat you have pulled on these looneys. It’s very rare for a public figure such as yourself to see through all the bullshit, and decide to do something positive about it. Most public figures are either cowards or apathetic and don’t want to get…

Firstly, we're not connected in anyway.  I've never met the man.  Nothing I do is his fault :)

I started this blog and the twitter account on the 21st October, not two days later I saw his Spectator editorial followed rapidly by his Paxman interview.  Suddenly, my amateurish cartooning had been overshadowed by a man saying the same sorts of things in a very personal, articulate and erudite way.  He was presenting a manifesto, one with which I broadly agree.  I considered deleting my nascent little project but decided to instead be heartened that I won't be a lone voice in the wilderverse.  

In terms of reach he's got two distinct advantages over this humble blog.  One is his audience, he is a massively talented, divisive, media-friendly and funny man and so has many follower, he's also not an anonymous coward hiding behind a nom-de-plume (albeit on that pushes the narrative,) like me.

Where perhaps (and perhaps not) we part ideological company is that I don't believe voting is a mistake. I believe voting for THESE PEOPLE is a mistake.  Parliament, the country, the land - these things belong to us.  Not to the security state, not to the aristocracy, not to foreign investors, not to politicians but to US (that's us in upper case, by the way, not The US, though you'd be forgiven for being confused.)

We need to take these things back and with them, our country.  I believe the ballot box is a valid way for us to do that.  But first we need to stop voting for these people.

Our parliamentary system presents an opportunity, by accident of design, for us to send local delegates to  represent our local area in the capital city.  To argue and debate for the interests of OUR areas - to get that road built, that school refurbished, that crossing moved.  That is their purpose, but it's been hijacked by political parties and a press that keeps telling us that this is a good thing.  It is not.

There's an argument that stripping the mainstream parties of our support provides legitimacy to the extremists, who will attract voters.  For me, this is nonsense.  For a start, hardly anyone is going to pay attention to campaigns like this.  Secondly 5% of a population cannot affect change.  They just can't.  

So if you've got a local independent candidate who's not a frothing at the mouth racist and wants to get something done in your area, then for goodness sake vote for them.  If you're thinking of voting Tory, Lib-Dem, UKIP or Labour for goodness sake get a grip and go to the pub instead.  Nobody could do a worse job than them.