My first thought was it was probably reactions to the trailer from last nights Ed Milliband interview promo,with Russell Brand, but I curiously clicked on and low and behold no, sure enough there it was, a considerably early edition of the Trews which usually appears on RustyRockets timeline around 5.30pm -6.30pm, I follow the editions daily so have a rough idea of when its going to appear, probably hoping it catches a big enough response to prompt a mention on the MSM news and some extra publicity for Mr Milliband, I thought and pressed the little arrow that started the ever so slightly longer episode of Russells Trews news.
Before I give my analysis of the interview I want to be clear that I am not a Labour supporter or particularly partial to Ed Milliband, I think he's bland, but thats not what this analysis is about, its about the content and merit of the interview.
I will however give him credit for having the courage in his vibrocity to do the interview so close to the election, because it reflects beyond a doubt his eagerness to reach a wider audience, not just of the 9.57m RustyRocket fan base & his twitter followers, but also without a doubt catching the attention of those who take pleasure in slating Mr Brand for whatever reason they find news worthy, Milliband by doing the interview is taking a risk in regard of winning or losing votes, but with the polls showing labour and conservatives as neck and neck, I guess he feels confident that its worth it, only time will tell.
Russell Brand I do like, although I don't always agree with his opinions, his opinion on not voting being just one of the issues I don't agree on, and I shall briefly explain why.
On 3rd April 2010 I tweeted "if i could and knew how i would start a peaceful revolution in the uk" I stand by that tweet I think the present system is rotten to the core & corrupt it needs to be totally dismantled, rethought & a new honest fair to all political system needs to be created.
BUT, I don't think not voting is the answer to that or how we revolutionize peacefully.
I also think that if we don't vote then we allow the same old corrupt people & powers to control the democratic process because the supporters of the establishment , the elite & the religious hierarchy their minions & followers will vote & thus will hold control, so if we want change we have to vote for what is closest to our own beliefs & political /social desires, then we have to keep up the pressure on those who represent us to make the changes we the people demand, cos thats their job,they work for us and we have the power to make or break them if we keep up the momentum of pressure and make our voices heard.
So, the Miliband Brand interview.
My first impulse was to look at the length of the interview which showed just under 16mins, longer than usual which I expected it would be but I reckoned probably not long enough to cover the important issue we'd expect to be covered adequately, I thought, 20 maybe 25 mins would have been more appropriate.
Russells intro & the primary niceties took 33 seconds & bang 1st obvious cut and edit, shoddy I thought and there appeared to be a few more cuts between that & 1min 1 second into the recording while Russell laid out the bases of his argument and the topic of suffragettes was raised & the validity & impact of the female vote. ED looked serious, although uncomfortable but composed, totally dismissing Russells appraisal saying "thats totally wrong, listing workers rights,the NHS, minimum wage, lesbian & gay rights,(the latter actually being the same thing) and continued the equal pay act of the 1970, Barbara Castle, conceding that it didn't happen! which beggars the question why not, but Ed didn't linger to give any kind of explanation as to why 45 years on from the 1970 Equal Pay Act there is still a substantial disparity between the pay of women & men, I mean its not like Labour haven't had ample time in government during the last 45 years to ensure that equal pay means equal pay in accordance with anti discrimination & workers rights legislation.
The equal pay act 1970 resulted from calls from the 1965 trade union congress resolving full support for the principles of equal treatment & opportunities for women workers in industry, calling on the General Council to request the government implement the promise of the right to equal pay for equal work as set out in the labour party manefesto. Thus showing the power of the people in action, putting pressure on government to act.
Unfortunately despite pressure from unions on going since 1965 the disparity in gender pay & inequality remains, and responsibility for these inequalities and inadequacies lies solely with government who have not imposed measures that insure employers comply with equal pay legislation.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1970/41
http://www.inbrief.co.uk/employees/equal-pay.htm
http://www.unionhistory.info/equalpay/roaddisplay.php?irn=820
Additionally the Conservative government under Thatcher have done everything they can to restrict the trade union movement & the power of united workers representing the peoples voice & workers rights .
Anti-Union Legislation: 1980-2000
Between 1980 and 1993 there were six Acts of Parliament which increasingly restricted unions' ability to undertake lawful industrial action. Secondary action, better known as 'sympathy strikes', was outlawed and picketing was restricted.
http://www.unionhistory.info/timeline/1960_2000_Narr_Display.php?Where=NarTitle+contains+%27Anti-Union+Legislation%3A+1980-2000%27
http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2008/11/04/great-miners-strike-1984-5-twelve-months-shook-britain-story-strike
Progress comes from people demanding change, politics responding, not all the way, and people pushing for that change to carry on said Ed.
mmm, strange I thought, not all the way??? but don't government work for the people, and isn't it there job to make the changes the people demand? apparently not.
but without politics without government the change doesn't happen says Ed .. well no Ed , goverment creates acts of law & legislation that can be in favour or against the peoples interests Thatcher introduced ANTI union legislation but the Blair labour government did nothing to reverse or change these unfair acts against the rights of the people the workers, and perhaps we should also remember France 1789-1799 change happened , and it happened because politics/ government wasn't working , wasn't considering the will or needs of the people and it wasn't nice, sure it could be argued without politics it wouldn't have happened but thats because life is politics, there will always be politics, the real issue is politics/ politicians getting it wrong & not doing their job which is to represent the will & needs of the masses, the majority thats what democratic society is supposed to be.
Next...
Russell trys to explain to Ed the majorities anger and frustrations related to the financial industries, Hsbc, libor, banking, scandals, no sorry, not just scandals fraud, criminality & tax avoidance without punishment for the corporations involved.
Ed interrupts here saying he's not trying to avoid the question regarding HSBC and asks , but do you understand my fundamental point? to which Russell replies The NHS yeah! ?????
This reflects a very bad cut & edit as no mention of the NHS has been made in the interview up to this point and I was left wondering what fundamental point wa made and how did I miss it, but after rewinding & replay several time to be sure I hadn't missed it I concluded neither the NHS or anything that could remotely be considered a fundamental point had been said by Ed, so I continued to watch and listen intently.
Russell continued to talk about the NHS points that had been edited out for whatever reason, which I can't say I understand but he then goes on to talk about PFI so I presume in the edit & cut thats missing the privatization of the NHS has been discussed and cut, why? I don't know, it again beggars belief, because this is a fundamental issue which the majority of the public are very concerned about and I am sure would like to have some frank discussion and answers on, but sadly we don't get them from Mr Milliband in this interview, but I guess when you consider that 4.5% of NHS services were outsourced to private providers under New Labour & there are at least 38 labour lords with vested interest in the privatisation of the NHS , Including lord Prescott & lord Mandelson its not surprising that its an area that Mr Milliband might not feel comfortable discussing a week before the election.
http://socialinvestigations.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/nhs-privatisation-compilation-of.html
I'v got to say in his defence, having read his parties manifesto, & if we concur in the interest of supposition that everything in the manifesto is true,allowing some of these cut edits to be shown which I suggest covered the topic of NHS privatization it just might & its a big might, have scored him some positive points with the public, but Nhs appears to have been cut, so I guess we'll never know.
& we'r e only 3 minutes 49 into the interview, Russell appears to be trying really hard to give Ed the opportunity to explain his position but is beginning to appear a little frustrated with Ed and Ed, well, Ed just isn't answering questions cohesively, is looking like a fish out of water, and I am beginning to loose my patience and interest in the whole bloody thing , but I'm determined to stick with it and give him the opportunity to convince me there is some validity to his political status which I have yet to witness.
So Ed states there are 2 issues here, does politics make change happen & what scale of change are we talking about, change has happen and will happensays Ed and, there seems to be another bloody editorial cut .
Russell asks will you confront those powerful interests? no answer more editorial cuts and Ed says , my whole argument in this campaign is whose the country run for, is it just run for the richest & most powerful or is it run for working people I think this is the biggest question we face as a country I think its the biggest question that most western countries face... i think a more equal society is a more successful society & thats why we need to have a system and a plan, thats what we've got in this election, to change the way the country works.
Ow do we do that ED? asks Russell ED makes a face like the egal on the muppets pausing...
At this point 5 minutes 17, I admit I screamed at the screen cos I haven't heard one straightforward sensible answer to any question asked, in fact I am thinking there are numerous questions the public want answers to in relation to the NHS, housing, pensions,Tax, benefits & wages in relation to inflation, zero hours contracts, austerity and of course corruption, MP's embroiled in child sex abuse scandals where do you stand on that Ed, wars we don't want to go into but government takes us into like Libya the crisis in Syria not to mention the never ending war crimes against the people of Palestine will you call for sanctions on Israel? and what about the refugee crisis this country has helped create but offers no solution or practical help & aid with for the millions of people we have rendered homeless & displaced but complain when they flee in terror and seek a new life in Britain what about immigration? what about trident and spending billions on nuclear weapons that can be never be used without destroying mankind the planet while children go hungry and live in poverty and deprivation?and yes what about the fucking corrupt unpunished bankers , what about HSBC while you claim not to be avoiding answering but haven't answered, when you gonna step up to the mark ED and give us some answers...
I ask myself am I being to impatient there is still 10 minutes to go, but so far there has not been one valid answer to a question & its possibly the worst episode of trews I'v ever watched, its beginning to piss me off, but I continue watching, waiting for some semblance of meaningful political discussion cos so far,I'm just not seeing it happen...
Ed answers and its a banking job, "we reform the banks, we need banks, banks are a good thing not a bad thing,"
mmm okay, so that suggest the fault is the bankers, Russell asks again could we see some of the bankers going to prison for rate rigging, libor scandal...
Ed looks like he wants to cry, and replies "of course if there is fraud committed by bankers..
Russell says its evident that there is ...
Ed repeats of course if there fraud committed by bankers but theres a bigger issue than that which is banking system that works for small businesses ...
I scream aww for fuck sake man gie us a fuckin break,
http://www.historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/why-have-no-bankers-gone-to-jail
http://www.maxkeiser.com/tag/libor/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwP7OGq68eo
I collect myself and carry on listening calmly,
Ed continues his campaign message speel on banking, energy companies, tax avoidance gonna make sure people don't avoid their taxes, non domes, bla bla fucking bla...
Tony Blair and the £8million tax 'mystery' http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/8999890/Tony-Blair-and-the-8million-tax-mystery.html
Russel looks well, its hard to describe his expression , its kind of , there are no words , bewildered perhaps but bless him he carrys on with an air of seriousness, composure and professionalism thats quite miraculous all things considered.
Bankers bail outs, shall we be discussing anything other than banks I ponder although I use the term discuss lightly cos this is hardly a discussion, and no questions have yet been answered by Ed Milliband that I can identify, perhaps its just me.
Ed explains it wasn't about the banks it was about ordinary peoples savings, yes it was Ed and who was rigging the interest rates, oh yes that was the banks and bankers, wait a minute did I just hear that correctly did Ed just say Northern Rock , but wasn't that in 2007 and who was in government then, oh yes Ed I beleive that would have been labour and prime minister Gordon Brown former chancellor of the exchequer!!
and who bailed out the banks oh yes the tax payer and did they have a choice was it put to the vote by democratic referendum if the public wanted to bail out the bank or let it sink or punish those responsible for the crisis & misery caused to the hard working people who lost out. , no Ed it wasn't.
OH yes Russell your soo correct we do have no choice.
And then more bla bla bla, and editorial cuts, which are frankly seriously embarrassing obvious.
and Ed says there is an alternative, its about how do you learn lessons,for me and its different for you obviously,its about how do you make practical change happen practical change people can believe in, now practical doesn't mean eah non existent, doesn't mean not real, bla bla... another cut & edit, Russell doing well keeping a serious interested expression at this point, body language arms now folded suggests he's wishing it was over already with 8 minutes to go, not accounting for cuts & edits out takes, so its turning into an endurance test I imagine for all concerned... and wow zero hours contracts gets a mention from Ed,telling Russell he'll be very angry with him if his team are on them.
Meanwhile In May 2014 The Daily Mail reported 62 labour MP's employed staff on zero hours contracts
I'm now pulling out my hair in frustration, waiting for answers, or even some different questions on the topics I mentioned earlier, but no Eds now telling us he has the power to take on and challenge the financial industry and corporations internationally, that a big assertion, but interesting for sure, but something tells me he's not really serious or maybe he's had a shandy or too by now cos he really isn't very convincing, maybe the edits are too blame but consistent with traits of all career politicians he's still avoided answering the questions asked, and Russell asks what about Murdoch and breaking up monopolies, Ed makes his funny upside down smile face, bla bla bla...he drones on ...
I'm thinking about sticking my head in the oven but its electric, please god let it end soon I whisper, I'v got to see it through to the end...
The thing I'd say to you about this says Ed, is these people are less powerful than they used to be..
I fall to the floor like a cadburys smash potato man and rollabout laughing my arse off...
Russell nods, yeah I get that...
But Eds not pledging its not about pledging apparently...
but wait a minute, Ed not looking for euphoria, no few of us are Ed , most of us are looking for honesty in our political hierarchy , an end to corruption, an end to inequalities and inadequacies in legislation and government, frank answers to serious questions on serious issues regarding our health and social welfare our economy and the illegitimate war machine promoted by government that costs us billions.
so in conclusion, I want to say reach your own, for me I agree with Russell it wasn't a perfect interview but if I must sum it up which I suppose I must I sum it up thus;
Ed Milliband is just another bla bla bland career politician with the same old bla bla bla badly rehearsed rhetoric that offers the same old corrupt system of empty unanswered questions on the important issues that affect the people, he ain't got what it takes to change things ... so I'll end with this
which pretty much nails exactly what i'm thinking.
