Paxman vs Russell Brand - full interview - BBC Newsnight

[0:04] Russell Brand, who are you to edit a political magazine? [0:07] Well, I suppose like a person who's been politely asked by an attractive woman. [0:12] I don't know what the typical criteria is. [0:14] I don't know many people that edit political magazines. [0:16] Boris, he used to do one, didn't he? [0:18] So I'm a person with crazy hair, quite a good sense of humour, [0:21] don't know much about politics, I'm ideal. [0:23] But is it true you don't even vote? [0:25] Yeah, no, I don't vote. [0:27] Well, how do you have any authorities to talk about politics then? [0:30] Well, I don't get my authority from this pre-existing paradigm [0:33] which is quite narrow and only serves a few people. [0:36] I look elsewhere for alternatives that might be of service to humanity. [0:42] Alternate means alternate political systems. [0:45] They being? [0:46] Well, I've not invented it yet, Jeremy. [0:47] I had to do a magazine last week, I've had a lot on me plate. [0:50] But I say, but here's the thing it shouldn't do. [0:53] Shouldn't destroy the planet, shouldn't create massive economic disparity, [0:57] shouldn't ignore the needs of the people. [0:59] The burden of proof is on the people with the power, [1:02] not people like doing a magazine. [1:03] How do you imagine that people get power? [1:07] Well, I imagine there are sort of hierarchical systems [1:09] that have been preserved through generations. [1:11] They get power by being voted in, that's how they get it. [1:12] Well, you say that, Jeremy, but like... [1:13] You can't even be asked to vote. [1:14] It's quite a narrow, quite a narrow prescriptive parameter [1:18] that changes within the... [1:20] In a democracy, that's how it works. [1:21] Well, I don't think it's working very well, Jeremy, [1:24] given that the planet is being destroyed, [1:25] given that there is economic disparity of a huge degree. [1:28] What are you saying? There's no alternative. [1:29] There's no alternative, just this system. [1:30] No, I'm not saying that. [1:31] I'm saying if you can't be asked to vote, [1:33] why should we be asked to listen to your political point of view? [1:35] You don't have to listen to my political point of view, [1:37] but it's not that I'm not voting out of apathy. [1:40] I'm not voting out of absolute indifference and weariness [1:43] and exhaustion from the lies, treachery, deceit [1:46] of the political class that has been going on for generations now, [1:49] and which has now reached fever pitch, [1:51] where we have a disenfranchised, disillusioned, despondent underclass [1:55] that are not being represented by that political system. [1:57] So voting for it is tacit complicity with that system, [2:01] and that's not something I'm offering up. [2:02] Well, why don't you change it, then? [2:04] I'm trying to. [2:05] Well, why don't you start by voting? [2:07] I don't think it works. [2:08] People have voted already, [2:09] and that's what's created the current paradigm. [2:11] When did you last vote? [2:12] Never. [2:13] You've never, ever voted? [2:14] No. Do you think that's really bad? [2:16] So you struck an attitude, what, before the age of 18? [2:19] Well, I was busy being a drug addict at that point, [2:20] because I come from the kind of social conditions [2:22] that are exacerbated by an indifferent system [2:24] that really just administrates for large corporations [2:26] and ignores the population that it was voted in to serve. [2:29] You're blaming the political class for the fact that you had a drug problem? [2:32] No, no, no. [2:33] I'm saying I was part of a social and economic class [2:36] that is underserved by the current political system, [2:39] and drug addiction is one of the problems it creates [2:41] when you have huge, underserved, impoverished populations. [2:45] People get drug problems, [2:46] and also don't feel like they want to engage with the current political system [2:50] because they see that it doesn't work for them. [2:52] They see that it makes no difference. [2:54] They see that they're not served. [2:55] Of course it doesn't work for them if they didn't bother to vote. [2:57] Jeremy, my darling, [2:58] I'm not saying that the apathy doesn't come from us, the people. [3:01] The apathy comes from the politicians. [3:03] They are apathetic to our needs. [3:04] They're only interested in servicing the needs of corporations. [3:06] Look at what, ain't the Tories going to court [3:08] and taking the EU to court [3:10] because they're trying to curtail bank bonuses? [3:12] Is that what's happening at the moment in our country? [3:14] It is, isn't it? [3:15] So why am I going to tune in for that? [3:17] You don't believe in democracy. [3:18] No, I need to. [3:18] You want a revolution, don't you? [3:20] The planet is being destroyed. [3:21] We are creating an underclass. [3:23] We are exploiting poor people all over the world [3:25] and the genuine and legitimate problems of the people [3:27] are not being addressed by our political class. [3:29] All of those things may be true. [3:31] They are true. [3:32] But you took... [3:33] I wouldn't argue with you about many of them. [3:35] Well, how come I feel so cross with you? [3:37] It can't just be because of that beard. [3:39] It's gorgeous. [3:39] It's possibly because... [3:40] And if the Daily Mail don't want it, I do. [3:42] I'm against them. [3:44] Grow it longer. [3:45] Tangle it into your armpit hair. [3:46] You are a very trivial man. [3:49] What do you think? [3:49] I am trivial? [3:50] Yes. [3:50] A minute ago, you were having a go at me because I wanted a revolution. [3:53] Now I'm trivial. [3:54] I'm bouncing about a lovely place. [3:55] I'm not having a go at you because you want a revolution. [3:57] Many people want a revolution, but I'm asking you what it would be like. [4:00] Well, I think what it won't be like is a huge disparity between rich and poor, where 300 [4:06] Americans have the same amount of wealth as the 85 million poorest Americans, where there [4:13] is an exploited and underserved underclass that are being continually ignored, where [4:17] welfare is slashed, while Cameron and Osborne go to court to defend the rights of bankers [4:22] to continue receiving their bonuses. [4:25] That's all I'm saying. [4:25] What's the scheme? [4:26] That's all I'm asking. [4:27] What's the scheme? [4:28] You talk vaguely about revolution. [4:30] What is it? [4:31] I think a socialist egalitarian system based on the massive redistribution of wealth, heavy [4:35] taxation of corporations and massive responsibility for energy companies and any companies that's [4:40] exploiting the environment, I think the very concept of profit should be hugely reduced. [4:46] David Cameron says profit isn't a dirty word. [4:48] I say profit is a filthy word because wherever there is profit, there is also deficit. [4:52] And this system currently doesn't address these ideas. [4:55] And so why would anyone vote for it? [4:56] Why would anyone be interested in it? [4:58] Who would levy these taxes? [5:00] I think we do need to, like, there needs to be a centralised administrative system, but [5:03] built on... [5:03] A government? [5:04] Yes, I... [5:05] There needs to be a government? [5:06] Well, maybe call it something else. [5:07] Call them like the admin bods, so they don't get ahead of themselves. [5:09] And how would they be chosen? [5:11] Jeremy, don't ask me to sit here in an interview with you in a bloody hotel room and devise a [5:16] global utopian system. [5:17] I'm merely pointing out that the current... [5:19] You're not calling for revolution? [5:20] Yeah, absolutely. [5:22] Absolutely. [5:22] I'm calling for change. [5:24] I'm calling for genuine alternatives. [5:26] But there are many people who would agree with you. [5:28] Good. [5:28] The current system is not engaging with all sorts of problems. [5:31] Yes. [5:32] And they feel apathetic. [5:34] Really apathetic. [5:35] But if they were to take you seriously and not to vote... [5:39] Yeah, they shouldn't vote. [5:40] They should... [5:40] That's one thing they should do. [5:41] Don't bother voting. [5:42] Because then when it reaches... [5:43] There's a point... [5:43] So these little valves, these sort of, like, little cosy little valves of recycling and [5:48] Prius and, like, you know, turn up somewhere, it stops us reaching the pit point where you [5:52] think, oh, this is enough now. [5:53] Stop voting. [5:54] Stop pretending. [5:55] Wake up. [5:56] Be in reality now. [5:57] Time to be in reality now. [5:58] Why vote? [5:59] We know it's not going to make any difference. [6:00] We know that already. [6:01] It does make a difference. [6:02] I have more impact at West Ham United. [6:04] cheering them on. [6:05] And they lost the city unnecessarily Saturday. [6:08] Okay, well, now you're being facetious. [6:10] Well, facetiousness has as much value as seriousness. [6:13] I think you're making the mistake of mistaking seriousness. [6:16] We're not going to solve world problems by facetiousness. [6:19] We're not going to solve them with the current system. [6:20] At least facetiousness is funny. [6:23] Sometimes. [6:24] Yeah, yeah, sometimes, Jeremy. [6:26] So listen, so let's approach this optimistically. [6:28] You've spent your whole career berating and haranguing politicians. [6:31] And then when, like me, a comedian goes, yeah, they're all worthless. [6:34] What's the point in engaging with any of them? [6:35] You sort of have a go at me because I'm not poor anymore. [6:38] No, I'm not having a go at you about that. [6:40] I'm just asking you why would you take you seriously when you're so unspecific? [6:45] You don't have to take it. [6:46] Well, firstly, I don't mind if you take me seriously. [6:49] I'm here just to draw attention to a few ideas. [6:52] I just want to have a little bit of a laugh. [6:54] I'm saying there are people with alternative ideas that are far better qualified than I am [6:58] and far better qualified, more importantly, than the people that are currently doing that [7:02] job because they're not attempting to solve these problems. [7:05] They're not. [7:05] They're attempting to placate the population. [7:08] The measures that are currently being taken around climate change are indifferent, will [7:11] not solve the problem. [7:13] It's possible as human beings they're simply overwhelmed by the scale of the problem. [7:18] Not really. [7:18] Well, possibly. [7:19] It might be that. [7:19] I mean, but that's sort of just semantics, really. [7:21] Whether they're overwhelmed by it or tacitly maintaining it because of habitual life. [7:25] I mean, mate, this is what I noticed when I was in the House of Parliament. [7:29] It's decorated exactly the same as Eton. [7:31] It's decorated exactly the same as Oxford. [7:32] So a certain type of people goes in there and thinks, oh, this makes me nervous. [7:35] And another type of people go and they go, this is how it should be. [7:38] And I think that's got to change now. [7:40] We can no longer have erroneous, duplicitous systems held in place unless it's for the [7:45] only systems that serve the planet and serve the population of the planet can be allowed [7:49] to survive. [7:50] Not ones that serve elites, be they political or corporate elites. [7:53] And this is what's currently happening. [7:55] You don't really believe that. [7:56] I completely believe it. [7:57] Don't look at me all weary like you're at a fireside with a pipe in your beard. [8:01] Ed Miliband, wasn't he? [8:03] Well, he went to the same primary school as Boris O, didn't he? [8:06] He did, but he then went to a comprehensive school in North London. [8:08] Well, that's very good. [8:09] That's all well and good. [8:11] But what I'm saying is that within the existing paradigm, the change is not dramatic enough, [8:14] not radical enough. [8:15] So you can well understand public disturbances and public dissatisfaction when there are not [8:20] genuine changes and genuine alternatives being offered. [8:22] I say when there is a genuine alternative, a genuine option, then vote for that. [8:26] But until then, don't bother. [8:28] Why pretend? [8:30] Why be complicit in this ridiculous illusion? [8:33] Because by the time somebody comes along, you might think it worth voting for. [8:37] It may be too late. [8:38] I don't think so, because the time is now. [8:40] These movements are already occurring. [8:41] It's happening everywhere. [8:42] We're in a time where communication is instantaneous and there are communities all over the world. [8:46] The Occupy movement made a difference, even if only in that it introduced to the popular [8:51] public lexicon the idea of the 1% versus the 99%. [8:55] People for the first time in a generation are aware of massive corporate and economic exploitation. [9:01] These things are not nonsense and these subjects are not being addressed. [9:05] No one's doing anything about tax havens. [9:07] No one's doing anything about their political affiliations and financial affiliations of the [9:11] Conservative Party. [9:12] So until people start addressing things that are actually real, why wouldn't I be facetious? [9:17] Why would I take it seriously? [9:19] Why would I encourage a constituency of young people that are absolutely indifferent to vote? [9:23] Why would we? [9:24] Aren't you bored? [9:25] Aren't you more bored than anyone? [9:26] Ain't you been talking to them year after year, listening to their lies, their nonsense? [9:30] Then it's this one gets in, then it's that one get in. [9:32] But the problem continues. [9:33] Why are we going to continue to contribute to this facade? [9:37] I'm surprised you can be facetious when you're that angry about it. [9:40] Yeah, I'm angry. I am angry. [9:43] Because for me, it's real. [9:44] Because for me, it's not just some peripheral thing that I turn up once in a while to a church [9:48] faith for. [9:48] For me, this is what I come from. [9:50] This is what I care about. [9:53] Do you see any hope? [9:54] Remember that? Yeah, totally. [9:55] There's going to be a revolution. [9:56] It's totally going to happen. [9:58] I ain't got a flicker of doubt. [10:00] This is the end. [10:02] This is time to wake up. [10:03] I remember I see you in that programme where you look at your ancestors and you saw that [10:07] why your grandmother had to brass herself or got fucked over by the aristocrats who ran [10:12] her gaff. [10:13] You cried because you knew that it was unfair and unjust. [10:16] And that was what was that a century ago. [10:18] That's happening to people now. [10:19] I just come from a woman who's being treated like that. [10:21] I've just been talking to a woman today who's being treated like that. [10:24] So if we can engage that feeling, instead of some moment of lachrymose sentimentality [10:29] trotted out on the TV for people to pour over emotional porn, if we can engage that feeling [10:34] and change things, why wouldn't we? [10:36] Why is that naive? [10:38] Why is that not my right because I'm an actor? [10:40] I mean, I've taken the right. [10:42] I don't need the right from you. [10:43] I don't need the right from anybody. [10:45] I'm taking it.