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Video by Russell Brand transcribed by Ey@el

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Further to the brilliant analysis of the outcome of the recent American election by David Icke, currently on tour (see Related articles), I absolutely had to present you Russell Brand's — Brand who looks like a rock-star and is such a colourful figure with fully working brains and a cool head on his shoulders unlike many others, certainly highly flexible and yet so stuck in their abnormal position they still can't see the elephant blocking the corridor.

Meanwhile, the tried and trusted “divide and rule” recipe continues to be as deadly efficient as ever. “Let's go down in the streets and burn and kill them dirty hateful fascist racist bastards who voted Trump because we want a world of peace and love! ” Oops! If you say so... How ironical in an ego-driven society so obsessed with looking good not to have a mirror handy to realise the blatant absurdity. That's a bit... isn't it?

As I posted on Twitter: “Surely the world's gone mad, but true colours are showing at last. It's both depressing and exhilarating. No more hiding nor pretending.” Still speaking figuratively in terms of body metaphors, I would compare the situation with a detox process where you get all the waste rising to surface prior to disposal by the emunctories. At first, you feel pretty sick, but as the normal process continues you do feel better.

So how can things get better then? Well, simply because the shock of the threat becoming reality hit many people hard enough to ultimately wake them up. Not all of them but enough to make a significant difference — a critical mass, if you like. And that's what is happening right now, even though you can't see it yet in the midst of all this smelly surge of crap hatred versus piss and love. Many people are disengaging from this unhealthy duality, refusing to take part. Not out of cowardice or irresponsibility, only out of great wisdom and maturity. And sanity as well. For when the world goes nuts, you'd better have plenty of candles handy as there are some dark times ahead. Very dark. But the sun will shine again. Eventually.

Ey@el

Hello, Russell Brand, this is The Trews: Donald Trump's president of America now. I wanted to talk to you while everyone's sort of still delirious and in shock about it.

We've talked about Donald Trump quite a lot on The Trews because he's like a fascinating media operator. He said such outlandish and offensive things but he's antithetical to our times where politicians seem so groomed and slick (even though, in some ways, he's both groomed and slick) because he has a sort of earnestness and irony.

Take in the first moments of his victory speech where he says “I'm sorry I'm late, complicated business.” He obviously knows that he's taking place in incredible adversity.

What I'm fascinated by, though, is the amount of fear and anger that's generated by the victory and how obviously reminiscent it is to Brexit in this country.

This is for me, Donald Trump's victory and the decision of Britain to leave Europe point to a phenomenon that's really well outlined in an article by a man called Thomas Frank in The Guardian where he points to the idea that liberalism as a political system has failed so many people that they have lost interest and lost faith. And my personal feeling about it is that people no longer trust the people who go: “Hey, we'll look after you. It's okay, stay in Europe, it will be alright.” Vote for Hillary Clinton and it's gonna be bad!

Because the people you're talking to are already living in a kind of post-apocalyptic world for want of a better phrase. You can't tell people it will be terrible if we leave Europe if the world they live in is already terrible. You can't tell be people it will be terrible to have Donald Trump in power if the world they live in is already terrible. They're not susceptible to that kind of threat.

And of course I'm aware of the mad things he said about women and the mad things he said about Muslims and the mad things he said about building walls. And what I think is fascinating is someone can say that and it makes no difference. People still vote for him. How disenchanted, how disillusioned, how disempowered can you be that this seems like a sensible alternative?

My interpretation is the only thing they actually care about is change. That Hillary Clinton, whatever she was offering, whatever she was saying, is a political affiliate of Barrack Obama who was already in power — Barrack Obama, by the way, who now seems sort like Christ doesn't he, compared to the people contesting this election!

But let's look at the last eight years and the kind of things that are happening. And that's why people are disillusioned. Because you've seen what someone that seems affable is capable of like Barrack Obama in the White House is still terrible unrest, still drone killings, still terrible poop, still no consequences for the people that exploit huge numbers of ordinary Americans through the financial crash. We can't keep responding to events like this with more fear and anger. It's fear and anger that are creating these conditions.

There was this Yogi — his name I really should learn — he said to Bertrand Russell (Bertrand Russell was campaigning for nuclear disarmament then): “There's no point in us getting rid of nuclear weapons if we still have the mindset that created the nuclear weapons.” Bertrand Russell just goes: “I don't want to talk about that! Let's just get just get rid of nuclear weapons. You can't blow a planet with a mindset.”

But now 40-50 years later, we haven't achieved nuclear disarmament. There are more weapons. And the point that Yogi was making is that the fact Donald Trump is president of the United States is sort of not what's important. What's important is the conditions have occurred in which Donald Trump becomes. It's not important reacting like “What? Donald Trump is president of America!” Yesterday, the conditions existed for it to happen so they did two days ago, a month ago, a year ago for the last 10-20 years. They've been building toward this moment. And what it is, and what I've always believed and what I've said very publicly is the political system doesn't connect with people.

People want change. People want to have genuine power. So if someone comes along and says things like “Oh, I'll drain the swamp of Washington of all this corrupt lobbyists”, that's appealing.

What my hope is is that this victory for this sort of absurd and ludicrous character who has said this outrageous and offensive things — my hope is that we will recognise that we have to provide an alternative. People have to provide an alternative. It's not enough to go: “Now, here's Hillary Clinton, a big grateful cheer!” People have had enough. If the Democrats could put forward Bernie Sanders right now, of course they would. A person who's talking about socialism, a person who's about fairness and justice!

So what I've taken from it is that is a time where we,  instead of, like after Brexit go: “You bloody racists, that Brexit hit us”, you need to go: “Right, let's try to reach out and understand why people feel like this.” And be loving, not be presumptuous. And for those of us who are privileged enough, that are not in financial trouble or that aren't feeling the weight and the pressure of the world and looking for someone to blame for that and feeling like when someone like Donald Trump comes along in his own easy accessible TV-friendly and says it's because of Muslins, Mexicans — when someone like that comes along, he seems appealing and attractive.

We have to create a world where Donald Trump isn't necessary. And if we don't create that kind of world, don't be surprised when Donald Trump becomes president! We just screwed it for the last 28 years. We've been creating the conditions where this was, as we know now, inevitable. Because it has happened. Now we have to find alternatives and I don't think it's going to take place on the superficial administrative level of Washington or Westminster politics.

It's going to take place philosophically and deeply when we change the way we treat each other. Change the way we see ourselves. Change the way we talk about the world. Significant change because the people that vote for Brexit, the people that vote for Donald Trump — even if people do think that immigration is the issue — then the lots of us who don't think that's the issue, we've got the duty (haven't we) to communicate in a way that is understandable, accessible, not condescending and not patronising why we believe that this is the wrong path for the world. And we're talking to people that don't have an awful lot to lose.

So if you do feel afraid and disappointed and angry about it, try not to. Try to be optimistic because this had to happen. In the end, we have to reach some kind of climax, some type of crisis, some kind of an idea where it's no longer possible to continue in the way we have been.

What I think the election of Donald Trump means is it is no longer possible to pretend that politics is alright. Because look at it... Now LOOK at it! Now you see as being exposed, you'd say if you don't know now you know. I can't use the next word, not being an African-American man or woman, but you know, I found those are the sentiments I feel.

If Hillary Clinton had become president — she's a person that did have those affiliations with the banks, that does want to go to war in the Middle East and all these things and stuff like that I don't really know much about — but what I suspect is we would not have got real change. With Donald Trump, it's no longer possible to ignore that real change is required.

That is The Trews News, subscribe here if you want to.

Transcribed by Ey@el
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