John Steinbeck, George Orwell and Russell Brand

On the plane I read an old book I've had on my shelf for a long time: "The Moon Is Down" by John Steinbeck. This book has the simplest grammar and vocabulary of any book I have read that wasn't a graded reader for learners of English, or children learning to read. I admire John Steinbeck because he compromised between his talent and his desire to be read by the people - the people who were the ordinary Joes who fought in the war, and the marginalised people he gave a voice to in "Cannery Row".Previous entry on Cannery Row . well, perhaps he didn't compromise, perhaps he just adapted his talent, so that anyone could read his books, and when Pan sucked the readers in by giving the cheap paperbacks sexy covers, he probably didn't mind.

anyway,this short novel is on the theme of the bravery of citizens when their land is invaded by the Germans - not the   French but the Norwegians - how each individual makes up his/her mind about collusion and how the   invaders feel about their position as unwelcome strangers - Steinbeck treats them quite sympathetically : he knew folks are just folks.

Another writer who adapted his style to write for a mass readership was George Orwell. "Animal Farm" and "1984" are books designed to teach you something, without the writer giving you a sermon. He gives you a parable or analogy instead, something you can understand. In his journalism Orwell disciplined himself to write in words that anyone could understand. If you are reading this and you have not read any books by George Orwell I urge you to read "Animal Farm" as an example. His vocation was to communicate with people who did not have the benefit of a good education - Orwell went to Eton and that is generally recognised as a "good" education- (the teaching is excellent but there are no girls - is that a problem?)

Orwell came into my mind because I was reading "Revolution" by Russell Brand, and he quotes from "Homage to Catalonia" which is Orwell's account of his involvement in the Spanish Civil War. He quotes several passages so you get the flavour of Orwell's absolutely plain prose.

In outward appearance it was a town in which the wealthy classes had ceased to exist. Except for a small number of women and foreigners there were no "well-dressed" people at all. Practically everyone wore rough working-class clothes or some variant of militia uniform. All this was queer and moving.

Russell Brand cannot do this. He cannot let go of his desire to show off all that he knows, all the polysyllabic code that allows him to move amongst the intellectuals, but neither can he let slip all the buffoonery and the obscenity that marks his status as a top streetwise guy. The mixture should be fun and interesting, and to a certain extent it is, but there were many jarring notes in this work, the sort of discordant lack of taste that makes something abhorrent to me. Of course this is my opinion only. For readers of English as a foreign language this book is completely incomprehensible as it is written in a mixture of codes which are all sophisticated ones.

Campaigns: please click on the links, read, and sign if you want. Hurry, hurry!

https://speakout.38degrees.org.uk/campaigns/protect-freedom-of-information
We have the right to ask for information about gvt data : the government wants to take away that right. Please sign here.

Protect our oceans from deep-sea mining: please sign here: fhttps://secure.avaaz.org/en/deep_sea_mining_en_dn1/?tJuFKib

Publish the statistics showing how many people have died after their benefits were stopped.
The government doesn't seem to have noticed how many people who need benefits are emotionally fragile. There is no framework in place to stop them from taking their own lives.
here

Let's try to stop babies dying - Group B strep infection

And finally, Russell Brand - OK he seems slightly hysterical - but he has calmed down quite a lot - the black cab drivers have a good case -  watch here

New ways of doing democracy

Democracy develops. At present it isn't working because people can't see how their votes can make any difference to the capitalist system and its effects. If you are doing well, you will vote to perpetuate it. If you are marginalised and alienated and plain poor, what will you vote for? You know nothing will change. You don't see anyone like yourself to vote for, or anyone who can represent you.

This is what Russell Brand is saying in his new book: Revolution. He is saying: Give us something that addresses the issues of global capitalism, or seeks to change its effects, and we will vote for that! Russell was on Start the Week this week talking about his book, and I think explaining his point of view quite well. He is everywhere at the moment waving a banner and making speeches. He is trying to wake people up!  I think he is making a difference. He has a channel on Youtube: the Trews. Some editions are better than others of course; the major problem is that he can't stop joking about people's names etc. and the jokes just occur to him in the middle of serious points, thus diminishing his arguments.

a recent edition of the 10 minute newsletter

But I'm not saying his jokes aren't funny. "Lord Sugar sounds like Willy Wonka's evil enemy", heehee.

also on Start the Week we had a leader from 38 degrees. This is a directly democratic online organisation. It's a bit like Change. org but unlike Change which runs an online platform for petitions put forward by individuals - I have signed several, mainly on feminist issues - 38 degrees has a central organisation. the idea is that once you have expressed an interest in online democracy by signing a petition you are a member, and then you can decide with everyone else in the membership which issues you will pursue - climate change? the new trade agreement? fracking? so the membership acts like a unit even though it is actually very diverse. But democracy isn't perfect and this new democracy is just developing: these are early days.

Another serious writer against capitalism is Naomi Wolf (whose latest book Russell considers in his book, but renders her thoughts in more accessible language, I believe). He is trying to make politics more accessible to people who feel they aren't knowledgeable enough to talk about politics. He wants them to make their voices heard. Intellectual snobbery would cut him down if he were not so articulate, and this is the danger to all the people he is trying to listen to, inform and engage.

Vivienne Westwood again

Looking fab and wearing a necklace made of conkers "by a student"

The marvellous Viv was on Woman's Hour, facing very lightweight questions from Jeni Murray. I do love Jenni but on this occasion she seemed to be harking back to the punk era all the time instead of asking Vivienne about her activism and about her philosophy of fashion. Vivienne is clearly keen to give others credit for their ideas and input; I see what Andreas means about her honesty. She is generous about Maclaren who was never generous about sharing credit with her, but her relationship with him seems to have been horribly abusive, in that his need of her made him very cruel.

She wants people to know that capitalism is the enemy and that we should go and protest about it on Guy Fawkes night, wearing Guy Fawkes masks (V for Vendetta by Alan Moore: it's a classic graphic novel but I don't like it: have only got halfway through.) we should go and march on the Houses of Parliament.

I went to the website and I found it somewhat disturbing in that the participants are clearly expecting a punch up with the police. Well, overthrowing the capitalist system has got to start somewhere I suppose but this is really very feeble. Russell Brand is also active in anti-capitalism and his daily Trews is brilliant, but although he wants to protest against everything I have no idea what he does want.

He wants to write off consumer debt which is quite good in a way - people in poverty should not have been allowed to borrow in the first place. However, as someone who has been trained to be very careful with money for nearly 30 years, and as a result has come very close to paying off a large mortgage, I feel people need to change their attitude to buying things. That would be far more revolutionary than encouraging them by writing off their debt. And Vivienne W. agrees with me. She says we need to reduce what we use - including clothing - as part of a programme to change the world.

Hoorah for Viv, who wears no knickers!

here is a link to Woman's hour

Jeremy Paxman and Russell Brand

Jeremy P is often a very lazy interviewer, using his arrogant personality against the weak and hapless, and repeating the same question over and over again, as though the answer to his one question were all-important, when often it isn't. He can be very embarrassing. This week he interviewed Russell Brand and got rather more than he bargained for. Russell Brand is very fearless and articulate. It's quite refreshing to watch (takes 10 minutes) but it makes me wonder what happened afterwards? What was Paxman's response to RB's impassioned tirade? Will we ever know?

Russell Brand on Newsnight