Revolution Hardcover – October 14, 2014

A Poli Sci dissertation by a Punk Rock Ram Dass, a mash-up of anarchy and idealism, Revolution is the perfect book for the next generation of hippie waifs. Russell Brand, self-identified “professional weirdo” (169), touches on all the key points. Late capitalism and the culture of consumption are dying. The top dogs are as “lost” as the rest of us (232). “Ecological imperatives” (207) spell radical change coming, but whether that change is utopic or dystopic is up to us. Either we have a revolution that reinforces human values for all, or we have “something more draconian than we have ever dared to consider” (224). To seize the utopic track, we must initiate the revolution not in the objective arena of politics but in the subjective arena of human sensibility. Internalize the non-violent way, change our inner values, and then we can more surely change the political superstructure with less risk of someone hijacking the revolution.And best to be ready, ‘cause when it comes it will come quickly. For one thing, those ecological imperatives come with a time limit. As it approaches, we can use new communication technologies to harness rapid change without the need for a centralized power structure. Or we can use them to escalate the death spiral of “jittery materialism” (106). Russell, bless his heart, is ready to give up his Dior boots and lead the charge.The book has its imperfections – Russell is occasionally too earnest too long and scores best when he scores with hilarity, I wish there were more arc and less repetition as the chapters go by, and there’s a persistent low-level tone of belligerence that gives me pause before nominating Russell as cult leader of the commune. Actually, Russell grants me that last one when he opens a modern equivalent of Haight-Ashbury’s “free store” and his tyrannical interference leads him to conclude, with typical comic aplomb, that “the only thing the experiment proved is that I should never be allowed to run a shop” (203). But that very flaw leads him to think seriously about the principles that must take precedence over personalities if this is going to work (and if it doesn’t work, we will fairly quickly burn through the world’s remaining resources, so it won’t matter anyway). Yes, I said “to think seriously.” This book quite seriously thinks over our options for the planet. I can’t agree with every local strategy and assessment, but anyone who dismisses Russell Brand as a lightweight on issues of the social order is either making a mistake or buying into the idea that the only proper way to speak of such things is the Establishment way. Skinny yes, lightweight no. Everyone needs a vision, or multiple visions, of where to go from here (and we have to go somewhere – those “ecological imperatives,” you know), and this is a good big-vision, page-turner book delivered with the quirky, English, Monty Python wit of Russell Brand.

Everyone should read this book. Everyone, anyway, who's sick and tired of being told the world is degenerating into a horrible and dangerous place, and that this cultural, economic and political decay is somehow beyond our control. It is a glorious reminder that we, the disenfranchised, the 'disempowered', the common decent working folk, the masses, ALWAYS ultimately have the only real power. It is a testament to the idea that we should be leading our 'leaders', and that if we make the conscious and collective choice to do so, they will have no choice but to follow.The "Revolution" espoused is not a 'pitchforks in the streets' affair - the kind which, if successful, just replaces one corrupt, centralized government with another one that will itself, eventually and inevitably, become corrupt. We neither need nor want any big, clumsy and anything-but-representative government, rather we have the power to make all forms of such governance irrelevant. Russell Brand very eloquently and always amusingly describes a revolution that begins with an evolution of collective consciousness that provides for our continued creative and ideological expression as individuals, while living in a manageable balance with everyone and everything else on the planet. Lofty goals that will take time to achieve, no doubt, but are anything but impossible. And hey, why not start now, today, right where you live...The people who so vehemently criticize the ideas expressed in this book are people who either haven't even read it - as I suspect is too often the case - didn't understand it, or are so steeped in the 'fear of change' message drummed into us from every angle as to be immune to the concepts of real community and universal human decency. This message, though, is controlled and delivered by a relative few people and institutions that directly, materially benefit from the unsustainable status quo - people and institutions so badly in need of the irrelevance they deserve for such short-sightedness.We are reminded that a vote "for the lesser of two evils" (and who among us hasn't cast one of those - one that ultimately made no discernible difference at all?) is still a vote IN FAVOR OF and IN SUPPORT OF some variety of evil.We can all choose, instead, to stop listening to their message, reject the negativity and fear and begin communicating (globally) amongst ourselves, organize (locally) and DO something different and ultimately better; something based, perhaps on love, mutual respect, kindness and well-thought out sustainability. Worth a try in this reviewer's opinion... The alternative is to acquiesce to the fear and ride the current wave onward toward our own demise.If I have one criticism, it's that the book is a little light on specifics. The message is so positive, such good and badly-needed medicine, drifting and bobbing all lonely-like in a milieu of media-generated and -sponsored misery, one can't help wanting more. (A good place to look, by the way, is "The Freedom Manifesto", by Tom Hodgkinson.) If you follow the author's Trews and interviews, though, he readily acknowledges this revolution is a work-in-progress, as are all big ideas, cultures, and individuals. This book, however, is a powerful place to start.

I found myself smiling and nodding along with almost every sentence in this book. Russell presents a lot of ideas here that resonate as good ideas. Ideas that would benefit everyone living on the planet, not just those that benefit the most from exploiting the current systems. While it's a large book, it was really easy to read, and there's plenty to laugh at throughout the pages. Especially when Russell goes off on a bizarre tangent. It's obvious he was writing something that triggered an idea and he wants to follow that thread before returning to what he was talking about. Perhaps I enjoyed this because it's the way I talk and write (likely much to the frustration of my friends and readers).The main problem I see is that with all these good ideas, I just don't see their implementation feasible. I don't think we're ready as a species to rise up, overthrow the current systems and put something in place that is fair for everyone. I think that's a worthwhile end goal, but I really wonder if like in the past when alternatives have been tried, people's ego and greed will get in the way and make things worse for everyone. I guess at the least I'm happy these ideas are out there. As I said before, I think they're good ideas, and perhaps in spreading them, we might reach a day where enough of the population is on the same page that something like this can become feasible.Until then, it's just a good read.