Alessio Rastani: David Cameron and Barack Obama Are 'Slaves To The Capitalist Gang Bang'

Alessio Rastani

The Huffington Post UK   First Posted: 03/10/11 11:46 Updated: 03/12/11 10:12

Just when it looked like his 15 minutes of fame were over Alessio Rastani has struck TV gold again.

This time he’s described David Cameron and Barack Obama as "slaves to the capitalist gang bang."

Rastani was dragged out for a second opportunity – this time by ITV’s Adrian Chiles - to air his thoughts on why Goldman Sachs runs the world.

On That Sunday Night Show a sheepish Rastani, with gelled back hair and smart dark suit, was booed and hissed by the audience before being grilled by the panel of guests.

He was told he was “talking rubbish” and host Chiles even goaded him over the suburban area of London where he lives. For those who don't know, Rastani's home area of Bexleyheath in south London is not deemed as desirable as Mayfair or Belgravia.

“You can’t be that flipping clever,” Chiles laughed at him.

But Rastani held his ground and continued with the approach which won him so much attention following last week’s interview on the BBC.

"I don't know how many of you are thinking of buying your first property or your first house. Maybe you're still looking to get on the property ladder. I don't know about you, but would you want to buy a house at the peak of 2006 when property prices were going through the roof?

“Or would you rather wait and buy it cheaper?"

But host Chiles said: "Most people here are probably property owners who are mortgaged to the hilt, who are absolutely screwed if property prices fall."

One panelist then erupted: "Where are they meant to get money from? Oh, don't talk rubbish. You are talking rubbish now"

Rastani kept looking down and smiling to himself as former Home Secretary Alan Johnson, also on the panel, then added: "People, they don't want to be in the quick buck culture.

“You actually do represent a view and I tell you what, that's the problem. He [Rastani] represents a view of people who have a lot of power over you and a lot of power over your futures.”

But delivering his final comment Rastani said: "The fact is folks, look, if you're thinking your government's out there, hey Mr Cameron or Mr Obama is out there in control, guess what, they are nothing more than slaves to the capitalist gangbang.

“Now that sounds kind of leftist thing to say, but guess what, that is true."

There was an awkward silence in the audience before Adrian Chiles added: "Can I just ask you Alan [Johnson], did you ever go to a capitalist gang bang while you were in government?"

Amid laughter he then turned on Rastani again: "You can't be that flipping clever otherwise you wouldn't be living in Bexleyheath."

Answering questions about the BBC interview Rastani confirmed again he was not a hoax: "The thing about me is sometimes when I speak itcomes out wrong and it's my fault," he said, before being clapped and booed off by the audience.

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Just when it looked like his 15 minutes of fame were over Alessio Rastani has struck TV gold again. This time he’s described David Cameron and Barack Obama as "slaves to the capitalist gang bang.
Just when it looked like his 15 minutes of fame were over Alessio Rastani has struck TV gold again. This time he’s described David Cameron and Barack Obama as "slaves to the capitalist gang bang.
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
unitedasone
16:21 on 07/10/2011
It takes a lot of guts to come out and tell the truth. Please keep speaking the truth Mr. Rastani. The people need to hear it.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
deluk
disgusted.
10:15 on 06/10/2011
ha Ha ...love this man, even if he only lives in Bexleyheath.
03:37 on 06/10/2011
You get a lot more action at the Capitalist Gang Bang than at the Socialist Purity Ball.
15:09 on 04/10/2011
I have to say I'm really angry about the way Rastani was treated by Adrian Chiles, and the other guests on this show. It seems that Chiles tried to turn Rastani's logical economic points into an argument on morality.
Whether Rastani was right or wrong, this was an exercise in bullying, and humiliation. Not quality journalism. I'm really curious as to why Chiles was so touchy and defensive about this. I think some people got the wrong end of the stick here, and saw Rastani as a cynical, self serving greed merchant - but I think he was sincere in wanting to encourage the general public to protect themselves from the impending collapse. Good on him !
11:14 on 04/10/2011
One of the few in the financial sector who have told the truth and the first reaction is jump on him? Come on guys shut up and listen to him no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
JohnSawyer
arglebargy
07:17 on 04/10/2011
So former Home Secretary Alan Johnson really believes that "People, they don't want to be in the quick buck culture"?
00:01 on 04/10/2011
How exactly would the property owning class (whose ravenous desire for ever increasing house prices has royally screwed future generations) be 'screwed' if house prices were to correct? Negative equity is not the end of the world, they'll simply be on the hook for precisely the same amount they agreed to when the took out the mortgage (caveat emptor?).

If we live in a society where a significant fall in house prices (and by association, private rents) can't undergo a significant correction (the IMF estimates that a 30% decrease is required for house prices to return to their historic real-terms levels) then we are in serious trouble. After all, any market which we cannot countenance price decreases in, is a flawed market by definition. Markets need the plasticity to correct themselves, should the need arise (and the need has most certainly arisen in our bloated and socially detrimental housing market!).

As for Adrian Chiles, a man who jumped ship from a relatively successful BBC magazine show to headline an abysmal (and failing) ITV breakfast show, defaming a man based purely upon which neighbourhood her lives in. You would have that a blindingly ugly Brummy would be less snobbish. His own geographic pedigree was once (and to some maybe still is) a cause for snide ridicule; I'm sure he doesn't consider his fellow black countrymen as 'not that clever' on the puerile basis that they don't live in Mayfair or Kensington.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
JackHoffman
Pundit
06:03 on 04/10/2011
Nicely done.
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one1byke
Easy no Man.
18:18 on 03/10/2011
Keep on talking, my man!
17:26 on 03/10/2011
As an individual, he loses money we laugh at him for being a pathetic investor.

As an organization, if a Bank loses all our money they get bailed out, keep their bonus and not be thrown into prison.

For what it's worth, Alan can call him whatever he wants but his government provided the financial industry with all the support they need to become a disproportional part of our country's GDP. Now that they are so important to us, we cannot kill the parasite without serious damage to the host.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Tony Booth
18:41 on 03/10/2011
johnson lost all credibility in my opinion when he had that run in with professor david nutt. it is said that he wasn't entirely truthful with parliament over the matter.
17:22 on 03/10/2011
To paraphrase Stewart Lee:

The way the panellists and audience picked on Rastani was ridiculous. It’s like a furious customer punching a prostitute in the face because he's sickened by his own desire.
16:53 on 03/10/2011
A version of that interview (albeit abridged with commentary) can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fukNltSbESU
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An Independent Woman
Honni soit qui mal y pense
15:20 on 03/10/2011
He may be a hoaxster, but he's spot on. I'm STILL waiting for someone, anyone to be put on trial for the banking/mortgage mess. It's not going to happen.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
JackHoffman
Pundit
06:01 on 04/10/2011
No it's not, unfortunately.
15:01 on 03/10/2011
This guy's 15 minutes of fame really should be up! He's no investment professional!!:
http://www.londonspectator.com/2011/09/alessio-rastani-giving-financial-advice.html
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Matthew Harrold
Huzzah!
14:02 on 03/10/2011
They're shooting the messenger I see. Problem is the message as a ring of truth about it.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Itsbeenalongday
Eliminating poverty is smart business
13:58 on 03/10/2011
The truth has a way of hurting.