Recently, whilst having a browse on the internet, I came across an interview between Russell Brand and Jeremy Paxman. I have always been a fan of Brand, and this led me to watch the video, not thinking that he would say something more charismatic and profound than I could have possibly imagined. For several years I, along with many others, have had to sit and listen to politicians offering change and delivering none. Whether it has been one side, or the other, it seems that the right wing is expanding and the left wing is shrinking. Promise after promise has been made with little or no fruition and it recently reached a fever pitch in a personal view when talks of a further raise in tuition fees were mentioned. It seems that, as Brand eloquently put, the disparity between the wealthy and the poor is becoming unimaginably large, and having a political party in power that seems to care very little about this is not helping.
This is where the video seemed to really hit home. So many of us are becoming completely disillusioned with different political parties, that it has begun to seem like nothing will ever change as long as we reside in the same political system we live in now. In many ways, we are taught to believe from an early age that the system we live in is the only option, but Brand's words seemed to resonate with me and many others on the internet, it becoming a viral sensation in a matter of days. So many of us have been a victim of recent policies, be it a raise in tuition fees, pension cuts, or the current government's inability to tackle the banker's bonus problem, the problems are endless. It's not the rich that are being affected though, the people who are suffering the most are the poor and this increasing disparity is threatening to create a country so divided, that for many life will be nothing more than making ends meet, while others enjoy lavish lifestyles far more decadent than the rest can afford. This is not how I want anyone to live, and this is why I feel Brand is right in stating that it is time for change.
There have been few politicians in the last few years that have said anything to me which has given me as much hope as this short but excellent interview has given me, and it is a timely reminder that things can always change. I do not want to blindly follow a system which is breaking, where each party blames the others, then repeats the mistakes and dresses it up as something else. I do not want to be told that the only thing that makes me or anyone important is how much money we have in our bank accounts, and I do not want to be told that things will get better and then have absolutely no intention of doing so. Brand's call for people to wake up is as pertinent as it is wise, and it is time for some action. Things have to change, and this is why, for the first time in years I have felt they actually can.