MovieChat Forums > The Emperor's New Clothes (2015) Discussion > So looting is OK?

So looting is OK?

posted 9 years ago by sea_goat
12 replies | jump to latest

This film lost me at the point RB interviewed the guy who looted something from a shop during the 2011 riots, then spent a year in prison as a result. The guy, his Mum and RB were all like, 'aw man that's terrible, they even sent you to prison, oh man, you've been really hard done by, what an awful shame. All you did was just take something from a shop without paying.'

So stealing is fine if you're not a banker. If you're a banker it's criminal. Oh, it was only worth £150 while bankers have stolen billions so really society should just let this opportunistic ponce get away with lifting what he likes?

Well done RB for apparently not paying for your ticket on the underground. That is theft from society, from the rest of us. It means people who aren't worth £15m have to pay for you to travel for nothing. Aren't you the altruist.

The levels of hypocrisy in this film are stacked so high you couldn't see over them if you were stood on top of the banker-built Shard.

Also, the woman earning £20k a year. "It's not enough" says RB. Well, what's 'enough'? Is there anyone on this earth who thinks they earn 'enough'?

The woman sat in her free council flat with her well-fed kids running round in designer clothes and no father... I'm not happy, she says. She's clearly not being given 'enough' already.

Yeah, this film has made my mind up. If RB wants us to vote Labour I'll be voting Tory from now on.

[–] Theo Robertson 9 years ago

The irony is the looter was a poncy middle class dancer which meant he would have got another seven months if he was one of the underclass . One law for the rich and another for the poor . Brand does drugs but he doesn't do irony

[–] chrisredmayne 9 years ago

Think you've completely missed the point....

Stealing an iPod and he went down for a year and bankers are stealing millions but nobody deems it a crime to serve any prison time

[–] Theo Robertson 9 years ago

No one's missing any point . Stealing an I-pod is deemed a crime while governments bailing out the banks isn't deemed a crime . The two things are completely unrelated and the argument rests on abstract "what-a-boutery" which is no type of argument at all

[–] darkezmo 9 years ago

oh stop with your sophistry. just because it's not a crime it doesn't mean it isn't ridiculous. in fact, it just highlights the inequality that you can bring an economy to its knees and not be punished but stealing an electronic device gets your door kicked in and lands you in prison.
obviously, stealing is wrong, but white collar crime is treated differently because the privileged look out for each other.
if you paid better attention, you would have also noticed that it's not just the bailout you should concern yourself with, it's the insider trading, libor scandal and the failure to properly manage bonuses, even after the government bailed them out and in spite of poor performance.

[–] Theo Robertson 9 years ago

Oh FFS Chris and Darke get a grip of yourselves why don't youse ?

If either of you are ever up in court don't bother getting yourself any fancy lawyers because they're a waste of money . Instead just defend yourselves with the what-a-boutery defence of:

"Let me off guv because none of these bankers are getting prosecuted"

and see what the outcome will be . I do believe the defendants at Nuremberg were trying a very similar defence in 1946-47 and this didn't work in their favour . Laws stand as to what you are in court for , not what some banker who hasn't been charged with anything

So save all your grief for the working class people who have to struggle day to day . In fact don't bother . Working class people like myself really don't have the slightest respect for middle class grief whores who feel the need to play to the gallery as to how unfair life is . Instead save it for the limp wristed dancer who when he isn't mincing around like a prat on stage just helps himself to the occasional I-pod without paying for it . Likewise the failed comedian and failed actor who when he isn't banging class A drugs in to his blood vessels is probably counting all the money he has in his own bank account . The day the proletariat need Russell Brand to speak up for them is the day Ian Duncan Smith wins the Order of Lenin 😭

[–] laurendorward-990-190608 9 years ago

He's hardly a "failed actor" or a "failed comedian".

[–] liquidhalo 9 years ago

Really? You're bringing the nazis into this. Well I'll just leave this here for you.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

There's always one of you.....

[–] jhonny20041433 9 years ago

Well I'm working class, and I completely get your point. I also agree with the "ridiculousness" of the inequality. Great points made by Brand and disseminated in a way which will appeal to a large number of people.

[–] Theo Robertson 9 years ago

Right so you're telling me white collar crime isn't in fact a crime and no one gets prosecuted for it ?

If you'd paid attention to what's happening in the world you'd know paying useless bankers bonuses isn't actually a crime , it might be absolutely disgraceful that the government throw billions of tax payers money to correct their mistakes ( It is bloody disgraceful) but to insinuate stealing I-Pods is some how related to the banking scandal is a great example of what-a-boutery and totally abstract argument put forward by a poncy bearded ladyboy called Russell Brand

I hope no one here is reading the threads thinking to themselves "Oh I think I'll become a mass murderer , I mean if Jimmy Savile didn't get prosecuted for kid fiddling , I mean if he was allowed to get away with it and killing people isn't as bad as raping children" because it won't actually hold up in court . If we're going to feel sorry for people lets feel sorry for the people living under the theocratic fascist jackboot of ISIS or people having to use foodbanks . Looters , thieves and smack head comedians who live in a big house in LA are undeserving of anyone's sympathy

[–] AutistSpeaks 9 years ago

Oy vey! Muh irreplaceable material things!

[–] benman46 8 years ago

You're a pig ignorant motherfcker aren't you.

[–] fairy_depp 8 years ago

I think the point is that both groups committed crimes yet only one group is serving time in jail. Clearly the looters were wrong but they didn't do anywhere near as much damage as the bankers did yet one group spent time in jail and the other group awarded themselves massive bonuses out of taxpayers money!