>>THE ELECTION OF JEREMY CORBYN TO BE THE HEAD OF THE U.K.'S
LABOUR PARTY IS ALREADY PAYING OFF, AT THE VERY LEAST, FOR THAT
PARTY.
THEIR MEMBERSHIP ROLLS ARE SOARING TO AT LEAST RECENT
HISTORICAL HIGHS.
HIS SUCCESS IN THE NEAR FUTURE IN TERMS OF
BEING ABLE TO GET HIS POLICIES PUT INTO PRACTICE IS STILL A
LITTLE BIT UP FOR DEBATE, AND HE IS A CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE, WHICH
WE WILL TALK ABOUT A BIT IN THIS CLIP.
BUT THE NUMBERS ARE GOOD,
AT LEAST OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS.
THE LATEST NUMBERS
RELEASED BY LABOUR SHOW THAT 62,000 PEOPLE HAVE JOINED IN THE
WEEK SINCE SATURDAY 12 SEPTEMBER.
THIS COMPARES TO LESS
THAN 62,000 PEOPLE WHO WERE MEMBERS OF THE LIBERAL
DEMOCRATS, ACCORDING TO FIGURES LAST RELEASED IN JUNE.
TOTAL
PARTY MEMBERSHIP IS NOW AROUND 380,000.
THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT
PORTION OF THAT.
THE FIGURE IS APPROACHING THE 400,000 FIGURE
RECORDED AT THE 1997 ELECTION.
ALTHOUGH IN PREVIOUS DECADES,
QUITE A BIT AGO, THEY HAD CLOSE TO A MILLION MEMBERS.
SO IT IS STILL OUT OF HISTORIC HIGHS.
>>EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT FROM GREAT BRITAIN AND DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS, A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THE GREEN PARTY.
YOU
WOULD THINK IF YOU WERE VERY LIBERAL YOU MIGHT BE IN FAVOR OF
THE GREEN PARTY, BUT THEY HAVE 67,000 MEMBERS, WHICH AGAIN IS
VERY SIMILAR TO A NUMBER THAT SIGNED UP FOR THE LABOUR PARTY
JUST AFTER CORBYN GOT ELECTED TO BE THE LEADER OF LABOUR.
LABOUR IS
A MUCH LARGER PARTY HISTORICALLY, SO YOU HAVE TO
KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WELL.
BUT THE OVERALL THEME HERE IS
INDISPUTABLE, WHICH IS, THIS IS A TREND.
THIS IS A TREND
WORLDWIDE, WHETHER IT IS THE GREEKS, BERNIE SANDERS'
POPULARITY IN THE U.S., CANADA.
IN ALBERTA, LIBERALS WINNING IN
ALBERTA.
FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE POLITICS OF
CANADA, THAT IS AMAZING,
UNPRECEDENTED.
THE LEFT IS SURGING.
THERE IS A VERY GOOD
REASON WHY.
LET'S TELL YOU ABOUT WHO CORBYN IS IF YOU AREN'T
FAMILIAR WITH HIM, THEN WE WILL EXPLAIN HOW HE FITS
INTO THIS PUZZLE.
>>REALLY FAST, THIS SEEMS TO BE A CLEAR TREND.
ONE PERSON ISN'T
BUYING IT, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THE NAME TONY BLAIR.
"IF JEREMY
CORBYN BECOMES LEADER IT WON'T BE A DEFEAT LIKE 1983 OR 2015 AT
THE NEXT ELECTION.
IT WILL MEAN ROUTE, POSSIBLY ANNIHILATION."
WE WILL LOOK AT HIS POLICY POSITIONS AND MAYBE WE CAN
DECIDE IF THEY WILL BE ANNIHILATED.
>> OF COURSE IF YOU KNOW SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS, YOU KNOW WHAT
TONY BLAIR IS ACTUALLY WORRIED ABOUT IS HIS OWN ANNIHILATION,
BECAUSE CORBYN BELIEVES THAT HE SHOULD BE ARRESTED FOR WAR
CRIMES.
SO TONY BLAIR IS LIKE, I DO DECLARE, IT IS NOT A GOOD
IDEA TO PUT CORBYN IN CHARGE.
BECAUSE YOU ARE LOOKING AT A
JAIL CELL.
COULD YOU IMAGINE?
>>THAT CAN'T BE RIGHT.
YOU CAN'T VISIT LONDON ANYTIME SOON.
>>THAT IS WHY PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF THE OBAMAS AND HILLARY
CLINTONS AND TONY BLAIRS AND ALL THESE LUKEWARM PROGRESSIVES
THAT AREN'T REALLY PROGRESSIVE.
THEY HIJACK THE PROGRESSIVE
PARTIES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES AND TURN THEM INTO
ANOTHER WAY OF SERVING THE CORPORATE INTERESTS.
AND PEOPLE
ARE BEING -- TIRED OF BEING CRUSHED BY THE CORPORATE
MACHINE.
NOW LET'S GO TO CORBYN'S POLICIES.
>>WE HAVE POLICIES IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, AND
UNDERSTAND OBVIOUSLY, A VERY DIFFERENT POLITICAL CONTEXT IN
THE U.K.
SOME OF THESE WE WILL PROBABLY LIKE, BUT THERE ARE
SOME IN THIS LIST THAT I DON'T EXPECT CENK WILL APPROVE OF.
HIS
PLATFORM INCLUDES RE-NATIONALIZING BRITAIN'S
RAILROAD SYSTEM AND ENERGY COMPANIES, ABOLISHING TUITION
FOR BRITISH UNIVERSITIES, AND IMPOSING CONTROLS TO DEAL WITH
BRITAIN'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROBLEM.
SOME OF THOSE SOUND
LIKE YOU MIGHT HEAR BERNIE SANDERS TALKING ABOUT IN THIS
COUNTRY.
>>THAT IS DEFINITELY TO THE LEFT OF BERNIE SANDERS.
>>A LITTLE BIT.
HE TALKED ABOUT MAKING FREE PUBLIC COLLEGE
TUITION, THAT IS SOMETHING.
HE HAS NOT TALKED ABOUT RENT CONTROL NECESSARILY, BUT I
COULD USE IT.
>>YOU ARE RIGHT, I THINK A SURGE LEFT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD IS A
GREAT THING OVERALL, AS A BALANCING MEASURE.
AM I THAT FAR
LEFT?
NO, I'M NOT.
I'M JUST NOT.
FREE UNIVERSITIES, THAT IDEA I
LOVE.
MAYBE I AM BIASED BECAUSE MY DAD GOT A FREE EDUCATION,
OTHERWISE I WOULD BE AN OLIVE FARMER IN SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY.
THE TURKISH VERSION OF [SPITTOON SOUND EFFECT].
FREE EDUCATION
MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE, OPPORTUNITY, ETC.
RENT CONTROL
-- THAT HAS NOT WORKED OUT THAT WELL.
IT HAS A BAD HISTORY.
>>IT IS TRUE, BUT WE HAVE SOME FUCKING PROBLEMS IN AMERICA IN
TERMS OF RENT.
IT'S TOO DAMN HIGH.
AND IT IS UNLIKELY TO GO DOWN IN THE FUTURE.
>>I KNOW, BUT PRICE CONTROLS HAVE NEVER WORKED.
IT IS A
TERRIBLE IDEA IF YOU ASK ME.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO ECONOMICS I AM
MUCH MORE CENTRIST, EVEN MAYBE CENTER-RIGHT.
AS MUCH AS I LIKE
CORBYN, I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT.
WOULD I VOTE FOR HIM?
SHOW ME THE
ALTERNATIVES.
GIVEN THE ALTERNATIVES, SURELY.
AND A CENTRAL COMPONENT, WHICH WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO.
>>HE IS OPEN TO REOPENING THE COAL MINES THAT USED TO BE A BIG
PART OF BRITAIN'S ECONOMY.
I DON'T KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT
BRITAIN'S CAPACITY FOR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY AT THIS
POINT, IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO POWER THEIR NATION'S GRID.
I WOULDN'T WANT THEM TO GO BACK IN THE DIRECTION OF COAL.
THAT DOESN'T SEEM GOOD.
>>I THINK WHAT HE'S DOING IS BEING POPULIST AND SAYING I
WILL BRING YOU YOUR JOBS.
>>I GET THAT.
>>BUT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT, HE'S USING AN OLD RIGHT WING
TRICK FROM HERE IN AMERICA, WHICH IS, I WILL BRING YOU BACK
TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
REMEMBER WHEN BRITAIN WAS DOING WELL IN
YOUR CHILDHOOD WHEN WE HAD THE COAL MINES --
I KNOW WE HAD ISSUES BUT YOU LOVE YOUR CHILDHOOD, YOU KNOW?
I WILL BRING YOU BACK TO THAT TIME.
>>THEY WILL COLONIZE INDIA NEXT WEEK.
>> THAT IS FUNNY.
IT IS A CLEVER LITTLE STRATEGY.
>>HE WANTS TO -- YOU MIGHT LIKE SOME OF THESE.
HE WANTS TO END
BRITAIN'S AUSTERITY SPENDING CUTS, AND ALSO PROPOSES
SOMETHING CALLED PEOPLE'S QUANTITATIVE EASING, IN WHICH
THE BANK OF ENGLAND WOULD PRINT MONEY TO INVEST IN
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
>>IF THEY DIDN'T DO QUANTITATIVE EASING IN OTHER WAYS I WOULD SAY
WHOA, DON'T PRINT MONEY.
DON'T BE CRAZY, THAT WILL LEAD TO
INFLATION, ETC.
I WOULD NEVER WANT TO BE -- EXCEPT FOR THE
FACT THAT THEY DO DO QUANTITATIVE EASING ALREADY, AND
INSTEAD OF PAYING FOR THINGS PEOPLE NEED AND THE PUBLIC
NEEDS, THEY JUST GIVE IT TO THE BANKERS AT NEARLY 0% INTEREST
RATE.
THAT IS A GOD DAMN CRIME.
>>I PREFER THEIR VERSION TO OURS, IN THAT RESPECT.
>> YOU WANT TO DO PEOPLE'S QUANTITATIVE EASING?
IT IS
BETTER THAN THE QUANTITATIVE EASING WE HAVE NOW.
I KNOW THAT
WHAT THE FED DOES AND WHAT HE WANTS TO DO HERE, IT IS A LITTLE
MORE COMPLEX THAN THE SIMPLISTIC WAY WE HAVE BROKEN IT
DOWN, AND I KNOW THE POINT IS FOR THE BANKS TO GO OUT THERE
AND LEND MONEY TO OTHER PEOPLE AND STEADY THE ECONOMY, I
UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT NONETHELESS, THEY GET TRILLIONS
OF DOLLARS AT NEARLY 0% INTEREST.
YOU GIVE ME TRILLIONS,
BILLIONS, MILLIONS, AT 0% INTEREST RATE, I COULD MAKE A
LOT OF MONEY TOO.
>> THAT IS TRUE.
SOMEDAY THEY'RE GOING TO LOAN THE MONEY OUT.
LET'S TURN TO FOREIGN POLICY.
HE WANTS TO WITHDRAW FROM NATO AND
ABOLISH THE U.K.'S NUCLEAR ARSENAL, AND HAS SUGGESTED THAT
BLAIR COULD FACE A WAR CRIMES TRIAL FOR HIS ROLE IN THE IRAQ
WAR.
LOOKING BACKWARDS.
HE HAS WRITTEN THAT RUSSIAN
EXPANSIONISM IS NOT UNPROVOKED AND AT THE OBSESSION WITH COLD
WAR POLITICS THAT EXERCISES THE NATO AND EU LEADERSHIPS IS
FUELING THE CRISIS, AND IN ONE SPEECH REFERRED TO BOTH
HAMAS AND HEZBOLLAH AS FRIENDS OF BRITAIN.
>>THAT I DISMISS ENTIRELY.
THE REASON IS, HE IS LIKE, WE SHOULD
INVITE OUR FRIENDS IN HEZBOLLAH AND HAMAS -- IT WAS A MANNER OF
SPEAKING.
HE SAYS, OF COURSE I DID NOT MEAN THEY ARE MY
FRIENDS.
I MEANT WE SHOULD NEGOTIATE WITH THE OTHER SIDE,
THEY ARE THE OTHER SIDE.
I AGREE WITH THAT.
ON THE RUSSIA STORY,
I THINK HE IS BEING NAIVE ABOUT RUSSIA.
BUT YOU WANT TO
NEGOTIATE WITH RUSSIA?
I AM ALL FOR THAT, I BELIEVE IN
NEGOTIATION.
I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD BLITZKRIEG INTO UKRAINE
TO SHOW PUTIN WHO IS BOSS.
I DON'T BELIEVE IN GETTING RID OF
THE NUCLEAR ARSENAL.
THAT MAKES ME A BAD LIB BUT IF I WAS GREAT
BRITAIN I WOULD NOT DO THAT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, SHOULD PEOPLE
WHO INVADED IRAQ UNDER FALSE PRETENSES AND COMMITTED WAR
CRIMES BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE?
YES, THAT IS WHAT WAR CRIMES ARE
ABOUT.
AND IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO AFTER THE LOWLY SOLDIERS WHO
DID IT -- AND IN ABU GHRAIB WE PUT AWAY SOME PEOPLE FOR
TORTURE, BUT WE HAVE MEMOS THAT GO ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP THAT
SAY, TAKE THE GLOVES OFF AND START DOING THESE PRACTICES.
SHOULD WE PROSECUTE THEM?
FAIR IS FAIR.
>>IF YOU LOCKED UP THE PEOPLE WHO OBVIOUSLY LIED MULTIPLE
COUNTRIES INTO GOING TO WAR, MAYBE IN THE FUTURE, POLITICIANS
WOULD THINK TWICE BEFORE LYING TO US ABOUT SOMETHING AS
SIGNIFICANT AS A SERIES OF MULTI-TRILLION-DOLLAR WARS
IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
>>I DEFINITELY WOULD NOT WITHDRAW FROM NATO.
THERE'S A
LOT I DISAGREE ON, BUT OVERALL, GIVEN THE STATUS QUO, WOULD I
RATHER KEEP VOTING FOR AN ESTABLISHMENT CANDIDATE THAT
WILL KEEP ON DOING THE SAME THINGS THEY HAVE BEEN DOING, OR
SOMEONE WHO IS GOING TO SHAKE THE SYSTEM UP?
I WILL VOTE FOR SHAKING IT UP.
>> AGAIN, IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN HOW SUCCESSFUL HE WILL BE IN
TAKING HIS COALITION TOGETHER AND ACTUALLY GETTING HIS
LEGISLATION -- LEGISLATIVE GOALS ACCOMPLISHED.
I LOOKED OVER SOME
RECENT POLLING AND GENERALLY WHEN A NEW LEADER IS ELECTED TO
A PARTY THERE TENDS TO BE THIS SIGNIFICANT BUMP, IN THE SAME
WAY THAT OUR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS HAVE IT.
HIS WAS
MINOR, OR IF NOT NONEXISTENT, WHICH GENERALLY IS NOT THE CASE,
AND HIS POPULARITY ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES IS LOW.
HE IS OBVIOUSLY
POPULAR ENOUGH THAT HIS PARTY DID WELL AND HE DID WELL,
BUT THERE ARE SOME ISSUES, ESPECIALLY ECONOMIC POLICIES,
WHICH I WOULD'VE IMAGINED BRITAIN WOULD BE A FAN OF,
CONSIDERING THE DAMAGE THAT AUSTERITY HAS DONE TO
BRITAIN, AT LEAST FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, BUT HE DOESN'T
SEEM TO BE VERY POPULAR ON THOSE ISSUES.
NOT AT PRESENT.
>>LET ME SAY TWO THINGS ABOUT THAT.
FIRST OF ALL, THE CENTRAL
THEME IS, HE IS AGAINST AUSTERITY.
AND LOTS OF PARTS OF
EUROPE INCLUDING THE U.K.
ARE SICK OF AUSTERITY.
THAT MESSAGE WILL
RESONATE, THAT IS WHY HE IS POPULAR.
IT IS NOT LIKE PEOPLE
VOTED FOR THEM EVEN WITH THE LABOUR PARTY LIKE, I CAN'T WAIT
TO GET OUT OF NATO.
I WILL VOTE FOR THIS GUY.
OR I AGREE WITH
HIS VIEWS ON HEZBOLLAH OR WHATEVER.
NO, THEY HATE
AUSTERITY, THAT'S WHY THEY VOTED FOR HIM.
THAT IS THE CENTRAL
THESIS.
A COUPLE MONTHS AGO -- DOES HE HAVE A CHANCE?
THAT IS
THE BIG QUESTION.
A COUPLE MONTHS AGO THE ODDSMAKERS, AT
LEAST ACCORDING TO WHAT I READ, WOULD HAVE PUT CORBYN AT 100-1
TO WIN THE LEADERSHIP OF LABOUR.
THEY WOULD'VE LOST A LOT OF
MONEY.
CAN HE WIN OVERALL?
I THINK THE ANSWER IS YES.
I'M NOT
SAYING HE WILL WIN OVERALL, I'M SAYING HE CERTAINLY CAN WIN, AND
THEY ARE GROSSLY UNDERESTIMATING HIM.
NUMBER ONE, THEY'RE
UNDERESTIMATING PEOPLE'S -- HOW THEY ARE REPULSED BY THE
ESTABLISHMENT.
THAT IS TRUE HERE IN THE U.S., AND THE U.K., AND THE
ESTABLISHMENT KEEPS UNDERESTIMATING IT.
NUMBER TWO,
HE IS RUNNING A POPULIST CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS SMART.
THAT
COAL MINES THING SEEMS LIKE A WEIRD THROWBACK TO US, BUT I
THINK IT IS SMART POLITICS IN A WAY THAT IS SUBCONSCIOUS IN A
SENSE.
AND HE IS COMING OUT STRONG, PEOPLE LOVE STRONG
POLITICIANS.
THEY ARE USED TO ASSOCIATING THE LEFT WITH
WEAKNESS, THAT ASSOCIATION DRIVES US CRAZY BUT THAT IS WHAT
THE PROPAGANDA HAS BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC.
HE IS
SAYING, YOU WANT TO SEE STRONG?
I WILL SHOW YOU STRONG.
THAT
RESONATES.
COMBINE THAT WITH THE FACT THAT THE U.K.
IS SICK OF
AUSTERITY, THEY LIKE HIS CENTRAL IDEA, AND HE IS DOING ALL THESE
OTHER THINGS RIGHT, IF YOU ARE DISCOUNTING HIM, I THINK YOU ARE
MAKING A TERRIBLE MISTAKE.
MAYBE I HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO MAKE THAT
MISTAKE SO HE CAN WIN, AND WE CAN DO DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP EVEN
IF I DON'T AGREE WITH SOME OF WHAT HE SAYS.