the thing most people are missing is that his analysis isn't really leftist, it's more populist. counterpunch just ran an article on populism, but it only focused on the right-wing variety. there's definitely a historical strain of left-wing populism that brand is fitting into.

even as his "analysis" is frustrating in it's complete lack of any understanding of capitalism, i do recognize that it has a value. just speaking from personal experience, i was radicalized quite heavily by punk rock as a teenager. yet, as entertaining as jello biafra is, and as much as he was able to articulate certain things rather clearly, he was only a stepping stone towards more substantive analysis.

it's perfectly reasonable to write him off as a hack, but that doesn't mean he may not have an effect as a type of gateway. i just wish somebody could get him to name drop some people that are smarter than he is to make the path a little more explicit.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/11/08/russell-brand-the-posh-left-and-the-politics-of-class/