Video Of The Week: Lawrence Lessig: The unstoppable walk to political reform

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Comments (Archived):

  1. Elia Freedman

    He started his SuperPAC this week: http://mayone.us/It is an interesting idea: if every citizen becomes a political donor than our representatives will be beholden to all of us, not just the .0037% who donate today.

    1. John Revay

      Remember Corporations are People too

      1. jason wright

        are they?

        1. Elia Freedman

          By US law they are.

          1. jason wright

            how so?

          2. Elia Freedman

            Really? Do a Google search. This is case law now, confirmed by citizen united decision four years ago. Start here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wik

          3. jason wright

            i’m an outsider looking in. i don’t keep up to date with all constitutional rulings from your court.corporations are not like people. people may put other people before profit. in my country corporations have a legal obligation to put maximising profit before other considerations.

          4. Elia Freedman

            I couldn’t quite tell if you were being provocative or really didn’t know. I should have considered that you didn’t live here.Yes, most of us would agree with your statement. There are a lot of very odd things about the US that don’t apply to other countries, good and bad.

        2. John Revay

          I thought the United States Supreme Court said they were.

      2. Kirsten Lambertsen

        Yep. So next time you want to drive in the carpool lane, just bring a corporate charter with you in the passenger seat.

    2. LE

      My feeling is that Lessig is out of his league in optimism on this one. Here is the list of existing pacs:http://www.fec.gov/press/pr…Seat of the pants I don’t feel this “fight fire with fire” is going to work (although it does prove my saying “you can only be as honest as the competition”.)I think this is a bit like trying to build an airplane by making a better flapping wing to create flight instead of taking the time to figure out how to make the plane fly by use of a power source combined with a wing that creates lift. I think solving this problem will take a new approach. Not an approach that the other side is already quite good at (and there are multiple adversaries if you want to call them that).

      1. Elia Freedman

        People can keep lobbying Congress and hope that will change but good luck with that. A constitutional convention is unlikely. The Supreme Court is set for a long time. Should we stop trying to fix this situation? Ignore it? Widening the pool hasn’t really been tried before. At least Lessig is trying a different approach while everyone stands around whining about the situation.

        1. LE

          while everyone stands around whiningI dispute a few things about this.One, if people are whining they are whining because some talking head or the media is egging them on and putting ideas into their head (which is totally separate from whether there is actually a problem by the way. Not the same as saying “no problem”).To most people (and I’m not talking about online bloggers or media people) they care more about their next meal, whether they can pay for healthcare, are losing their hair, can afford a new car, or how many weeks of vacation they get. I dispute that they feel that this is something that actually has impact on them as long as they have their job and make enough money and they are otherwise happy.I’m reminded of when I watch Brian Williams on the Nightly News and when something happens and he says “and people are asking” as if there is actually widespread questioning about things that most people don’t even know about or care about. It’s normally a small and vocal minority “asking questions” and the media (or bloggers) exaggerate that and create (for their own benefit) the feeding frenzy.

          1. Elia Freedman

            We agree mostly. Politics, sports, tech… punditry in general works the way you describe.

  2. Tom Shakely

    It’s a great talk. I’m a big fan of Lessig for being so intellectually honest and willing to take the implications of ideas out and move them into the public square. He’s the anti-talking head. Also saw Albert’s upcoming appearance at BuzzFeed along same theme. Thinking of coming.http://continuations.com/po

    1. Holly P Pressman

      A great talk indeed and hopefully the emotional passion will create a movement of more Granny D’s so that the people of our country prevail as was the premise of the founders of our nation.

  3. Vineeth Kariappa

    gr8 talk. Thanks for sharing.

  4. LE

    While there is always room for improvement, anytime I watch the nightly news and see what happens in other countries (both large and small), I am reminded of how great things really are in this country despite the areas where we could do much better.I flatly reject any notion at all that the mere fact that there are some people who end up having a better end of the deal [1] (because they have money or power) means that the rest of us don’t benefit in some way as well from the way the system currently works.Of course there is room for improvement there always is. But I wish people would stop whining so much and concentrate on their own issues instead of spreading this notion of how shitty things are here. And cherry picking examples of small countries that nobody cares about that don’t have their hand in a million pots (or have the advantage of a shitload of natural resource money) to compare and say how things could be better here.[1] Or that in some cases people get shafted or the short end of the stick.

    1. Otis Funkmeyer

      I have been in Europe (England, France, Spain, Italy) for the past 2 months and it has made me more bullish on America than anything has in a LOOOOONG time.I was prone to getting on a high horse about NSA abuses and general sliding toward either fascism or big monetary trouble but wow. America feels so far ahead and so good that it makes me realize no matter “how bad” it may be, it is so absolutely worth rooting/cheering/fighting for.Nothing like leaving home to realize the good things about home!

      1. JLM

        .Inside the tent looking out is way different than outside the tent looking in.America — the people, not our government — and the world, not their governments having been a centuries long love affair. American blood and treasure has bought more freedom than any other force in history.I love our country. I do not trust our government.http://themusingsofthebigre…JLM.

        1. LE

          I do not trust our government.Look everybody is entitled to their opinion.But I was raised by someone who was in Poland when the Nazis invaded in 1939, lost various relatives (including parents and siblings) in the camps, was also in the camps, but yet didn’t seemed to be bothered at all by anything at all our government seems to do. [1] About Nixon he said “of course they all cheat he just got caught”.You see in real life where there are men that want power (or achieve power) , you are never going to have the type of honesty and accountability that idealists seem to think we should have and keep thinking is possible. All you can hope for is someone that flies enough beneath the radar and as a result that there is enough “cheer” to go around and there is not revolt in the streets (as we see happening elsewhere).[1] NSA and surveillance? Great as long as it keeps us safe, I have no problem at all with that type of thing as has been described or that I’ve read. It bothers me not one bit whatever they are doing to keep us safe. Even if they have overreached. On a personal level I hope Snowden is happy with his place in history and life going forward in Russia, as well as thinking that everyone supports what he has done. Guess what? Surprise! [2] Not everyone thinks he did the right thing. I’d rather have a bunch of corrupt politicians than a single half shaven skinny geek deciding what is best for this country.[2] Surprise number two: Not everyone is bothered by being searched by the TSA at the airport or the extra security. I’m glad for it despite all the pundits who want to talk about the fuck ups. My luggage got searched and they didn’t put the lock back on. So I’ve made a claim for the things that are missing. Not a big deal at all.

  5. LE

    It’s scary how affected Lessig was and still is by the Aaron Schwartz death. I hope he isn’t ignoring his own wife and family in the pursuit of this goal that he has.Actually just found this which is interesting:http://www.hyperink.com/Per…Lessig is married to German-born lawyer Bettina Neuefiend who investigated the Kosovo war crimes. Originally a law student of Lessigs’ at the University of Chicago, Neuefiend began dating him three years after her graduation.

    1. sigmaalgebra

      > I hope he isn’t ignoring his own wife and family in the pursuit of this goal that he has.Common situation of people who get ‘all wound up’ over some goal outside their family. They can be so wound up that they just cannot have a meaningful connection with their spouse and end up exploiting their spouse and otherwise neglecting their family for their own, particular goal outside the family. Bummer for the family. Bummer.I should have a chapter on this in ‘Girls 101 for Dummies — Boys’ to warn boys about girls all wound up about something far from a good marriage and family. Such girls can be close to a total disaster. Due to nearly irresistible maternal instinct, if they have, say, 3 kids, they can seem okay for about 12 years from their first pregnancy until the youngest kid is in the first grade. Then they can be off again on the goal they were all wound up about, wreck their marriage, family, themselves, etc.This situation can be a special case of the more general problem that in our society, outside of having kids and caring for them until they are in the first grade, too large a fraction of women just do not know what to do with their lives in any way that is realistic and productive.So, another special case, I’ve seen far too often, is she is not all wound up on any goal, has one kid, and when that one is in the first grade becomes highly devoted to her really good friends, Jack Daniels and Jim Beam. She can also become really good friends with a plumber who keeps coming over in the afternoons when nothing in the house needs maintenance.My view, with a simple argument, is that our genes are very much the same as 10,000 years ago but that society, due to writing, mathematics, physical science, medical science, engineering, technology, agriculture, domestic animals, transportation, communications, the economy, medicine, police, laws, government, military, etc., is now much different. Well, nearly everything in the difference was created by men, in ways convenient for men, and left a society very different for women. We’re still trying to catch up, and too many women and families are falling behind.

  6. jason wright

    one of the most interesting political speeches i’ve heard in years.

  7. PatrickTOrtega

    I think solving this problem will take a new approach. Not an approach that the other side is already quite good at (and there are multiple adversaries if you want to call them that). http://sn.im/28vgcw5

  8. AnitaJJones

    I think this is a bit like trying to build an airplane by making a better flapping wing to create flight instead of taking the time to figure out how to make the plane fly by use of a power source combined with a wing that creates lift. I think solving this problem will take a new approach. Not an approach that the other side is already quite good at (and there are multiple adversaries if you want to call them that). http://sn.im/28vgcw5

  9. sigmaalgebra

    Sure, with the Internet and the Constitution, some such thing should work. Why? Because in spite of all the complexity of the situation, votes really do count and, thus, it is sufficient, or nearly so, just to (A) have a lot citizens fired up (detect with polling, marches, etc.), (B) have some candidates run on the issues, (C) have people vote. Done or nearly so.I have no problems voting, I’d vote the SOBs out in a hurry,But apparently Lessig was not too clear on just what he meant by “campaign finance reform”. The sign on the grandma was not very complete. And we do have freedom of speech and of people to spend their money. And there are claims that the number of voters that can be led around like they had a ring through their nose is so high that the PAC with the biggest bucks usually will win, even though PACs and dollars can’t actually vote.I have to believe that the Internet can win this time: Any blog has lot of really cheap ‘ink’, sometimes more than any outlet in the MSM. So, to keep up the interest, Lessig & Co. should start a Web site and each day between now and the election come out with a story of where money in politics caused big, nasty problems in the past, and, then, publicize the site and try to make it go ‘viral’, e.g., with some YouTube clips, Instagram photos, a Facebook page, etc. It should work. If not this time, then with more efforts, soon. Again, all people have to do is just vote.

  10. JLM

    .When one hears something like this, it is easy to see how American politics has gotten so screwed up. I doubt I have ever heard a more unrealistic expression of influencing the system and one less grounded in reality.Aaron Schwartz was not a political thinker or leader. His death, while tragic as any loss of such youthful promise, is not politically inspiring. This guy is neither. He may be an intelligent — if you are willing to overlook his enormous naivete — man but a political wiseman? No.Movements may be driven by martyrs but not by guys who checked out voluntarily. Find me one, if you can.To influence American politics, you have to win elections. Elections are tough, dirty, brutal fights. Level what criticisms you may desire at Barack H Obama but he won several elections and therefore he got to govern. Look at the people — low, no information voters — who elected him and tell me you want their intellectual rigor to truly drive the process. But their votes count the same as the most learned and brilliant person in the land.Please don’t tell me there was any substance to “hope and change”, it was all marketing. America was ready for BHO and BHO knew (his advisers anyway, Plouffe and Axelrod) how to take what Obama had, repackage it and sell it.Hope about what?Change what?For a similar frame of reference, study how Tom Watson, Jody Powell and Ham Jordan did the same thing for a Georgia Governor named Jimmy, a Squid BTW. Same brilliance. They read the national tea leaves perfectly and then performed.The two worst Presidents in modern times — vying mightily to see who is the worst — were both elected in brilliant contrarian or shallow campaigns. Because America is really that stupid.Tell me how New Hampshire is going to lead the Nation to the Promised Land when they get their heroin problem solved.Having said that, America is still the best place in the world and even Pres Barack Obama cannot destroy that. He has taken a good run at it and he has shown an incredible level of incompetence, corruption and evil but just like the BP spill did NOT destroy the Gulf, he will be gone soon.This pie in the sky “change the system” has absolutely no chance of working. Remember how the Net was going to draft great candidates the last election cycle? Pissed away a lot of money.On a personal note, tell me all about your personal involvement when you have served as your local Precinct Chair and manned the barricades on Election Day.For the record, I am my the Precinct Chair in my District.JLM.

    1. LE

      Aaron Schwartz was not a political thinker or leader. His death, while tragic as any loss of such youthful promise, is not politically inspiring. This is guy is not either. He may be an intelligent — if you are willing to overlook his enormous naivete — man but a political wiseman? No.Yeah. Like I said Lessig’s love of this guy is a bit scary to me.I have this thing which I call the “lender” effect.Back in the day, when you applied for a bank loan, the local bank officer would visit your place of business and you would give them the dog and pony show and send them back all impressed with what you were going to do with the money, money that they would lend you iirc at 12% interest. May have been more, this was the early 80’s.So you would give them your financial data which they would show to “the lender”. That was the guy behind the tent who didn’t care about all the bullshit you were shoveling at the local officer (who was impressed with your fancy car) in the dog and pony show.The lender just looked at the facts and numbers only. He wasn’t affected by the “new car smell” and the opportunity for future business. And in the end, if you didn’t get the money, it was because the lender wasn’t impressed with that data. And to me, what I figured out (but never verified), was that this system was in place to specifically prevent the type of magical presence that someone like Swartz had over Lessign. The Swartz “dog and pony” show.The dog and pony show is also what the cool guy at college has over some freshmen women. He seems so wise and all knowing and plays guitar to boot. Those women, they are to simple and naive to really know he wants to get into their pants the same as any other guy who does not have the fine finish of unshaven earthiness.

    2. LE

      Because America is really that stupid.When ever I get frustrated with how stupid people are, I realize that it would be much harder for me to earn a living if people were smarter or even as smart as I am.I know the business that you used to be in. My guess is that the patrons of one business in particular (that I am thinking of) are not at the top end of the intelligence scale.You see everything is about perspective.I tell my wife about how my stepkids (her children) will have a leg up on their classmate slackers who are being coddled by friendly parent and raised on new vaulues instead of old values. So it’s actually good that everyone else thinks differently some time.

      1. JLM

        .Voter IQ does not require deep intelligence, it only requires a bit of thought. Retirees, who have earned their retirement by a life of work are thoughtful people.The people of whom I speak are either the 40% who never vote ever; and, the ones who voted for a candidate because of stupid reasons.They themselves may be quite objectively intelligent and just woefully misinformed. Leftist liberal guilt is a perfect example of intelligent people being woefully misinformed.There is also the quality of the campaign to consider. The Benghazi scandal is really a campaign scandal if you squint your eyes just right.The story did not fit the re-election meme; rather than modifying the meme, the campaign decided to bend the facts.JLM.

        1. sigmaalgebra

          > Leftist liberal guiltYup, there’s been a lot of that. So, the ‘subtext’ goes, a relatively large fraction of the Blacks have especially tough lives. So, there is, “There but for the grace of God go I.” So, if anyone is suffering, then everyone can feel that they might also suffer. So, try to keep down the level of suffering. Besides, maybe the cause of the Black suffering was the Whites, that is, the Whites are guilty. So, elect a Black president. Maybe he will solve the problems. Then can say that the Blacks had a chance. Then, less White guilt.Apparently Bush ’43 was affected by ‘White guilt’ and pushed through ‘No Child Left Behind’. Last I heard, it wasn’t working very well for either the Blacks or the Whites, and there are claims that it actually makes the schools worse.Well, since Congress is right there in DC, Congress is willing to write special checks to the DC government to help alleviate some of the suffering. So, the DC schools got Michelle Rhee who tried really hard but, still, last I heard, on a long program on ‘Frontline’, failed to move the rock up the hill. Rhee seemed to be long on money but short on success.It’s super tough to make significant progress in the social sciences, and social problems are super tough to solve.Sorry ’bout all that.

    3. sigmaalgebra

      As I recall, at least “change” and maybe also “hope and change” were right out of the Sidney Lumet movie ‘Power’ with Gene Hackman and Richard Gere, We’re talking a trivial cliche taking a lot of votes in a big election. Bummer.I don’t like Lessig, but I could like and vote for some candidates with some good positions on limiting the role of money in politics. And I do strongly suspect that the Internet can be a powerful and crucial means of getting enough voters motivated and voting. I don’t agree that so many people are really so stupid, but we can believe that they don’t see much to do better than having some brewskis and watching some brain dead TV news or drama series.Swartz was a sad guy: One important necessary condition, sometimes nearly sufficient, for much in a meaningful life is to keep living. Another condition is don’t bend over too far backwards all by yourself to piss off stuffed suit bureaucrats in big, powerful organizations, e.g., MIT, the Boston police, and the Boston office of the DOJ run by some all wound up, radical feminist out to beat up on people whenever she can to feel like she is righting all the wrongs done to women over the centuries — dangerous person. Another condition is don’t get too wound up in poorly considered and wildly unrealistic ‘save the world’ goals such as ‘liberating’ some millions or whatever PDF files from an ‘evil’ Web site, even if nearly all the papers are available for free in any research library.Yes, yes, yes, I know; I know; I heard the stuff too often: (A) If a person devotes their life to solving all the problems of the world and other people, then the world will be grateful and take care of that person. I.e., we can all be like Mother Teresa, right? (B) If everyone owns everything jointly, e.g., PDF files of research papers, the means of production and distribution, etc. then everyone will have enough and be secure. Heard them? Yes. Believe them? No. Saw some terrible consequences of people believing (A) and (B)? Yes. Were all of such deaths far from my family? No. Did I argue that (A) and (B) were hopeless, dangerous, and brain dead? Yes, for over a decade. Did my arguments work? Nope. Do I hate (A) and (B)? Yup.It’s good to be a good person, and “don’t be evil” is a good motto, but another one is don’t be totally brain dead stupid and go walking across busy streets with your eyes closed. Stuffed suit bureaucrats wielding brain dead, stupid laws can be less humane and more dangerous than fast, heavy traffic or, for more, most of the jungle carnivores.Darwin still has a lot of work to do and is a busy guy; even if he doesn’t get back to you right away, if keep making biggie mistakes and you may yet come to the top of his list.Ah, for my object instance de/serialization bug, I now know a lot of places in my code where the cause is not! Narrowing in on the cause! Then my last Web page should be able to communicate via TCP/IP with one of my servers! Not many more such problems, maybe none, everything’s written and all that’s left is debugging and maybe some polishing, and this code’s ready to go live!

    4. sigmaalgebra

      Just read your BRC on love country, don’t trust its gumment.You made your point on ‘competence’ rock solid.

    5. Kirsten Lambertsen

      “To influence American politics, you have to win elections… This pie in the sky ‘change the system’ has absolutely not chance of working.”In 1966, a nationwide Gallup poll found only 33% of Americans had positive feelings about Dr. Martin Luther King. I might be off base, but I don’t think the civil rights movement won a whole lot of elections.Sometimes, movements go beyond the political machinery. Sometimes. But it takes a long time. The question is, how long has this movement already been underway?

      1. JLM

        .I am a huge fan of Dr Martin Luther King in no small part because he had a PhD and was in the trenches. His sentiments were noble and he was willing to consider things thoughtfully. He was a pastor.I am not so high on the professional race baiters and hangers on who trade on his good will.His impact arguably was on society not really on politics.Politics is a lot bigger than racial considerations.Pres Obama, AG Holder, Amb Rice, Valerie Jarrett, SCOTUS Justice Thomas all stand, in some part on King’s shoulders. Most of them could not hold his horse.JLM.

        1. Kirsten Lambertsen

          Just to be clear, it wasn’t my intention to bring race into the discussion.I was using the Civil Rights Movement (and its de facto figurehead, MLK) as an example of a movement. It’s the one we’re all the most familiar with here in the U.S.

          1. JLM

            .Today in America, race is part of every conversation.We are on egg shells lest we offend someone.Racial awareness is a good thing, being a racist not so much.JLM.

          2. Kirsten Lambertsen

            Just saying, you changed the subject, my friend. Not I.

          3. JLM

            .Well, yes, I am prone to doing just that.Speaking of Ulysses Grant…..JLM.

    6. MikeSchinkel

      Yes, “low and no information” voters do worry me. But what worries me a whole lot more are those people who think they are smarter than everyone else, know all the answers and are both unwilling to consider and disrespectful of anyone else’s perspective on the matter.The former are benign tumors on society, but the latter are malignant.

      1. JLM

        .Your subtle indictment of Pres Obama and AG Holder is both correct and insightful. They are malignant.Well played.JLM.

        1. MikeSchinkel

          JLM – Of course you know I was not speaking of them.

          1. JLM

            .But, but, but, Mike……………who would you otherwise be calling names at?Who is the malignancy?Who?Ahhh, you’re just joshing me, right, Mike?You were talking about the President and the Attorney General, right, Mike?Mike?JLM.

          2. MikeSchinkel

            JLM – Introspection is a powerful tool. You should try it some time.

    7. Pete Griffiths

      Sadly, I completely agree.

  11. naTHANRICHARDS

    BREAK IT DOWN FOR ME I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS A PROBLEM

  12. Matt Zagaja

    I pledged to Prof. Lessig’s PAC the other day. He is an idealist with the right flavor of pragmatism. We have public financing of elections in Connecticut and the legislators I talk to have generally agreed it is helpful both in recruiting new people to get involved in politics and also to help them feel less pressured when legislating on policy. There are still other problems to solve but this is a problem and I think if we solve it will be easier to solve the next problems.Cynicism is easy and optimism is hard. This is true whether you are trying to start a new company or elect someone to office. Prof. Lessig has been working on this issue for a while now, and I have seen him iterate his ideas and activism as he moves along. An agile activist. Even if you do not believe in the ideas I think there is a lot of effort that is worthy of respect here.

  13. Kirsten Lambertsen

    Those here who knocked Lessig’s honoring of Aaron Swartz managed to misspell Swartz’s name.And to label most of humanity as stupid is the ultimate hubris. Good luck with that.We’d all be much worse off if it weren’t for the ‘idealists’ (who happen, by the way, to be the ones getting their hands dirty and doing the tedious, slow, incremental work it takes to make positive change in a society and its government).

    1. sigmaalgebra

      > idealistsFine, e.g., the wife of Bill Gates who, between Bill, Warren, and others, raised, let me see and get the decimal place within about 3 of where it belongs, ballpark $100 billion.I can like some ‘idealists’ and at times have greatly benefited from some of them. Thanks! E.g., as a child I had two serious trips to the hospital, surgery both times, and life at risk. Coming home from one of those, I saw that my bed had been made perfectly, not a wrinkle anywhere, with my pillow under the spread and a teddy bear leaning against the pillow. More recently Vassar Brothers Hospital was very nice to me; if my startup works, then I will be nice to Vassar Brothers Hospital.But I’ve seen ‘idealists’ do harm to others, especially their families, and, finally, worst of all, to themselves. As a result, ‘idealism’ needs a dose of ‘realism’ or risks being harmful to the idealist and those close to them and essentially zero for everyone else.Apparently there are some ‘traditions’ of idealism, and it appears to me that some of those are a bit dangerous and/or ineffective. Net, with some of idealism, we have to be careful and, say, “measure twice and saw once”.

  14. jason wright

    There’s a church in Munich, Bavaria, the Frauenkirche. It was build 500 years ago to hold 20,000 people, and at the time Munich’s population was less than 15,000. The people didn’t need to be represented there, they attended in person, each and every one of them. The web will always be like this church used to be. Representation is a function of limits. The web has no limits.

  15. Michael Elling

    Lessig, Hastings, and Spacey should join forces. Put together clips from HoC around some of the scenes regarding SuperPacs, attach some good music and get a good rapper to donate time. Will appeal to a 12-30 year olds and do more to get our youth up to speed on current PoliSci than any course in school, while raising the general publics’ overall awareness of the issue. Of course, it will help Lessig/Reed’s battles on NetNeutrality if they put particular emphasis on the Cable/Telco SPs.A couple of years ago I listened to Michael McMahon of Staten Island describe how within 3 months of his first term he was called in by party leadership and told to spend 30% of his time campaigning for funds for himself and others in his first year. Of course that number increases in the 2nd year as primaries and elections approach. Tragic.

  16. Peter Fleckenstein

    So to begin, one must understand the definitions of reform and “fundamental transformation”.Reform: to improve (someone or something) by removing or correcting faults, problems, etc.Fundamental: of or relating to the basic structure or function of something. Transformation: a complete or major change in someone’s or something’s appearance, form, etc.Why didn’t we the people do anything when a Senator from Chicago uttered these words 5 days before he was elected: “We are 5 days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America”?The hairs on the back of every American’s neck should have been raised when they heard this. Mine did and a chill ran through my spine.Mr. Lessig misses out on what makes America so great. He misses the fundamental problem that has contributed to where we are at as a nation. Mr. Lessig has failed to realize that no matter how much money he raises for his super pac that he will fail.Our current administration and our Congress (both sides of the aisle) could care less about We the People and they have abandoned their sacred oaths they falsely pledged. They could care less about how much money Lessig raises.Why? Because they realize this sad but true fact: Americans are lazy. We have become apathetic. We have allowed ourselves to become non-critical in our thinking. We have given up in holding politicians accountable.We have a country that has been invaded by a parasitic cancer called Progressivism. Progressivism operates freely within any political party. It has spread it’s infection within our education system, our society, and our government.Let’s start by being honest and recognize facts:Spending more than you ever take in never works. Ever.A limited government is the best government. Proven.No government health care system has ever provided quality affordable health care including ObamaCare. Our education system is broken to the core. It doesn’t serve our youth. It hasn’t for quite some time.We have no one to blame but ourselves.What to do? Instead of raising money to stop money let’s take action:Be a part of your local, state, and federal election process in your area.Demand your local and state politicians support and vote for instituting Article 5 of our Constitution.Get involved with our youth and teach them the lost art of critical thinking.Write letters to your US Representatives and Senators stating that your tired of what they are doing or rather, not doing.Organize and hold your own “Town Hall” meetings.That’s just a start but it’s a damn good one.I’ll leave you with the following:A young woman asked Ben Franklin, upon his leaving Constitution Hall, “What have you given us sir?”. Ben answered – “A Republic, if you can keep it ma’am.”It’s on us people. We owe it to our children and future generations to take action and save America.

  17. dkural

    A question on “money in politics”. When NYTimes endorses a candidate, and spends millions of dollars distributing the paper offline and online with this political endorsement, how is this different from a PAC running ads on behalf of a candidate? Should media outlets be banned from supporting politicians? If not, what is to prevent anyone with cash from starting a media outlet to promote a candidate?