Political Friday: About political reforms and money

[goDel]

Here's a moving talk by Lawrence Lessig about kickstarting the one super pac to buy the power the lock money out of politics:

 

 

All the more relevant given last weeks supreme court decision about campaign finance.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/04/john-roberts-campaign-finance_n_5086235.html

 

The legalese is a bit above my grasp, but some of you might have some strong opinion about last weeks ruling.

 

Anywho, Lawrence's talk does present a bit of hope, I guess. What do you think?

[Rubin Farr]

So when conservatives think they'll lose the next election, they just change the law to let their donors influence it even more.

 

thanks Supreme Court!

[Guest fiznuthian]

He's a lot more hopeful than I am at this point.. Good luck with that endeavor.

[goDel]

Yeah. What would a GD walk achieve, or some sort of kickstarted super pac? And didn't Colbert do that already, in his own way?

 

I'm not sure what could achieve any change, but last weeks supreme court's decision made the idea that something should be done all the more urgent, i think.

 

Perhaps some sort of legal case is needed for the supreme court to change their views? That quid pro quo notion that seems to be the driving idea behind the SC's decision, seems like it came from the stone age.

[Guest fiznuthian]

Yeah, it doesn't seem hopeful does it?

 

I started thinking last night about how many things on the planet ultimately end up corrupted by money. Humans just seem to have a really hard time with it.

 

Maybe no matter what we do, if reasonably wealthy people are representing the nation they will never fully understand the hardships of people they are supposed to represent.

[Guest fiznuthian]

Gay is the new fascism apparently.

[luke viia]

this irritates me to my american core. can't believe mccutcheon won this stupid battle.

 

edit: haven't watched this lester lessig talk yet, will do in a bit here

[goDel]

Maybe no matter what we do, if reasonably wealthy people are representing the nation they will never fully understand the hardships of people they are supposed to represent.

 

No, I don't I agree. Is it possible for reasonably wealthy people to represent a nation with a sense of empathy? Sure it is. Have there been examples of this in the past? Sure, plenty. I'm not going to name examples, but the logic is pretty simple: if it wasn't possible the world would have looked a lot more different than it does right now. On certain levels things are going pretty good right now. Better than they have ever been in the last thousands of years.

 

Ok, one example:Ford and the wealth for the masses. This shaped our current western society in a fundamental way.

 

Gay is the new fascism apparently.

Your mom is the new fascism.

[Guest fiznuthian]

 

Maybe no matter what we do, if reasonably wealthy people are representing the nation they will never fully understand the hardships of people they are supposed to represent.

No, I don't I agree. Is it possible for reasonably wealthy people to represent a nation with a sense of empathy? Sure it is. Have there been examples of this in the past? Sure, plenty. I'm not going to name examples, but the logic is pretty simple: if it wasn't possible the world would have looked a lot more different than it does right now. On certain levels things are going pretty good right now. Better than they have ever been in the last thousands of years.

 

Ok, one example:Ford and the wealth for the masses. This shaped our current western society in a fundamental way.

 

Gay is the new fascism apparently.

Your mom is the new fascism.

 

 

Fair point. And to make things clear I was just referring to something Newt Gingrich said discussing homosexuals. I love gay people personally.

[goDel]

Newt said last weeks sc's decision was good for the middle class..... With that, Newt lost the legitimacy to talk about this subject. Or any subject. As I'm sure he is as knowledgable about gay people as he is about the middle class.

[BobDobalina]

If any of my fellow 'mericuhns reading this thread haven't already done so, I strongly urge you to support whatever Move to Amend or similar movements are underway in your home state... essentially there's a sliver of hope that though a state-by-state rejection of this money/speech-corporations/people bullshit, the sorely needed constitutional amendment process can be triggered.

 

 

[luke viia]

^ yes! Represent.US is another good movement to support imo, same page as Move to Amend.