Why fixing the way we finance campaigns is the first problem we need to address
Congress is so incredibly corrupt that it can’t figure out that 2 + 2 = 4. Congress is incapable of making no-brainer decisions. that is why Congress has only a 9% approval rating.
These are the opinions of Lawrence Lessig, founder of Change Congress, which is based on these three foundational principles:
1. No money from Lobbyists or PACs
2. Ban “earmarks”
3. Support public finance of public elections.
For the mechanism by which money warps the judgment of Congress, consider the the untoward influence of the sugar industry, and consider the prominence of junk science in Washington D.C. According to Lessig, corruption comes from good people working in a bad system and we need to change the system. The power of money is like alcoholism, which wrecks lives. We won’t make meaningful progress unless we first address the source of all of the problems.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLIniks2O0s&feature=related[/youtube]
BTW, Lessig was considering a run for Congress when he made this video. He ultimately decided to not make that run.
