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Lessig's Mayday PAC Scrambling To Cross Crowd Funding Finish Line
First time accepted submitter SingleEntendre (1273012) writes "Time is running out for the Mayday PAC to reach its latest crowd funding goal of $5M. The total currently stands at $4.5M. Led by Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig, the Mayday PAC seeks to reduce the influence of money in US politics by 2016, primarily by identifying and supporting congressional candidates who share this vision. If phase 2 is successful, with matching funds the total raised will be $12M. A self-imposed deadline arrives at of midnight tonight, July 4th, Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HAST)." (And now the total's at $4,700,066.)
Is the other group that they're oppressing money?
No matter what you think of Lessig, I think that the experiment in and of itself is interesting.
It's something that hasn't been tried before. If it doesn't work, a bunch of people are out parts of $5mil. If by some miracle it DOES work... well, then what's the use of decrying it?
The only real downside I can see to this PAC is that people who might have put their time/money into some competing and more effective project put it into this one, pinning more hope on the strategy than maybe they should have.
But unless we see it attempted at least once, we won't really know what effect it will have on the political climate.
So go for it, Larry & Gang! I hope it works.
I just can't support someone whose idea of freedom is allegedly protecting the rights of one group by oppressing another group.
Are you a US citizen? If so, you're likely supporting the current government structure by paying taxes. Just saying.
If you can get similar momentum behind some solution that has a chance of making any difference, and doesn't oppress anyone, go for it.
I know what they CLAIM to represent, and I know what they represent in their words and deeds.
Most of the ones who I've heard open their mouths are blatant christofascists, historical revisionists, racists, sexists, etc. My assessment that they want to turn us into a "Christian Saudi Arabia" is based on their words and deeds (listen to their talking points, there's a lot of Christian nation, Seven Mountains Mandate and the like talk).
What you hear in the ear, preach from the rooftop Matthew 10.27b
Lessig is the guy who helped get Creative Commons off the ground. He actually does stuff. This isn't the same old story.
If you take the bait, and this ends up getting funded, do not be surprised when we replace one "ocracy" with another "ocracy."
That's all this guy is after - putting power in his own court by using the government to oppress people who do not agree with his point of view.
At least Lessig has a track record and is putting his name and reputation to this.
Then again, AC has a track record and , er, oh well.
Are you kidding me? It's called the MAYDAY PAC.
MAYDAY, as in, "OMG this is an emergency! You have to do this or people are going to DIE!"
The very name of the thing is designed to elicit an unnecessary sense of urgency and an irrational emotional state in order to extract money.
It's classic self-serving political behavior.
The difference here is that the politicians know that votes are fickle, but money is money.
I just thought of another problem with this though: for money to really speak, it has to at least have the appearance of being a continual stream. That means that once this $12mil warchest is used up, there has to be assurances that there will be ANOTHER war chest lined up to keep supporting things. Otherwise, it's easier to go with the other PAC who wants to keep things as they are, but will only donate $3mil/year.... for the next 20 years.
Lessig has to ensure this thing stays funded not just until the PAC's goals are realized, but until the goals of those being funded are realized. Otherwise, other deeper-running money may speak louder.
If you think the system's broken now, try later when the only people who get to run are those who can cobble together enough votes to get government funding, which is to say, the two main parties as they currently stand.
The only people to even touch on that percentage the past fifty years were Ross Perot, who funded himself (this will be illegal now???) and John Anderson, the libertarian candidate in 1980.
Yes, this will fix the problem...in the sense of entrenching the status quo even more.
Thanks but no thanks.
The entire front page of that kickstarter is nothing but generic fix the government platitudes...by design...as many politicians have blabbered about in innumerable campaigns of the past...for the purpose of getting you onboard fantasizing what *you* care about is what *they're* talking about.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
it has to at least have the appearance of being a continual stream
Yes I think you are right. I, personally, am willing to support the fund year after year. I hope others will too.
Exactly! I refuse it to support Mayday until they stand up for term limits. I asked a question about this in the "Ask Larry about Mayday" story. Then they used a "new and improved format" for his responses and dumped my +5 rated question.
Mayday, if they succeed will give us the same thing we have now, lifetime legislators. Their voucher system will end up a Massive advantage to incumbents.
"...get a constitutional convention by having non-corrupt state-level politicians pass an amendment."
Clearly you haven't been paying attention. State level races are as bad as national level when it comes to money as influence.
"So we're going to elect some politicians that promise to do something different? Where have I heard that before? (Every 2-6 years)"
Your gutless resignation isn't doing any good. Lessig has a great idea and he understands just how fundamentally broken the system is. He is fighting the system from within the system, something I didn't think was possible, but it's a really worthy goal. Be part of an attempted solution. Go donate. (And yes, I have. Twice.)
http://www.rootstrikers.org/
>He is fighting the system from within the system, something I didn't think was possible
Quite. I have my doubts as to how successful it will actually be in the long term*, but the only other alternative seems to be violent uprising, about which I have even greater doubts as to the wisdom and efficacy of. So I've got my fingers crossed and am cheering him on mightily.
* I'm betting there's 160 or so people who will gladly donate a few tens of millions each out of their pocket change to lobby against such reform if this movement becomes a credible threat. But we are still at least superficially a democracy, and staging a public lobbyist battle against the populace could backfire badly at the polls.
--- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
Nirvana fallacy - Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien (The perfect is the enemy of the good) - Voltaire
The counter just tipped over $5M a moment ago. Let's see what Lessig et al. can do with our (mine and 47K other people's) money.
Well Done All Around.
It sickens me that we must "buy back" our democracy.
comment directly in my journal
I am Canadian and actually wanted to pledge for this. :-)
Hope this works out for you guys.
"Sockets are the standard networking API, also useful for stopping your eyes from falling onto your cheeks" zeromq.org
The grandparent was talking about some kind of fictional first-past-the-post campaign funding system that no one has proposed. You are saying that the voucher system will give a massive advantage to incumbents. Could you explain your position? Vouchers are given by voters to the candidates of their choosing - how does this give an advantage to incumbents?
If you are going to get this into name-calling and shouting of drivel, at least come out from behind the AC mask. The only folks I can see that are preaching oppression of others are the TeaPubs. Please, save me from them.
If the people don't put effort into democracy, it will disappear. By definition. Voting is cool but it's not enough to make a democracy.
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
Yes, we mustn't suppress Hitler. We have to somehow raise everybody else up.
Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
That's the exact problem I have with it. It's an effective tax raise, and what happens to the money raised? It goes to support candidates I might vehemently disagree with. To buy them TV commercials. I find that pretty objectionable.
I have no issue with Lessig's end-goal here, I think it's noble and needed. But the way he's going about it is awful, and I won't be contributing money to it.
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