How Corruption Erodes Public Trust - Lawrence Lessig

[TheBalancedRepublic]

proposal for action. Amend congressional election process to include a random selection element to remove the grip special interests have on our elections. Cut them off completely and leave behind a true representative Congress for the people. Some of you will get why this solution is important. If you do, show some support. google The Balanced Republic for a new idea that might be worth something. Regards

[loqiloqi]

It would be prostitution if they open up their own asses.

These guys are opening up *our* asses.

[dicelockdown]

thats not alo tof money

[stiss131]

This Heath care bill really sucks. I thought my cost would go down it went up 19% for next year. And I asked the blue cross blue shield guy that was giving are company the options he said they went up because the the new law WTF? I heard the insurance companies wrote the bill WTF? We are living in Corp. Fascism WTF! wake up people !

[billywiz661]

Read James Larkhill's poem on Corruption

[stevethul1]

It is time that we "Get Rid of these Criminals" that run our country...

[pumpstations]

The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.

Tacitus (c. 56/57-ca. 125)

Sound Familiar? And we all know what happened to Rome!

[phenomm999]

Our founding fathers and those who fought the revolutionary war for freedom would have raided the whitehouse and the capitol long ago...Most people I meet are pacifist cowards who have no clue what is really happening in this country and worry more about what their favorite celebrity is doing than our diminishing civil liberties...Most of them couldnt even intelligently explain why they favored one presidential candidate over another; not that it matters, they are all puppets

[Mystrymeat]

@phenomm999 Which would make you... what, exactly? You come on this video bashing the apathy of others while taking no action yourself.

[phenomm999]

Only a nation of cowards would let such corruption persist so openly...we have judges, politicians, and police putting innocent people in jail for possessing marijuana and other things that have no constitutional basis while the constitution is being tread upon in the name of national security (patriot act among other examples)...All of this while these corrupt f**kers waste our hard earned tax dollars and drive the economy into the ground...SHAME ON US!!!!

[voyeurdug]

Joe Lieberman is supporting the insurance companies in Hartford, CT, not his constituents. And they materially support his candidacy as an Independent. To be supported as either a Republican or Democrat, he'd have to show either party that he's in it for their constituents. Which he is patently NOT.

[frankodelic]

Clean Elections!

[ProNorden]

Public Elections are a basic public function, and should be entirely publicly funded.

All access/representation in law courts should also be completely publicly funded. Again, basic public function (as even Libertarians would agree).. Otherwise no practical equal standing of citizens under law, and too much corruption.

[courtinjusticeuk]

David Cameron Conservative Party at Birmingham Court

youtube com

watch?v=oBFXU5w7sFk

[RenegadeTimes]

Money buys everything and anything.

Hookers do not just dress sexy and walk dimly lit streets. They dress in suits and wear ties and walk in political arenas, mainstream media and banking institutions.

An acceptable type of whore but prostitutes just the same . You have enough money to change the rules -the rules change.

This is nothing new !

[ls1z28chris]

There is an old saying that politics is the second oldest profession in the world, and it has a lot in common with the first.

[RenegadeTimes]

Purrfectly said ~

[cookie333333333]

@ls1z28chris whats the first?

[ls1z28chris]

@cookie333333333 Prostitution.

[freesk8]

Power tends to corrupt.

The source of the corruption in Congress is the very power that we have allowed them to seize... no, the power that WE have DEMANDED they seize.

We ignore the limitations of the Constitution on the power of congress, because we want them to do things for us that we should be doing for ourselves.

We want a free lunch.

The people themselves have become corrupted by the power that democracy gives them.

We have met the enemy and he is us.

[garvess]

Politicians are simply apes that know how to talk dress and shave. Humans may be the greatest ape but they are apes still. We trust politicians way too much.

[dmak646]

piece of S&%$#!!!!

[Mastikator]

I view this erosion of public trust as a positive change. Trust in government and patriotism is an irrational psudo-religious belief that doesn't help anyone but the powerful, at the expense of YOU. YOU personally are being hurt by it.

[GOPsithlord]

Please, not this again. Is it just too much to say that the more attempts to regulate industry of any kind, the more an industry will lobby to see that the regulations benefit them? Perhaps they would not have to send armies of lobbyists to Washington and the state capitals were they not under constant assault to inhibit their way of doing business.

[angelwhite]

Your argument is that they should have no boundaries, because boundaries have revealed their corruption?

[hasatum]

I don't think that's his point. The argument is that given good information, competition leads to better self-regulation than government can impose, since government regulation is typically bought by the very groups meant to be regulated. Cartels and monopolies can arise to limit necessary competition, but in most markets, such efforts can only be successful when government regulation is used to limit the rise and growth of new competition.

[GOPsithlord]

It's a matter of having boundaries that don't run them out of business. The argument over regulation is what has created a large infusion of special interest money into politics to begin with.

[voyeurdug]

How 'bout Lieberman, whose constituents in Connecticut want healthcare reform, but Lieberman's stance is in keeping with the insurance companies in Hartford, CT. Don't know if money is flowing there... possibly NOT... but how would the effect be different?

[JesusSavesAtCitibank]

The US is becoming a very dangerous corporatocracy, and because the SCOTUS has granted corporations "personhood" (equal to an American citizen), there is nothing to stop it short of a full-fledged peoples' revolt.

[medliberty]

What is supposed to happen to campaign contributions? Does the money go into the politicians pockets? If so, isnt that a felony bribe? How is this explained away? Or is it?

[Aaberg123]

I did a quick browse of the Wiki articles on the subject, but didn't find anything that specifically said what contributed money can used for.

Something I really didn't understand, was that the article said that money from corporations and labor unions were prohibited.

I guess I need to watch the entire talk at Fora to find out more.

[gotilk]

Money can be funneled in through non-profit lobbyists, jobs offered after their term ends, etc. Sneaky stuff. And I'm sure that's just the tip of it, but it's a pretty big tip. In the end we tend to get more than just the tip, if you know what I mean.

[m0nkeybl1tz]

No, they don't benefit directly from the money. They do, however, benefit from being a senator, congressman, or whatever. I mean, it's their job. And the only way they can keep their job is if they raise enough money. Plus, there are probably some sweet side benefits.

[Aaberg123]

I don't know why the media isn't focusing more on this obviously unqualified persons, with, to say the least, very suspicious arrangements.