Talks At Google: Lawrence Lessig- 'Republic Lost'

Source:Talks At Google- Lawrence Lessig talking about his latest book Republic Lost.

"In an era when special interests funnel huge amounts of money into our government-driven by shifts in campaign-finance rules and brought to new levels by the Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission-trust in our government has reached an all-time low. More than ever before, Americans believe that money buys results in Congress, and that business interests wield control over our legislature.

With heartfelt urgency and a keen desire for righting wrongs, Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig takes a clear-eyed look at how we arrived at this crisis: how fundamentally good people, with good intentions, have allowed our democracy to be co-opted by outside interests, and how this exploitation has become entrenched in the system. Rejecting simple labels and reductive logic-and instead using examples that resonate as powerfully on the Right as on the Left-Lessig seeks out the root causes of our situation. He plumbs the issues of campaign financing and corporate lobbying, revealing the human faces and follies that have allowed corruption to take such a foothold in our system. He puts the issues in terms that nonwonks can understand, using real-world analogies and real human stories. And ultimately he calls for widespread mobilization and a new Constitutional Convention, presenting achievable solutions for regaining control of our corrupted-but redeemable-representational system. In this way, Lessig plots a roadmap for returning our republic to its intended greatness. 

While America may be divided, Lessig vividly champions the idea that we can succeed if we accept that corruption is our common enemy and that we must find a way to fight against it. In Republic, Lost, he not only makes this need palpable and clear-he gives us the practical and intellectual tools to do something about it." 

From Talks At Google

One of the things I respect about the Occupy Wall Street movement is the fact they do support campaign finance reform and ending the partnership that Wall Street has with the Federal Government. Now, I disagree with their solutions and their alternate agenda, but they are right that we need to end this partnership and that we need to reform our campaign system.

OWS doesn't like the influence that Wall Street has on our Federal Government. (Which should go without saying to anyone with a brain and happens to also be sane) And all at least to a certain extent support CFR and ending corporate welfare. And perhaps all would like to see our lobbying rules reformed as well. But OWSs has a different approach in how they reform our system. But at least they all agree that it needs to be reformed but just have different approaches in how to do it.