Harvard Prof crowdfund to save democracy (and now, for POTUS run)

Drowned OutDrowned Out Posts: 6,056
edited August 2015 in A Moving Train
This sounds hopeful....
Click the link for an interview with the movements founder.


http://m.vice.com/read/we-talked-to-larry-lessig-about-the-super-pac-to-end-all-super-pacs?utm_source=vicetwitterus

Harvard Professor Larry Lessig, friend of the late hactivist Aaron Swartz and a longtime advocate for net neutrality and ending political corruption, has been on a tear. This winter, he led the New Hampshire Rebellion, a 185-mile walk across the freezing Granite State intended to draw attention to the problem of money infecting everything our government does. He recently celebrated his birthday with likeminded activists in California, where he joined the March for Democracy, a 480-mile hike through the state in protest of what the group calls America's current "plutocracy"-based government.

Now Lessig is talking the talk as well as walking the walk—he's starting a Super PAC to end them all, a sort of Kickstarter campaign he hopes will raise enough unregulated cash to oust some of the entrenched assholes who run Congress with an eye toward making themselves rich. He plans on collecting $12 million by November in order to unseat a handful of legislators who are particularly in the thrall of big money, and intends to seriously step up his game come the 2016 election and radically change what Washington looks like—potentially complicating the ascent of Wall Street favorite Hillary Clinton. I called up Lessig to find out whether this is different from all those other lofty bipartisan reform projects that seem to inevitably flame out.
Post edited by Drowned Out on

Comments

  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,138
    I wonder if he could try persuading his fellow faculty to use a wee bit of Harvard's $32.5 billion dollar endowment to help the battle. $12M is chump change for Harvard.
  • groovemegrooveme Posts: 353
    I like this idea
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,954
    This guy is awesome.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • melissachunmelissachun Posts: 107
    Mayday Pac just surpassed their goal of raising $5M by July 4th. This is getting very interesting. Guess this is the equivalent of fighting fire with fire in the political arena.
  • Drowned OutDrowned Out Posts: 6,056
    edited August 2015
    Need some details, Larry! He's got a different concept going, anyway.....Referendum President.
    (And no....no idea what became of the campaign in the op)

    Why I Want to Run
    Lawrence Lessig

    http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7971368
    Post edited by Drowned Out on
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,038
    Alright! Talk about some direct action. :smile:
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













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