2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumThis feels like a Bait and Switch campaign
Last edited Tue Jul 1, 2014, 04:33 PM - Edit history (1)
So, a friend of mine posted in facebook about a new campaign to get money out of politics... problem is, when I went to the website, I started having all kinds of little red flags and warning bells go off. Below is my response to the facebook post, along with their website address and video
https://mayday.us/#about-mayday
My reason for not supporting Mayday is this; It is a new movement. It is using buzzwords like "reform", and buzz-phrases like We need to take our country back it doesn't provide any concrete plans for the use of the money other than an overly broad "to win a Congress committed to fundamental reform"
Ill break it down a little further we start with the titular Help us reduce the influence of money in politics! However, this doesnt tell us WHOS money interests were fighting. This could literally be anyone. It could be your and my money, the money from big corporations or money from Ren & Stimpy, we dont know.
Another line that pops out at me is: needs to get a Congress committed to fundamental reform by 2016 What fundamental reform? Sure we have the overly broad get money out of politics, but weve already seen the gaping flaw in that comment. The two lines are also conspicuously broken up almost as if they were two separate comments to make it more defensible in a court setting (Well, its not our fault if viewers got some kind of implied meaning).
The video goes out of its way to make tons of IMPLIED statements, but doesnt actually state any details additionally, theyve gotten some of their statistics from the CATO institute, an ultra-Libertarian think tank headed by none other than Charles Koch of the Koch Brothers (the same people that have been pushing for things such as the most recent supreme court ruling)
The video goes on to talk about changing the way campaigns are funded but fails, again, to give us specific details on what changes in campaign funding is being sought (which is a whole lot different from the broad Get money out of politics)
More broad language from the video Fundamental reform in how campaigns are funded tells us nothing. Its a broad statement that could mean eliminating all laws that put limitations on corporate political involvement, or it could actually mean giving power back to the people its completely unclear what they mean.
A Super Pac, to get rid of Super Pacs for good Sounds appealing doesnt it? Wait, but wouldnt eliminating rules requiring super pacs in order for corporations to make political contributions achieve the same thing?
Im sorry but this campaign has all of the hallmarks of a bait and switch campaign that conservative think tanks are so very fond of.
Anansi1171
(793 posts)...simply designed to co-opt populism against a burnt toast congress and direct that towards the very worst of the 1%
Anything by Koch = anti Democracy. But perhaps someone is those stats is a way to make them look impressive... and to a typical idiot, ITS REAL.
Ever notice that Teabaggers only seem to understand a few words at a time? Then they'll send money.
Many "teabag" groups are money scams. Hell, even I considered doing it, but I don't have experience at being a crook and it would be easy to trip up on taxes and get the IRS on your ass. Besides Fraud charges. But for some experienced criminals, they can make the sham, operate it for a few months - may make hundreds of thousands of dollars - then disappear. Then do it again elsewhere.
Xyzse
(8,217 posts)"Hell, even I considered doing it, but I don't have experience at being a crook and it would be easy to trip up on taxes and get the IRS on your ass"
Still, it is money squandered by them.
The Traveler
(5,632 posts)that was defined to him by Aaron Swartz ... specifically the need to dilute the pernicious influence of money over politics. Lessig's previous work focused on aspects of intellectual property law vital to maintaining a free society in a technology dominated era. (See Creative Commons license.) Swartz defined himself as a progressive, and I am quite comfortable with that given the arc of his activism.
I have no qualms standing with Lessig on this matter and many others. Lessig is trying to craft a truly bipartisan effort here ... which may prove difficult due the lack of principled conservatives in this country nowadays. Lessig was also not born yesterday ... he is a brilliant man, and a careful one. He will not easily be subverted. He is suspicious of excessive corporate and financial power and he seeks ways of mobilizing common people to resist that power.
Perhaps you are unfamiliar with Lessig's body of work.
Trav
misterhighwasted
(9,148 posts)Very glad you responded as you did. You just educated a whole lot of readers by highlighting talking points & a few things to question when they read ads like this.
Well Done.
The Traveler
(5,632 posts)The Traveler
(5,632 posts)what other links to the Kochs have you unearthed.
Lessig's purpose seems completely clear to me. You, on the other, imply a lot of stuff in very vague terms ... which is what you accuse Larry of. So ... fill in some details, if ya please.
Or are you one of those people who is afraid he might actually succeed in limiting the influence of big money?
Trav
Veilex
(1,555 posts)My cautiousness stems from all the campaigns developed by ultra-libertarian/conservative think tanks that have had similarly vague phraseology.
If the campaign is legit, then I'll gladly welcome it with open arms.
The Traveler
(5,632 posts)And prepare to be pleased. Lessig is the real deal. He may not succeed. But he is sure giving it a try.
Trav
Veilex
(1,555 posts)blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)and bi-partisanship.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Sunlei
(22,651 posts)Here's the wiki info, looks well educated has worked both sides in politics but seems to be able to change his mind and not go all out for one side or another.
His focus seems to be the corruption in politics, I agree with a lot of what he presents in his written works. Our Congress is corrupt and useless.
I think it may be best to not pass judgment off a short youtube video and check more in depth his plans before condemning him outright.
Here's his wiki bio-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Lessig
here is google search on his name with a lot of information about him.
https://www.google.com/#q=lawrence+lessig
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)I am interested in what they are doing, but at the same time skeptical about who they are going to fund.
Veilex
(1,555 posts)It'd be nice to know without a doubt if they are in the same group as Move to Amend and WolfePac.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)I happened to look on the site just now, it looks like they hit the $5 million mark before the end of July 4th. At 10 pm PST they are at about $5.1.
Hopefully they will come up with some more details as they move on in their campaign.