

Lawrence Lessig: "We are the 99.95%" [video] - ajhit406
http://getdenso.com/videos/2929798-december-13-2011-lawrence-lessig-part-4

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bambax
Lessig's thesis, if I'm not mistaken, is that only people who contribute money
to politicians have access to them, and therefore only issues the contributors
care about are dealt with.

He would like to limit the maximum amount an individual is able to contribute
to a very low figure (something like $100 or less) in order to change who has
or has not access.

As a French, I find this very naive. Our politicians and their campaigns are
paid for by public money, and have been for over 20 years now. It doesn't make
our politicians more willing to listen to ordinary people. French politicians
invented -- and implemented! -- Hadopi, for instance.

Access is very important, yes, but it's an illusion to link access with just
money. I would say access is 1/3 social circles (who politicians went to
school with, who they're married to, etc.), 1/3 power (economic power such as
who employs the most people, but also who can make the most noise
(farmers!!!)) and 1/3 "cultural power" (stars and pseudo-stars politicians
meet when they're invited on a TV show, etc.)

Just because one removes the access that money give, they won't miraculously
make politicians unbiased. Humans are biased, not just politicians, and
there's not much anyone can do about it.

What can be done is what the founders of the US have done: write a strong
Constitution and a stronger Bill of Rights. Despite what everyone says and
complains about, that has proven to work pretty well for the last 200 years.

~~~
skilesare
Yeah, but do you have health care?

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etcet
2nd part (extended interview) is available at:
[http://www.thedailyshow.com/extended-
interviews/404264/playl...](http://www.thedailyshow.com/extended-
interviews/404264/playlist_tds_extended_lawrence_lessig/404243) (with an ad)

