Chapters One Way Forward

1 chapters

1.1 chapter 1: prologue
1.2 chapter 2: passionate
1.3 chapter 3: polarized
1.4 chapter 4: potential
1.5 chapter 5: problem
1.6 chapter 6: plan

chapters
chapter 1: prologue

us politics typically described right vs. left / conservative vs. liberal. however, inside thwarts reforms outsiders .

moveon began in 1998 cross-partisan player , adult in field during monica lewinsky scandal. movement grew 1 or 2 people thousands in few days, surprising everyone, insiders. hundreds of volunteers attended on 300 meetings members of congress. in doing, challenged conventional insider wisdom volunteers cannot effective in political lobbying.

insiders surprised obama s performance in 2008 , more tea party, international occupy movement, , sopa / protect ip act protests.

chapter 2: passionate

the tea party, occupy, move amend , similar groups have attracted many people passionate in concerns , willing devote substantial amounts of time , money try fix see wrong.

chapter 3: polarized

lessig spoke activists tea party, occupy wall street , others. believes have energy , commitment needed create needed change. however, progress prevented tendency claim talking other treason.

chapter 4: potential

people right, left, , center concerned crony capitalism. before can solve problems of concern all, must following:

lessig described teach-in gave @ occupy k street, implored occupiers invite tea partiers collaborate against crony capitalism. man in audience said ran site againstcronycapitalsim.org . retrieved october 28, 2012. . assured audience thousands of tea partiers join them in fight against crony capitalism. dave zirin, sportwriter nation, started tweeting , blogging that, should not collaborating racists tea party.

lessig insists can either (a) remain separate , ineffective or (b) squelch inflammatory condemnations of others , build coalition reduce crony capitalism , make government dependent on people alone , james madison wrote in federalist paper no. 52.

the difference today between left , right today profound slavery was.. if our forebears fix that, should able fix our current problems crony capitalism.

chapter 5: problem

in republic, lost, lessig documented why thinks crony capitalism gateway problem in sense must fix problem before can fix of other major problems facing nation today. analysis in book summarized in accompanying diagram: current law in include many provisions expire after few years. provides infinite supply of opportunities calling lobbyists , major corporate contributors extort (lessig s term) money them extend special provisions. incumbent politicians (at least @ federal level in us) know need huge amounts of money buy television advertising , research on how sell candidacy public – , virtually way of them money spend between 30 , 70 percent of time on phone asking it.

diagram of corrupt system described in republic, lost

this diagram suggests candidate gateway problem not discussed lessig: reliance of public on major media conglomerates. aspect of problem has been discussed media scholar robert w. mcchesney in books on problem of media: u.s. communication politics in 21st century, , tragedy , farce: how american media sell wars, spin elections, , destroy democracy. proposed solution includes public funding of substantive investigative journalism, implemented in way consistent lessig s proposed grant , franklin project public funding of political campaigns controlled individual taxpayers; see death , life of american journalism: media revolution begin world again.

mcchesney noted media consolidation in during 1990s accompanied near elimination of investigative journalism, mainstream commercial broadcasting. number of investigative journalism organizations have arisen try fill gap, of part of investigative news network.

the center responsive politics has database can mined information tying money specific actions (or inactions) congress. more research in area potentially increase public awareness of problem. research on problem has been done liberals ralph nader, public citizen, , common cause , conservatives cato institute.

chapter 6: plan

lessig asks citizens engage congress, president , constitution. suggests citizens ask legislators support publicly funded elections, limit , make transparent independent political expenditures, , reaffirm unalienable rights belong natural persons only. suggests citizens further attempt elect presidential candidate lead charge change. end, supports americanselect.org . retrieved october 28, 2012. . suggests calling constitutional convention limited purpose of drafting amendment dramatically reduce corrupting influence of money in politics (see callaconvention.org . retrieved october 28, 2012. ).

he further suggests need engage people different. if support occupy movement, try listening tea party patriots, , vice versa. if re republican, how understand democrats, , vice versa? goal not convert other rather find common ground first listening respectfully.