Change Congress
It's not quite as ambitious as MOP, but it's a start.
A recurring theme on 604 is that ordinary Americans will never take back America from big-buck special interests until we take the money out of politics.
Stanford University law professor Larry Lessig is trying to do just that, through a campaign called Change Congress:
The way Lessig sees it, the nation’s most important problems–global warming, education, and the Iraq war, to name a few–can’t be remedied until "we solve this first problem, this dependence on money."
Not much on the web site yet - this movement is still in its infancy. But check it out — this could be the child we've been waiting for.
Comments
The people who write new law, the legislators, are also the major beneficiaries of dirty political money - that is why I'm skeptical of change on this issue.
In my state of NSW the laws are currently being rewritten after key government figures were shown to be accepting dirty money.
I'm looking forward to the creative legislation that leaves sufficient loopholes while providing a public show.
Still, we need to keep making a noise about it.
Posted by: Dennis Cartledge | March 23, 2008 08:49 PM
Still, we need to keep making a noise about it.
Yes we do, because we have no chance of making fundamental change without making this particular change first.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 23, 2008 10:11 PM
A, I've just sent off a MOOP argument to my local state MP and friend Rob Oakeshott.
I've alluded to the current debate going on here and new legislation being framed.
If you would like to see my ideas, and even add to them, let me know - cartledge gmail.com
I hope this a chance at getting right into some MOOP.
Posted by: Dennis Cartledge | March 25, 2008 04:24 AM
I'm all in favor of this too, but as one person commented over at the Common Dreams link:
Until there is a constitutional amendment that excludes corporate entities (INC’s, LLC’s, etc.) from 14th Amendment protections, the troglodytes on the Supreme Court (Scalia, Thomas, Alito, & Roberts to begin with) will be there to protect to protect the companies they invest in despite Larry Lessig’s best efforts.
Who we elect president is still important if we ever hope to change the political leanings of the court.
Posted by: Kathy | March 25, 2008 12:08 PM
I think Kathy has a valid point here. A corporation is an artificial entity with all of the rights of an individual and none of the responsibilities.
Posted by: TomCat | March 25, 2008 01:15 PM
Cart - I just sent you an email. Thanks for following up with your MP. But it's MOP. Not MOOP - MOP. ;-)
Kathy and Tomcat, I couldn't agree more with both of you. Giving corporations many of the same rights as individuals was one of the worst mistakes we've ever made, and it needs to be fixed.
Posted by: abi | March 25, 2008 06:26 PM
Sorry, but what is mariburjeka?
Jane.
Posted by: sweet-hb | March 26, 2008 02:28 AM
Sorry, but what is mariburjeka?
Jane.
Posted by: sweet-hb | March 26, 2008 02:29 AM
I just sent my US Rep in Congress a note informing him that 4000 Americans have died in Iraq and he was complicit as a supporter of the war with his vote.
Posted by: Lev | March 26, 2008 09:24 AM
Lev, if you get a response at all, it will probably sound like Hillary Clinton's excuse that they were just acting on the information given them. And that's simply false. 133 House members and 23 senators had the courage and analytical skills to vote against it.
Posted by: abi | March 26, 2008 06:49 PM