It's Larry Lessig's Change Congress badge. I support his overall effort, and three of the four specific points of his campaign, except one.
I believe that lobbyists and PACs are important to American politics. I believe that lobbyists and PACs can do good for the small interests as well as large.
Why? They are force multipliers. PACs allow people to pool money to support candidates. Lobbyists allow groups to hire trained professionals to help them get their causes heard before Congress. Just like everyone needs a lawyer before a court, I believe that people exercising their right to petition for a redress of grievances can use professional help. Lobbyist and PAC are not dirty words.
What we need are more lobbyists that use their skills to represent causes that we believe in. One of my dreams is a trade association for interactive media, Web 2.0, and social media professionals. This may include lobbyists and a PAC. Why? All lobbyists and PACs are, at the very core, are professionals and tools that allow people whose voices might not be heard to make themselves more effective.
You wouldn't hire a plumber to fix your car. Why wouldn't you hire a lobbyist to at least help you understand Congress? While I have nothing but awe for Professor Lessig's legal scholarship, the earnestness of his efforts and optimism for his cause, I still believe that right now there are many new companies, and even whole industries still in their infancy that need to stop trying to kill each other and stand together, both politically and financially as one to represent their common interest. Call it a "Social Software Industry Association" or whatever might sound better, but as it stands, we are at the crossroads in a new era of technology where government can make or break us.
Professor Lessig's ideas make sense, which is why Alex and I support him, but for now I'd just as soon as hedge my bets and make sure we a) learn and b) teach the system in place now, as well as work to change it. That's why I'm helping Robert Scoble come to Washington. That's why we're teaming up with George Washington University's Institute for Politics and Democracy on the Internet to educate "Web 2.0" entrepreneurs about how Washington works, who the players are, and how to get the right message out about the good that new technology can do.
There are many things that aren't being talked about now. For instance, while I tear through Professor Zittrain's new book, I see in it, and in the common culture, no distinction between privacy and security. Security is something you have to ensure for yourself, like locking a door. Privacy is a matter of choice, both in what data about yourself you share, how you share it, where you choose to share it and under what terms. The two are not the same. Some people get this, others don't.
The internet can have security and privacy, but we need to better define the terms, so people know what they are getting into.
I agree with Larry Lessig that we need to change Congress, but I also think we need to change first.
I hope Lessig succeeds, and I pledge to do everything I can to help him. I'll quit my job. I'll do whatever it takes. But I think on this one point we can find common ground. We can eliminate much of the unseemly financial influence from the game. We can eliminate undue influence of overly-influential lobbyists and PACs where they become problematic. But, until they can be eliminated, why don't we take the tools that are used against us on a regular basis and turn them on those who would do us harm? I'm ready to fight both these wars. That's why Alex and I started this conversation, and I hope that one day we can say that we helped to change it.
Happy Easter.
Thanks so very much for publishing this.
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Wow, to be honest I don't really know what to say. I have only read the very first chapter so far and it have been really fascinating and has definitely caught my attention. I will definitely be reading a lot more, I promise. I believe it have been Really good so far. I love it! Maintain up the great perform!
Greets
Congratulations guys. yours truly believe Profy was among teh first supporters for You and yours truly am really glad they will now have some interesting new prospects.
This post just asks for being commented :)
Interesting...
There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points in Features also. Keep working ,great job!