Loading...Web 2.0 Summit 08: Lawrence Lessig (Creative Commons)
- The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection act of 2005 has no consumer protection.
- The effect of this act is that Credit Card obligations cannot be escaped.
- President Clinton was for it.
- Hillary first called it the 'Awful Bill', opposed it. When she became a senator, she voted for it twice.(She got paid $140K by the credit card companies.)
- Lessig believes her and we should too, he says.
- Going back to 1785, when America was believed to be a failure. Independence had become a dependence. America sought non-dependent individuals.
- They failed. In the 19th century, Congress was a cesspool of corruption.
- Daniel Webster openly asked for 'the usual retainers'.
- Bribery was not even a crime till 1853.
- People went to congress to make money.
- In the 20th century, Mr. Stevens was found guilty of accepting bribes.
- The real problem is not people going to Washington to make money.
- The real problem is using money to secure tenure at Washington.
- This is a constant attention to money for reeelection.
- They get a 100% return rate to come back to congress.
- The 2nd job of raising money becomes the 1st job.
- The return for a lobbyist is investing in Washington folks greater than investing in technology.
- The cost is that money destroys trust. 88% of voters believe that money buys trust.
- 9% believe that Congress is doing a good job.
- Even those who did not support Obama are hopeful.
- We must allow ourselves to revel in this ideal but the Presidency is not at the core of this cancer.
- We need a more fundamental change.
- We need a change in congress.
- Go to www.change-congress.com
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