I marked your post insightful. In actuality its terribly, terribly, sad.
The Citizens of this country have been sold out. Things now get done to us, government has lost interest in doing things for us. Ironically, they also have no interest in leaving us alone either.
I think the issue that Techdirt is seeing wrt Mayday is that while Libertarians read and support this site when discussing IP rights, fighting back against NSA surveillance, and the horrible state of software patents and patent tolls, they get uncomfortable discussing campaign reform that is heavily dependent on limiting free speech and controlling campaigns through government agencies and organizations. Don't pretend that the Democrats and Republicans aren't going to fight tooth and nail for only providing red and blue vouchers and not offering them for any other parties.
While progressives may think that Mayday PAC is really really cool, Libertarians aren't comfortable with what they're asking for.
Mayday is making absolutely no effort to call for term limits.
Because of this they will fail. This isn't cynicism this is a fact.
Their planned voucher system for funding campaigns will end up hopelessly tipped in favor of incumbents. With higher name recognition and by virtue of being the voters representatives, incumbents can set themselves up to receive the lions share of voucher money being proposed by Mayday.
In my belief our problems are much less caused by "money in politics" than they are caused by the corruption derived from having a near permanent running class that get into office and never leave. The bad that our representatives are doing in their establishing of laws and regulations far outweighs the bad they are doing in their political campaigns.
We need to throw the bums out, we need term limits to make sure that happens.
Call me a cynic all you like. But I'm just being a realist. They're trying to solve the wrong problem.
I can see no result from them "getting the money out of politics" other than total future domination of the incumbents. And thats only going to make things WORSE and not better.
Incumbents have huge advantages already and if you remove the ability for challengers to have enough money to campaign against them, the incumbents will be locked in forever.
I will not support Mayday pac at all until they make term limits one of their proposed reforms.
Besides, how do we really control money in politics. As an example lets say a group pools their money to buy a TV ad to run the day before an election. But the law forbids it. So, whats their punishment? If they don't back off and run the add anyway (lets assume the TV station is defiant as well in running the ad), do they get hauled off to jail, huge fines, whats their punishment?
Now since they've been punished because we "need to get the money out of politics", lets analyze what they did. They used their money to speak to the people to give an opinion of who to vote for. This is pure fucking FREE SPEECH, which is supposed to be allowed in this country isn't it?
I'm really sorry, I feel a little bad that money is speech, but when you boil it down, you cannot limit money in politics without limiting free speech rights of people or the groups in which the associate (also a constitutionally protected activity).
Of course I know my constitutional explaination doesn't mean squat to Progressives, because, well, all their ideas are so good and well intentioned. Right? Also, yes I know term limits needs to be a constitutional amendment, but dammit more than 80% of the citizens want it, its well past time congress make it happen. Again, I'd support Mayday if they'd support candidates that will enact term limits.
Because if we develop economical desalination capabilities, that won't change a thing, right?
Remember, however unlikely that seems, 200 years ago everyone thought the fastest you could cross the country was measured in weeks. Flying was not considered in the realm of possibility.
We will develop desalination technology, because we're going to need it.
Wouldn't this method of loading a plane give preference to the window packets (err passengers)? Couldn't the ISP's say that the window, middle, aisle method is just prioritizing the window packets in the "fast lane".
And we could take it even farther. If the airlines did this then window seats could demand a premium cost because packets (err passengers) in those seats would get earlier boarding.
Net neutrality is a good thing and I want the Internet to be common carrier, but this example just doesn't work to argue FOR net neutrality.
If Mr. Lessig wants me to believe he's sincere about getting corruption out of politics, then this PAC's number one, overriding, absolute first priority HAS to be enacting a constitutional amendment limiting the terms that can be served in congress.
The problem that is driving all this money to be spent trying to acquire office is due to the fact that most of the time, once someone is in office they are in office for the rest of their lives. This is a huge corrupting force, more powerful IMHO than all this money being thrown about. In fact all the money in politics is a symptom of the lifelong political power and privilege that comes with congressional office nowadays.
Screw Citizens United and all the other campaign finance decisions of the Supreme Court, we NEED to get lifelong political office seekers out of permanent positions in Washington. We have needed to do this for a long time.
Limiting campaigns will not fix anything, sending those entrenched in power for decades at a time packing will.
I guess politicians see this and think they need to protect us from unscrupulous people who we shouldn't trust. The irony is that they're the unscrupulous ones we really need protection from.
On the post: Copyright Office To Aereo: Quack All You Want, We Don't Think You're A Cable Service
Re:
The Citizens of this country have been sold out. Things now get done to us, government has lost interest in doing things for us. Ironically, they also have no interest in leaving us alone either.
On the post: DOJ Tells Court That Of Course It Can Go On A Fishing Expedition Globally For Emails Microsoft Stores Overseas
Interesting
It kind of make you wonder why they aren't even lifting a finger to try and find the missing IRS e-mails. Hmmmmmmm.
On the post: Court Fines French Blogger $3,400 For Her Negative Review Of Local Italian Restaurant, Il Giardino
Europe
On the post: Taylor Swift's View Of The Future Of Music Is Actually Not That Far Off
The best most loved album ever with all my heart and soul - $1,000,000
On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt
Re: Mayday
While progressives may think that Mayday PAC is really really cool, Libertarians aren't comfortable with what they're asking for.
On the post: Awesome Stuff: One Last Chance To Join With Thousands Of Others To Help Limit The Influence Of Money In Politics
Term limits!
Because of this they will fail. This isn't cynicism this is a fact.
Their planned voucher system for funding campaigns will end up hopelessly tipped in favor of incumbents. With higher name recognition and by virtue of being the voters representatives, incumbents can set themselves up to receive the lions share of voucher money being proposed by Mayday.
In my belief our problems are much less caused by "money in politics" than they are caused by the corruption derived from having a near permanent running class that get into office and never leave. The bad that our representatives are doing in their establishing of laws and regulations far outweighs the bad they are doing in their political campaigns.
We need to throw the bums out, we need term limits to make sure that happens.
Call me a cynic all you like. But I'm just being a realist. They're trying to solve the wrong problem.
On the post: TPP Agreement: Obama Wants Something The Public 'Can Look At' In November
Hmmmmmm
On the post: Awesome Stuff: Crowdfunding To Get Money Out Of Politics... Now With Steve Wozniak!
I'm not really liking this
I can see no result from them "getting the money out of politics" other than total future domination of the incumbents. And thats only going to make things WORSE and not better.
Incumbents have huge advantages already and if you remove the ability for challengers to have enough money to campaign against them, the incumbents will be locked in forever.
I will not support Mayday pac at all until they make term limits one of their proposed reforms.
Besides, how do we really control money in politics. As an example lets say a group pools their money to buy a TV ad to run the day before an election. But the law forbids it. So, whats their punishment? If they don't back off and run the add anyway (lets assume the TV station is defiant as well in running the ad), do they get hauled off to jail, huge fines, whats their punishment?
Now since they've been punished because we "need to get the money out of politics", lets analyze what they did. They used their money to speak to the people to give an opinion of who to vote for. This is pure fucking FREE SPEECH, which is supposed to be allowed in this country isn't it?
I'm really sorry, I feel a little bad that money is speech, but when you boil it down, you cannot limit money in politics without limiting free speech rights of people or the groups in which the associate (also a constitutionally protected activity).
Of course I know my constitutional explaination doesn't mean squat to Progressives, because, well, all their ideas are so good and well intentioned. Right? Also, yes I know term limits needs to be a constitutional amendment, but dammit more than 80% of the citizens want it, its well past time congress make it happen. Again, I'd support Mayday if they'd support candidates that will enact term limits.
On the post: Once More, With Feeling: Sherlock Holmes Is In The Public Domain
Dang
Next thing you know there will be a show on the BBC about him as well as a show on CBS. Horrifying.
On the post: DailyDirt: What Will Humanity's Legacy Be?
Sure, out of water
Remember, however unlikely that seems, 200 years ago everyone thought the fastest you could cross the country was measured in weeks. Flying was not considered in the realm of possibility.
We will develop desalination technology, because we're going to need it.
On the post: BitTorrent Shows You What The Internet Looks Like Without Net Neutrality; Suggests A Better Way
My God
Talk about a giant step backwards.
On the post: Supreme Court Unanimously Smacks Down CAFC Two More Times
Honor
"The Federal Circuit's analysis fundamentally misunderstands what it means to infringe a method patent."
Would cause them to instantly resign in abject humiliation.
On the post: Europeans Club Google Over The Head At A Rate Of 1,000 Requests Per Hour After Its Search Engine Amnesia Tool Goes Live
So
While their are things to admire about Europe, their stance on freedom of speech is not one of them.
On the post: Patent Reform Is Dead; Patent Trolls Win
Re:
If they wouldn't have screwed up the process and the law so badly they wouldn't need to fix it!!!
On the post: California City Achieves New Lows In Anti-Bullying Laws, Makes Public Entirely Subject To Other People's 'Feelings'
Re: Get a 21 year old...
Of course the authorities always have a legitimate purpose.
On the post: What Inefficient Airline Boarding Procedures Have To Do With Net Neutrality
I'm confused
And we could take it even farther. If the airlines did this then window seats could demand a premium cost because packets (err passengers) in those seats would get earlier boarding.
Net neutrality is a good thing and I want the Internet to be common carrier, but this example just doesn't work to argue FOR net neutrality.
On the post: Larry Lessig Launches Crowdfunded SuperPAC To Try To End SuperPACs
If you want me to believe
The problem that is driving all this money to be spent trying to acquire office is due to the fact that most of the time, once someone is in office they are in office for the rest of their lives. This is a huge corrupting force, more powerful IMHO than all this money being thrown about. In fact all the money in politics is a symptom of the lifelong political power and privilege that comes with congressional office nowadays.
Screw Citizens United and all the other campaign finance decisions of the Supreme Court, we NEED to get lifelong political office seekers out of permanent positions in Washington. We have needed to do this for a long time.
Limiting campaigns will not fix anything, sending those entrenched in power for decades at a time packing will.
On the post: White House Says It Can Withhold Vulnerabilities If It Will Help Them Catch 'Intellectual Property Thieves'
Re: Whose intellectual property again?
On the post: FCC's Wheeler Says That If These Lame Net Neutrality Rules Don't Work, He'll Implement The Real Rules Next Time
Re: I Dunno
On the post: You Don't Have To Be Desperate To Believe That Trust Is A Good Thing
Re: Trust
Politicians we trust … not as much.
I guess politicians see this and think they need to protect us from unscrupulous people who we shouldn't trust. The irony is that they're the unscrupulous ones we really need protection from.
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