Root cause of problems in the US

Monday 28 December 2020 - Filed under Default

Most of us understand that despite technology bringing so much magic into our lives, the things that really matter like economic opportunity, personal freedom, and institutional trust seem to be deteriorating in the United States. Don’t get me wrong. I love this country. I understand that I was incredibly lucky to have been born here. I am an American and for that I am grateful, but I also feel a duty to pay attention, to understand how the country is changing, and to defend it when necessary. That’s why a few years ago, when I saw this video, I was excited.

The Cardboard Box Reform video shows how corporations have supported changes to our government that have eroded sovereignty and reduced the level of representation of individuals. Later when I have more time, I’ll go into this further. Consider this an intro.

This year, I read a book called They Don’t Represent Us, which is very thorough about explaining all the ways our government doesn’t represent the people. In it Lawrence Lessig, a legal scholar well-known in tech, describes how things have changed since the country’s inception, the evolution through the introduction of Radio and TV and then through to today’s internet-dominated world. Importantly and constructively, the book lays out a number of fixes which I hope will continue to gain support.

The video shows a lot of graphs and figures so can feel a bit like a conspiracy theory but I cannot find any problems with the evidence presented or the conclusion reached. I can find absolutely no fault with the book.

Most importantly, I like these two works because they give me hope that our government can function better, more representatively, and corporations are no longer allowed to change the rules to suit them vs. society.

2020-12-28  »  David Sterry