Republic, Lost

How Money Corrupts Congress - and a Plan to Stop It

By: Lawrence Lessig

Narrated by: Lawrence Lessig

Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

In an era of ballooning corporate campaign expenditures, unleashed by the Supreme Court in Citizens United, trust in our government is at an all time low. More than ever before, Americans believe that money buys results in Congress - and that our Republic has been lost.

Using examples that resonate as powerfully on the Right as on the Left, Republic, Lost not only makes clear how the economy of influence defeats the will of the people, but offers cogent strategies to correct our course - from a constitutional convention to a Regent Presidency.

A onetime friend of Barack Obama, Lessig, a professor of law at Harvard, is as critical of the president and the Democratic Party as he is of Republicans. Both have allowed the core institution of our democracy to become little more than a shill for the most powerful moneyed interests in our Republic.

America may be divided, argues Lessig, but we must recognize that corruption is our common enemy, and we must find a way to fight against it.

©2011 Lawrence Lessig (P)2011 Hachette Audio

Excellent book about money in politics

If you could sum up Republic, Lost in three words, what would they be?

Wake up call. Money in politics is like heroin to a junkie. Our elected members of Congress spend vast amounts of time on the telephone soliciting money- worse than panhandlers on street corners. Once they get the money, there is an acknowledged understanding that the people who gave the money get something in return. That corrupts the political system. Why is it that the managers running the largest hedge funds pay a lower tax rate than only the poorest in this country. Answer- money and their sway over the politicians who write the tax code.

This is a shameful situation and we should all be up in arms about how our political process is owned by the lobbyists, PACS and special interest groups.

What other book might you compare Republic, Lost to and why?

Flash Boys by Michael Lewis. His book shows how the big money people have scammed the stock market and front run the little guy. Just last week the new SEC Mary Jo White spoke about new regulations on the HFT traders but said that the market was not rigged against the little guy. Wrong- it is all a scam and the big money in this country gets to make the rules and circumvent the system.

What about Lawrence Lessig’s performance did you like?

Good arguments, lucid explanation of how we need to change things and some good suggestions about how to go about it.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The whole book is great. The examples he cites of how money has corrupted the system should make everyone who reads this book begin to demand change to get the cancer that is money in politics out of the system. Public funded elections with limitations on PACs, lobbyists and big money donors is the only way to control the corrosive effects of the system we have now.

Story is worth the narration

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This purchase was because Dan Carlin (if you don't know him you should Google it) was going to have Lawrence Lessing on his podcast and I wanted to get a good understanding of his thoughs before the interview. I would recommend this book to people who want to know how our system can be so corrupt even though decent people make up the majority of the system.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Republic, Lost?

His description on how the presence of money in the wrong place is enough to bring doubt and corruption without there necessarily being corruption. Also, the Author showed how well intentioned people who are elected to position can follow through with campaign promises, but that what proportion of their time they spend to each campaign issue is skewed heavily to the amount of money in the system interested in that issue.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The Author read the title himself. In some cases this can be good as the author should know the tones he/she is trying to convee. I find that this works much better in fiction. The Author is objiously knowledgable, but his reading skills seemed to introduce pauses in very strange places (I did not see the text of this book so for all I know there are many strangley placed commas).

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

This book could make a good documentary, but not a good movie. As a documentary it would just keep the name of the book.

Great read if you are into politics

Would you listen to Republic, Lost again? Why?

Maybe. I got the jist of it and would go back to some sections I noted, but not the whole book over again. It gets pretty dry in parts towards the end.

Who was your favorite character and why?

No characters - only problems and possible solutions.

Have you listened to any of Lawrence Lessig’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

First listen.

If you could give Republic, Lost a new subtitle, what would it be?

Ordinary people doing the wrong things for the wrong reasons in DC

Most Important Book I've Read

Would you listen to Republic, Lost again? Why?

It's packed with intelligent breakdown of the how, what, and why of our corruption problem in the US congress.

Excellent, thought provoking, and compelling read

What did you love best about Republic, Lost?

I love how Lessig articulated the problems with money in politics in a way that I could understand. I had felt discomfort with the lobbyist-politician-corporation cycle, but I couldn't intelligently articulate why. Lessigs gives clear explanations and concrete examples to back up his theories. I didn't necessarily agree with everything he said (I thought his example describing the problem with the educational system was a bit oversimplified), but he makes a compelling overall case.

Have you listened to any of Lawrence Lessig’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have seen Lessig's TED talks and heard his interview for this book on the Daily show. The professor is both knowledgeable and able to communicate in easily understandable terms. His vocal performance in the book is OK, but he gets into

Any additional comments?

I would highly recommend this entertaining and informative audio book.

Solid and convincing, but it drags a bit...

What did you love best about Republic, Lost?

How clear the author makes the case that our government is corrupt.

Which character – as performed by Lawrence Lessig – was your favorite?

n/a

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Cry.

Any additional comments?

The author spends so much time convincing us that there's a problem that he might have spent his time better getting to the point of presenting his solutions.

Brilliant exploration of dysfunctional government

Where does Republic, Lost rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is the most lucid and common sense explanation of complex political problems that I have ever read

What did you like best about this story?

It offered carefully reasoned solutions to our "broken government" problem that will be both challenging and essential if we are to solve any of the critical problems we currently face.

Have you listened to any of Lawrence Lessig’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

What was once known as "the greatest deliberative body in the world" can now only boast it is the greatest fundraising body in the world.

Many of our federal legislators are known to spend more than half of their time fundraising; they have to in order to keep their jobs. They range from 25% to 80%. "Dialing for dollars." "The lean to the green."

Thus, the biggest problem they are always working on and solving is fundraising. This distracts them and prevents them doing a good job on the one we elected them to do. Hence our most serious problems fester, year after year.

Any additional comments?

I feel more optimistic better understanding the problems, and discovering that there is now something constructive that concerned and self-interested citizens can all do to repair the dysfunctional campaign system. We cannot afford a government so burdened and impaired by their campaign war chests.

A solid wall of rationale argument. No Rhetoric

Would you consider the audio edition of Republic, Lost to be better than the print version?

I have not seen the print version but narration by the author reinforces the fact that despite rationale logical almost legalistic arguments he is driven by a love of his nation and grief over the loss of the fundamental characteristics of its republic.

Would you recommend Republic, Lost to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes it is an astonishing insight into American politics and warning about how it could be in Australia.

Which character – as performed by Lawrence Lessig – was your favorite?

Himself!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The characterization of Obama as Lucy in the peanuts cartoon whipping away the football. It was evocative of a great tragedy and sadness rather than satire .

Any additional comments?

Along with movies like "Inside Job" this book makes it clear to the rest of the world unless America can bring government and governance back to the financial system it is going to break again and we will all suffer.

Periods. Where there. Should. Not. Be. Periods.

I am going to write this review. Like the reader. Read. It. Throughout. He would start each sentence with a normal flow. And then. At the end. He. Would. Add. Pauses. This has the effect of making the sentences sound. Like. They had. Periods. Where there were. No. Periods. It would not have been so annoying. If. He only. Did. It. For. Emphasis. But instead, he did it on just about. Every. Single. Sentence.

I almost could. Not. Make it. Through. The. Book.