Campaign reform is another lever for progress. It's the old adage of following the money, because money is the force that is choking off our democracy. Lawmakers are blundering when they dismiss its importance to the public, he says. They know both parties are butt-deep in that corrupt money, and have no interest in reforming the campaign system. The initiative won by 73 percent, Hightower says.
Opponents claim that limiting campaign funding likewise limits free speech.
But Hightower calls that a rhetorical red herring. At the same time, he also sees encouraging signs of change, particularly on the labor front. The same thing is taking place in Asia and in other parts of Latin America. If the economy is going to be global, then the organizing and the people connections have to be global as well. I mean, they're not going to Indonesia or Vietnam because they love the climate.