Episode
Live at P&T: Where Are Democracy’s Lifeboats?
- Podcast
- Firewall with Bradley Tusk
- Published
- Jul 24, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3966
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- http://firewall.media
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Summary
Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig joined Bradley for a live event last month at P&T Knitwear, co-hosted by Teddy Himler of Optimist Ventures, about the two most fundamental threats to American democracy and what to do about them. Lessig, founder of EqualCitizens.US and author of numerous books on copyright, technology, and political corruption, makes a surprisingly hopeful case that Super PACs can and will be ended without overturning Citizens United. Bradley makes his argument for mobile voting as the only scalable fix for low-turnout primaries that boost extremists in both parties. The two agree on a particular culprit — an engagement-based media economy that profits from turning Americans into "ignorant people who hate each other." Lessig offers the Titanic as a useful metaphor: If there's "a gash in the hull," don't waste your time clearing ice off the deck. This is a full-blown emergency and we need lifeboats. This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio. Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: [email protected] . Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack .