Ed Helms

So I called up Josh Graham Lynn, the co-founder of Represent Us, an organization dedicated to fighting political corruption and making our democracy work better. Unlike, say, a democracy that poisons its own citizens. Josh helped us dig into big questions that inform our understanding not only of Formula Six, but also its lingering echoes into the present.

How do we break free of political influence and lobbyists? How do we bring power back to voters? And ultimately, how do we strengthen democracy for future generations? Turns out the tangled mess of bad decisions behind prohibition isn't just a history lesson. It's a warning. So here it is, my fascinating conversation with Josh Graham-Lynn. Hello, Josh Graham Lynn. Hello, Ed Heckenweiler Helms.

How do we break free of political influence and lobbyists? How do we bring power back to voters? And ultimately, how do we strengthen democracy for future generations? Turns out the tangled mess of bad decisions behind prohibition isn't just a history lesson. It's a warning. So here it is, my fascinating conversation with Josh Graham-Lynn. Hello, Josh Graham Lynn. Hello, Ed Heckenweiler Helms.

Close. Well, hey, so I'm so excited to have you on our Snafu podcast, and I'm just going to throw a couple of disclaimer slash context bits out there first. The first disclaimer is that I know you very well, and I I don't like you at all. No, that's not true. We're very good friends. You are a very good friend of mine.

Close. Well, hey, so I'm so excited to have you on our Snafu podcast, and I'm just going to throw a couple of disclaimer slash context bits out there first. The first disclaimer is that I know you very well, and I I don't like you at all. No, that's not true. We're very good friends. You are a very good friend of mine.

And the reason we know each other well is because you run an organization called Represent Us. And I have been very active with that organization because I really believe in its mission. So with that out of the way, tell us a little bit about Represent Us and your involvement, how it got started and how you got roped in.

And the reason we know each other well is because you run an organization called Represent Us. And I have been very active with that organization because I really believe in its mission. So with that out of the way, tell us a little bit about Represent Us and your involvement, how it got started and how you got roped in.

Outrageous.

Outrageous.

Right on. Right on. Yeah. Every time I hear that, I just get all excited about Represent Us.

Right on. Right on. Yeah. Every time I hear that, I just get all excited about Represent Us.

And I think there is just a very pervasive sense in America right now that things are feeling a little broken. No matter what side you're on, if your team won or your team lost, there's still this sense that like, well, still a lot of people are feeling kind of screwed and unheard. And that's really what Represent Us is trying to fix. How did it get started? What's kind of the origin story?

And I think there is just a very pervasive sense in America right now that things are feeling a little broken. No matter what side you're on, if your team won or your team lost, there's still this sense that like, well, still a lot of people are feeling kind of screwed and unheard. And that's really what Represent Us is trying to fix. How did it get started? What's kind of the origin story?

Yeah, so...

Yeah, so...

Right. And this is because political donations are considered a form of speech. Yeah. Under free speech.

Right. And this is because political donations are considered a form of speech. Yeah. Under free speech.

So why are we talking to you in the context of season three of Snafu, which is all about early 20th century prohibition? Well, it's one of the first big sort of conflagrations of values in 20th century America. Of course, culture wars go back centuries.

So why are we talking to you in the context of season three of Snafu, which is all about early 20th century prohibition? Well, it's one of the first big sort of conflagrations of values in 20th century America. Of course, culture wars go back centuries.

And before we go further, I kind of want to I think it'd be cool to actually read a definition of culture war because Wikipedia sums it up quite nicely. So a culture war is a form of cultural conflict.