Fact
We still do not have Universal health care or Medicare for all. Or any of the policies on climate change or any other policy we yearn for.
Let us look at Medicare for all to understand why we keep failing.
Fact
All of us know that is the best way to provide health care to the people in the USA. This includes Health care providers, general public and policy makers.
Fact
In the current environment public opinion does NOT matter.
We should have learnt that after the Sandy hook massacre.
At that time 92 % of people in the US supported background checks.
Despite all those parents pleading with the politicians, despite having a President who wanted to get it done, we were not able to get this law through congress.
So let us STOP wasting our time and our limited resources on trying to educate the public.
It has NOT worked.
And it will NOT work now.
Want more data ?
According to a Princeton University study, in the last 20 yrs, public opinion has paid NO role in public policy. According to their study, there was a 30% chance of a policy getting approved whether the majority hated an idea or supported it 100%
It is a FLAT line.
(there is a link to a you tube video in the reference section)
There is a 70% chance of a policy being approved if the 0.01% approved it.
Why is this happening ?
The reason is a very simple one.
Just like all of us, politicians do NOT like to loose power or become unemployed.
95% of the elections are won by the person with the most money.
And the politicians know this well.
And only 0.01 % of the population has the kind of money the politicians rely on.
Even the so called SMALL Political PACS that we have DO NOT have the kind of money the Politicians need. So the politicians will "listen" to these small PACs ONLY IF the policy is okay with the 0.01% of us who are the very rich and the large multinational Corporations.
Fact
"Power corrupts"
People loose empathy after about 10 yrs after they have been in power
So what can we do ?
Step 1
Follow Sun Tzu
Know your weaknesses #1
Most of us are born with certain personality traits. I call them warrior trait and Caregiver trait. (Check the reference section for a one page blog on this concept)
Most of us who are trying to 'make this world a better place' have the caregiver trait.
We are very empathetic - and this makes us emotionally and physically exhausted to see people suffer.
And most of us are in the bottom 99% - so our activism starts after a hard day of work.
Most Caregivers are 'lousy' team players
And we do not like top down leadership - we like everyone to be 'equal'
This makes our team VERY WEAK and we have tendency to leave our Team and start our own group - weakening our ability to achieve our goal more and more.
Most of the folks who are against Medicare for all (or any policies that help the majority) have the Warrior trait.
They lack empathy - so pleading with them to alleviate suffering does not really bother them or affect their decision making.
They are GREAT Team players. They respect and literally worship their leaders.
And they will 'take one for the team' - even when they do not like whatever it is that they are asked to do.
And just now they have a lot of money - so unlike us they can afford to spend the WHOLE DAY planning to achieve their goals.
And they can study a situation and focus on one or two politicians at the top to do their bidding (That is what happened in California health care for all bill - they just had to influence ONE person)
And they can do this forever and forever ...
And one more thing
They do not mind going back on their word - as long as their team is protected. This is something Caregivers keep forgetting ...
Know your weakness #2
Know how Cognitive Dissonance is affecting our decision making
Acknowledge our own Cognitive Dissonance about 'educating the public' as a method of changing the politician's mind.
Know your weakness #3
Because we are NOT great team players - our efforts are diffuse.
And we are easily distracted .
And it does not take a lot for us to leave the team.
In summary
We are exhausted both physically and emotionally
We lack money to 'buy' our politicians
And our efforts are diffuse
So what can we do ?
Step 2
We have to join hands with ALL the activists figure out a way to elect leaders that care about humanity
Activists that are working on
Health care for all
Environmental groups
Gun regulations
Citizens United, Move to Amend
Move on
Common Cause
Unions etc etc
Come up with a 50 state, proposition (identical) AND STICK TO IT
Make a commitment that we will NOT leave our Team
Keep reminding our selves about our weakness of wanting to leave if a policy is 'not perfect'
The proposition should address ALL of this
We can call it #WinningbackDemocracy or
#MAGA (This way we are assured of the Republican vote and they will have to spend time trying to inform their supporters not to vote for this proposition - that would be hilarious)
a. Public financing of our campaigns
b. Vote by mail (like Oregan does)
c. Automatic voter registration (like what Oregan has)
d. +/- money is not free speech
So what can we do ?
Step 3
Once we have achieved Step 2
We can come up with a new plan
#1 We need to share this knowledge with each other. And keep reminding our selves of our weaknesses at the beginning of every policy meeting.
#2 Then try to UNITE all the folks - who are now separately 'fighting' for the same thing.
#3 Come up with ONE plan. And stick to it.
This is how we are going to get Medicare for all by 2020
If you agree with this premise, please join us by clicking here
References :
1. Blog on Warriors and Caregivers
http://unitingtheusa.blogspot.com/2017/07/warriors-and-caregivers.html
2. Public opinion really does not matter to the politicians
(This is a great video - except I think we need to do a lot more than they outline as their solution)
https://youtu.be/5tu32CCA_Ig
3. The Princeton Study
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/testing-theories-of-american-politics-elites-interest-groups-and-average-citizens/62327F513959D0A304D4893B382B992B
4. Empathy and Power
https://hbr.org/2015/04/becoming-powerful-makes-you-less-empathetic
