The winning Strategy for Medicare For All

We are ALMOST there ...
One day soon we will be celebrating 
Universal health care or Medicare for all
And strong proactive policies to care for fellow human beings and Mother Earth


But first we need to figure out a winning strategy.


Fact
All of us know that the best way to provide health care to the people in the USA is a single payer system. This includes Health care providers, general public and policy makers.



But first we have to know the REAL conditions on the ground ...

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

Just like a soldier prepares for WAR
We need to prepare our mind and body to fight 
Remember this is a fight we cannot afford to loose

We need to Heal and for that we need to vent and grieve together.

Get together with like minded folks and talk about our losses.  Cry.  Comfort each other.  Reassure each other.

Here are some suggestions

At least once a week meet up with like minded folks and vent. Learn the art of Active listening (Listen to understand not to reply)

Journal – write down everything that is ‘bugging’ you and then shred the paper.  Do this for 3 weeks

Exercise

Meditate

Go for a meandering walk

Do Yoga

Connect with nature

And most importantly shut down the TV

So what can we do ?
Step 2
Follow Sun Tzu - know your weaknesses and your enemy's strengths 

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 traits.
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 started organizing in the 1970s - see the Powell memo in the reference section.

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 weaknesses #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 weaknesses #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

Know your "enemy's" strength

Understand that they are better team players
They are more loyal
They have more time
They have more money
They do not get easily distracted and are able to stick to ONE plan
They are well organized
And they have a long term plan are very efficiently implementing it
(see reference section for article on this titled Ayn Rand on steroids)



So what can we do ?
Step 3

Educating the general public is not going to be effective.

We need to educate the 0.01 % 
Our chances of getting this bill approve will go up from 30% to 70%

And get share holders to express their concern to the CEOs of large corporations.  Let them know that the share holders are concerned about the loss of profit because the CEOs are not promoting a single payer health care system.


So what can we do ?
Step 4

We could do this by creating a 50 state (identical) proposition

We have to join hands with ALL the activists 

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

Whatever the 50 state final propositions (identical) we come up with - we have to 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'


In my opinion, 
The ballot initiatives should address the following :

Ballot initiative #1

Every legal voter in the state should get a mail in ballot 1 month before the election.  And they should start counting the mail in ballots 2 weeks before the deadline.

Ballot initiative #2

Every person in the State should be allowed to purchase Medicare at cost. We want the Governor to negotiate the price for us.

Ballot initiative #3 

Get money out of politics
Move to amend proposition on Corporations are not people

So what can we do ?
Step 5

#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



If you agree with this premise, please join us by clicking this link to a Google form.



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


5.  Ayn Rand on steroids - The Koch brother's long term plans
https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/meet-the-economist-behind-the-one-percents-stealth-takeover-of-america?fbclid=IwAR11OxOZzlGn5B_Wt2J5IS4wS17Aw94PMJTv6WIOAc0ZlzxP1d4LArRfYJU#disqus_thread


6. The Powell memo
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/powell_memo_lewis/

7.  How Lobbyists buy Politicians
https://youtu.be/CHiicN0Kg10