The Age of Stupid

If you haven't seen the Age of Stupid, go see it. Not because it's a cinematographic achievement or because you're likely to learn something new. But because you'll be taking action in voting with your feet and giving credibility to the important message this movie conveys.

I was in Las Vegas attending a conference and found a theater that carried the live premiere. There might have been 20-25 people in the theater. A group of UNLV students kindly asked me to join them so I wouldn't have to watch by myself. I wondered how 20-year olds look at this, the pathetic inaction of most of our leaders, the corrupt and criminal stalling and misinformation tactics of many corporations, and still have any faith that regular political processes will yield anything positive and meaningul.

In short: Are we, as a species, stupid enough not to take the necessary action to ensure our own survival, and in the process cause billion of fellow human beings to suffer climate-inflicted hardships and catastrophes.

There are several important subtext messages in this movie, including:
- This movement is still too much on the fringe, not yet mainstream enough. More people need to realize the urgency of the problem and exert pressure on themselves and their government to do something about it.
- Too many people agree with the IDEA of doing something to save the planet, as long as it doesn't inconvenience their day to day, obstruct their view, impact their property values, etc... The world has no time to wrestle with NIMBY mentalities or 'someone will come up with a solution that doesn't require any sacrifice'.
- Trying to do the right thing and get others to wake up still is considered radical, or criminal. Just ask the Yes Men (you guys rock!!! Brilliant New York stunt!), or Greenpeace activists, or anyone trying to go beyond words to make a statement.

To the so-called Greatest Generation, the one that stepped up in a big way to win WWII: Can we make you proud and do you one better? London parents sent their kids off to the countryside to live with strangers during the Battle of Britain. The entire US industrial machine turned on a dime and supported the war effort. Women entered the work force by record numbers - while keeping all the work they were already doing at home. And so on...

This type of mass scale mobilization is what we need now. None of this 'let's maybe think of reducing our impact somewhat by 2020 and see what happens' crap. Let's be bold. Let's do it with purpose and pride. Let's be the generation history books in 500 years look back to and teach kids about the way we stepped up and ensured the well being of all future generations.

Talk about making an impact. Talk about redefining what it means to be human, no longer a destructive force in this world but a healing and building one. Wow, I want in...

Discover Hope Fund

We're going to a fundraiser tonight for a local non-profit, Discover Hope Fund. This is a micro-credit organization that takes the concept further by focusing their efforts not just on funding entrepreneurial efforts in developing communities, but applying educational and support resources along the way. Their values as stated on their Web site are amazing and am copying them below. Read and I hope you are as inspired by them as I am. This is the kind of world we should all live in.

Igniting Personal Power

We believe that everyone has a fundamental right to give their greatest strengths to the world. We know that when a person is inspired to light their internal and external power, the world changes. Stepping through the door of opportunity takes initiative and courage and commitment to continuous learning. We believe that out of this amazing work, self respect creates a backdrop for constant growth. In turn, future generations see this powerful way of being and integrate this strength into the fabric of their communities. We believe in being change.

Practicing Authenticity

We believe in the sanctuary of integrity and know that our actions resonate out into the world and constitute the type of world we want to help create. We practice authenticity by reflecting what is true for people through listening and actions that honor the foundation of people’s passions. We believe in being awake.

Promoting Abundance

We believe that once personal power is nurtured, the vitality of the entrepreneurial spirit is liberated. When the doors of opportunity are open, we can usher in a life of abundance. This core value is rooted in absolute love framed by compassion and generosity that expands to children, communities and the world. We believe in being hope.

Letter to the President

I received yet another solicitation from Organizing for America (OFA), President Obama's group to mobilize his electorate, to donate funds to support his position on health care. I sent the following reply to OFA and to the White House:

'As much as I believe health care for all to be important, the most critical issue our civilization is facing right now is that of the way our lifestyles and industrial processes are depleting the natural resources of our planet and forever polluting our environment.
I want to see President Obama make this the first, second and third priorities of his presidency. Anything less would be a dramatic failure in leadership and would have dramatic consequences for our environment, economy and health.
If the President makes this the centerpiece of his agenda, there will be no limit to the financial and political support I will be willing to give him.
Thank you.'

Yet another view on health care

There are many views being expressed in the health care debate currently alive in the US. It's hard to find someone who's not passionate about their viewpoint - and relatively entrenched in their positions.

I recently read Kyrsten Sinema's 'Unite & Conquer: How to Build Coalitions that Win and Last'. One of the key points she makes in the book is that in order to build support around an initiative, it is important to build agreement around what problem needs to be solved, and be flexible on how that problem can be solved.

This intuitive approach has clearly been missing from the debate. Everyone has strong views on 'single payer', 'public option', 'government-run', 'insurance company profits', and so on... These are mechanisms but in themselves solve nothing. Focusing the debate on these things makes for good political posturing but does little to address the real issues.

I watched Michael Moore's 'Sicko' yesterday. As always, well done, very moving, but also somewhat overdone. I felt he weakened his argument by painting such a rosy picture of the systems found in France or the UK for example. These systems are not nearly as perfect as he paints them (I've experienced both personally), although they are definitely better than what the US has today. And that's the point I think Moore should have pressed. For the money being spent on US health care today, we absolutely deserve a much better, fairer, more effective system.

Moore talks from the point of view of the people who need health care and who experience great hardships due to the way the system currently works. This is the story that should be at the core of the debate, not all these mechanisms and options and 'means to an end'. Health care is about real people, real suffering, real hardship.

President Obama - similar to Hillary Clinton 15+ years ago - I think was too quick to present a solution. His opportunity was to create alignment and momentum around the problem needing to be solved, then bringing together his strongest 'team of rivals' yet to come up with solutions that would 1) solve the problem and 2) have chance of becoming law.

I liked Moore's parallels to police and fire departments, schools, post offices, as public services we take completely for granted. But again they argue in favor of making the entire system public. The fact is that the US health care system is almost entirely private, and any lasting solution will need to build from that point. We can't put the entire health insurance industry out of business overnight for example, that wouldn't necessarily help and that is the type of talk that freaks out a big chunk of the population. Of course that doesn't mean we can't deem health care coverage of public utility and regulate it as such, with strong safeguards...

So let's try to refocus this debate. Let's agree on what really isn't working in the current system. Let's also agree on some fundamental principles, like everyone who needs health care has the right to receive it, regardless of ability to pay. Like the fact that having had health problems in the past is reason to be eligible for more help, not being denied coverage or service. Once we're aligned on what isn't working, and what success would look like in terms of end-user outcomes, it makes it easier to identify how to best solve for that.

That can include looking at what is already working in other parts of the world, but looking objectively. The French system is amazing and unrivaled from an end-user perspective, but it is a massive and quickly becoming unsustainable financial burden on the French economy.

In the end, US voters should demand no less than the best health care system in the world, as measured by its inclusive coverage, ease of access and affordability, best in class facilities and care, and ultimate success in improving the health and well being of all Americans, especially those who need it the most.