The robust public option or single payer is being killed by the corporate masters within the Democratic party. The tactics and strategies that have been used at this point by activists have been less than effective in creating the change that the majority of Americans want.
The purpose of this diary is to lay out ideas for direct action and media framing for the purposes of getting the message out as well as amplifying the message and activating potential activists as well as more citizen involvement.
Many of the people in this community are activists and have worked as organizers or at least realize how hard organizing is. What I am proposing are smaller scale actions meant to get the message out as well as shame politicians, insurers, and/or professional organizations. Especially in states with Democratic senators.
The Flash Mob idea --
Somewhat spontaneous demonstration at a senator's local campaign office with someone brave enough to ask questions loudly like
Why doesn't Sen. X support a public option?
Why does Sen. X get so much money from insurers?
Why does Sen. X not care about dying people?
Plus whatever ideas you guys come up with. The point is to be confrontational and disrespectful of the usual societal norms. Being friendly gets you no where. There won't be answers, but there will be video.
The point is that you have a cadre of people organizing and directing and another group of people (supporters) who show up and add bodies. That's the idea of a flash mob. It's subversive.
I would suggest creating a press release with a link to streaming video followed up with another press release with edited youtube clips. Things that you want in this video are long shots with a website address (twitter hash tag, facebook group, etc.) that will direct more people to fighting for a public option. I was hoping someone here would set-up a site or suggest a site. It needs to be simple like publicoption.org or singlepayer.org or Facebook: New Yorkers for Single Payer.
Press release should happen only minutes before the action. Otherwise the press will contact said office and give them a head's up. This has happened many times to me. They don't respect embargos, unless you have power. By creating your video, with the drama of the moment, your local broadcast press might create a story like this -- show clip of clip, talk to sen. x official spokesperson, talk to you (or your uninsured spokesperson fighting cancer, for example), and end with another clip of the clip with broadcaster chatter. By doing this, you frame the story and control the flow of ideas. The sen. x official whoever is responding to your questions and demands, not the other way around. This probably won't happen in large media markets, but definitely mid-sized markets, especially the citizen confrontation angle.
The idea would be to do this consistently (daily, every other day) and target the baddies. By getting more people to or a consolidated website, etc. you can engage with them, get them to volunteer, write letters and call their congresspeople. Get them active. Get them excited to get that text message an hour or two before the action. People like being subversive.
Ideas for larger media markets: NYC, Fucking take over the Today show outside crowd and start chanting for single payer when M. Lauer opens his ugly mug. Pretend to be tourists, with lame signs (maybe sign like I love peoria on one side, and the other side with the contact site or come on Landrieu support a public option, covered up with an easily removable posterboard) etc. I'm not sure how it works with those things, but there is an national audience right there. Look for opportunities to spread the message and the word in the media sphere. Think subversively and refuse to use the acceptable rules of discourse, because those rules are meant to shut you up, to minimize you, or make you look ridiculous. Again video, video, video, as well as having someone record that drivel so you can youtube NBC's cameras and the surprise/ disgust of the talking heads toward the action. Then email and spread it around.
The point is, marches are awesome, but they aren't necessarily fun, hard to organize and they are usually ignored. We need to do things that are original and can't be ignored. Using 'new' media in novel ways is part of that. Things that are spontaneous and off the radar (asymmetric network conflict) seem to have more of an effect. And by doing more spontaneous flash mob type things, you help educate new activists about the power of the people, so maybe a march or a massive sit-in at a state capitol can happen in a period of 24 - 48 hours rather than weeks and weeks of planning. And for god's sake listen to others with other ideas on how to be subversive and get the message out. The other point here is to catch those with power off guard and force them to make immediate concessions with the cameras rolling. By old-school planning of massive demos, you give politicians the ability to say nothing committal, one or the other. You let them play their role rather than forcing them to human beings.
One more idea. Finding victims of the current system and telling their stories. Again, creating videos and press releases for the local media to generate a human interest story. But you provide the angle of no insurance and why isn't politician X not doing anything. Any statement by a spokesperson seems pretty lame in the face of someone dying. Don't force people to do thing that they are uncomfortable with. But don't be afraid to ask people to do said things, people will surprise you. Nobody ever asks.
Any other ideas definitely appreciated. Shitting on these or others ideas not so much. Criticism yes, shitting no. Ask yourself this before shitting on this diary, what are you doing in this fight? is it working?