On Facebook, someone asked: Is there a way to reach Trump supporters? Trump supporters sometimes wonder: Is there a way to reach Liberals?

Yes there is, but it’s beyond most people to even consider it.

Take almost anyone: If they care about an issue, it mostly gives them frustration. If they learn about an issue, there’s almost nothing they can do with it that seems to make a difference. So why learn? Why care? That’s why it’s very common in America for people to be poorly informed and not even vote.

Everything we do is part of the system

You can write letters and make donations, as we’ve been doing for decades. Those actions are part of the system that has produced our current mess. Every strategy we’ve known and tried has gotten us here.

If you watch most 2-year olds, when they’re frustrated and desperate, they turn up the drama. They rant, cry, act-out or throw a tantrum. That’s most of our current plans. We express shock, anger, ridicule others, and throw more money and effort at fighting. All of this is part of our political system.

Our political system includes them fighting us and us fighting them. It includes having two parties and people wanting a third and there being more unaffiliated people than people in either party. It includes all the problems we have, including liberals thinking conservatives, and especially Trump supporters, are wrong. And it includes conservatives thinking liberals are wrong. All of this supports the status quo. Yes, we all think it’s good that it swings our way half the time. This convinces us to fight harder. But then it swings back- that’s its nature.

It’s not about issues

Are you one of those people that think it’s about issues? Do you think we just need to do some of: instant runoff elections, ending gerrymandering, term-limits, making election day a holiday, open primaries, having a new party, more laws against corruption, more campaign finance laws? Yes, some of these would help a bit. None would change the system much.

Yes, lots of people are choosing poorly. Lies, fake news, partial news, hiding details, not giving people enough time to study bills or situations abound. So does autocrats ruling the administration, the House and the Senate. Money rules, and often it pays to make people scared and desperate.

This is the system we have.

In this system, all the things we see Republicans do, the name-calling, the pouting, the demonizing, slanting the news, making jokes and satire, even getting angry and desperate – they’re all appropriate actions and reactions from their point of view. Democrats do pretty much the same things, but from the other side. In the status quo, these are all appropriate- these all strengthen the status quo. So does raising money, whether it’s for Democrats, Republicans or Independents. Look at Unite America- they have the same sort of political messaging and request for donations.

Everything we know about politics is part of the powerful status quo. It has lead to our current situation where people are suffering more, education is mediocre, and catastrophes loom on many horizons, including soaring deficit and debt.

We need to change the foundation

To change the system, we must change its foundation. We must build a political system that rewards learning and caring. It must lessen the power of big money, fighting, dishonesty and “spin”, or better, provide negative feedback. We have to create a foundation that leads people to react by making better, conscientious, moral choices.

Basically, we have a political system with very poor, but expensive, communication, and a very small role for citizens. Most people can’t even imagine what kind of communication we need! Most people can’t even imagine citizens having a central role.

Imagine a system with:

• good and inexpensive communication
• a central role for citizens, requiring 15-60 minutes a month
• you say what you want
• you hear what others want
• elected officials are, every day, accountable to voters.
• it’s designed to reward learning and caring
• it’s designed to reward honesty and extinguish lies

This system will reach you and people who disagree with you. It’ll increase competition in elections so we’ll have better candidates and more choice. It’ll reach them.

It has been designed

On one hand, you’re in luck. This system has been designed!

On the other, it’s a completely new way of thinking and acting about politics. Since it’s new, it makes our current understanding of politics sort of wrong, so it’s difficult to learn about.

Plus, about things we feel are important, we’re pretty closed-minded. We feel strongly about the status quo.

We mostly assume if a solution to an important problem is good, we’ll understand it quickly. It’s not true. For things different from the status quo, we need to be open-minded, notice our feelings so we can let them go, think deeply, and go slow. For most people, this is difficult.

Luckily, once the system is built, people will quickly experience its rewards.

Unluckily, investors are as closed-minded as everyone else, so no one is backing it. It’s going slowly.

What can reach them?

To understand it, you first have to see that for democracy to work reliably, politicians must be accountable to voters. When you learn what “accountability” is, you’ll see that it’s missing. Do you have a rigorous definition of accountability? Most people don’t, so they don’t even see that it’s missing.

Our current system is based on the parties fighting for control. The new system is based on people designing their future together and using government to create it.

Yes, we can have a political system that works, including where truth reaches them and we all make better choices. With support, it can make a world of difference in the next two years. Without support, I’ll keep trying…