Two Things to Improve Your Life

Improve the world and you improve your life. Two things do that . . .

• Persuading people to move in your direction.
• Recruiting those who agree with you to also work to persuade others.

Persuade and recruit. Persuade and recruit.

It really is that simple, and that hard.

We’ve been constantly thinking and experimenting, trying to figure out how to do these two things EASILY.

We want to make it so that every action YOU TAKE results in concrete, measurable, forward progress. BECAUSE THEN . . .

There’s no good reason for apathy, silence, or submission.  

Next week we’ll ask you to test our latest tool for achieving these goals.

This new software tool was created by our associate Elliot Wade, with collaboration from our chief programmer, Chris Wagner. We want to thank Elliot and Chris for their sterling work.

This new tool will . . .

• Ask people what they’re inclined to think about a subject, and then . . .
• Give them new information about that subject, and then . . .
• Ask them AGAIN what they’re inclined to think.

Here’s what we do NOT expect to result from this process . . .

We do NOT expect large numbers of people to jump from disagreement to agreement in one giant leap.

That would make this a “get rich quick” scheme. We reject such fanciful thinking. That is NOT what we’re trying to do.

We’re NOT swinging for the fence, trying to hit a grand slam. Instead . . .

We’re trying to hit large numbers of singles, so that progress is constant and unstoppable.

So here’s what we DO EXPECT from this new tool . . .

• Some people will move from major disagreement to minor disagreement
• Others from minor disagreement to doubt
• And from doubt to weak support
• And from weak support to strong support.

Yes, a few will move in the opposite direction. But we expect the net movement to be FORWARD, in YOUR DIRECTION.

Most importantly, you’ll be able to MEASURE THE RESULT of your educational activities. This is something new and important.

No previous educational tool has ever been able to do this. Now YOU’LL be able to do it.

The next step will come after you test this new software next week. Then we’ll begin integrating it into a NEW WEBSITE for our educational foundation. This new website will focus on two NEW types of argument –

• Moral principles will be elevated over practical claims
• And governmental services will be subjected to the test of consumer choice

We expect our new software to show you constant movement in your direction, based on both types of arguments.

This will address one of the two things you need to improve your life and the world. It will help you persuade people to move in your direction.

But we’ll also have two other websites, and new software tools to help you gain the other part of what you need . . .

Better tools for recruiting people who already agree with you.

One of these websites will use our new Deny Consent strategy, which we’ve only just begun to describe. But the other will be your old friend, Downsize DC, which will become more focused on proposals like Read the Bills, Write the Laws, and One Subject at a Time.

We’re in the midst of a Big Change, but we’re NOT going to lose anything we did before. We’re adding NEW things. New tools. New powers.  

We think this is exciting news, but there’s a PROBLEM . . .

We had a surge of financial support when we declared our new strategy of open (peaceful) rebellion and “deny consent” after the Obamacare decisions, but then . . .

We got almost no support when we declared that all of our bills were now introduced in the Senate, and that we had just gained an 8th co-sponsor for “One Subject” in the House.

This has placed us in a strange predicament. We’ve just had some of our most outstanding successes, and we’re unveiling exciting new plans for which we’ve received much positive feedback. Despite this . . .

Our income has gone down, to the lowest point in a year. So here we are trying to do large numbers of new things, with less money than we had before. That means . . .

We may soon have to do something called a “wolf at the door” appeal. That’s when you reach the point where you may have to slash spending, cut (and demoralize) staff, and freeze new projects, unless income improves. That’s where we may be next week, depending on what happens today.

Are we earning your support?

Are you happy our bills are introduced in both chambers of Congress?

Do you like the idea of the new software we’re going to let you test next week, and the new plans we have for improving recruitment?

If so, we need help to pay for them. Remember, we do a lot with a little, but we need more to do more. You can contribute using our secure form.

By the way, we want to thank everyone who is a Monthly Pledger. Pledgers are our MOST VAULABLE RESOURCE. They keep us going.

But our situation this month almost certainly requires a person or persons who can step forward with a four-figure endorsement of our effort. Are you that person?

We hope some of those who haven’t donated yet can step forward to help.

Jim Babka and Perry Willis
Co-founders, Downsize DC