Once again, for the benefit of anyone who reads this because they think it's going to be about Obamacare only, there will be an introduction to basic 'Life Cycles' theory and his career generally. 'Life Cycles' is the study of events in 12 year cycles, but particularly focused on new directions/achievements in the first year of the cycle, known as the 'Year of Revolution'. This is so named, because case history evidence strongly suggests it is like a revolution in your life. Thus, the ages of 12/24 (first adult 'Year of Revolution')/36 (important mid-life 'Year of Revolution')/48/60 etc. get studied to see what happens. Not just the whole year, but sometimes the month or even the week of the month, in that year.
We then look for similarity of the events happening 12 years apart. As unreasonable as it sounds, we look for the same themes getting repeated. Obviously not the exact same actions, but whatever might define a similarity of the actions. Maybe they symbolise the same broad type of thing. In rare instances there can even be a substantive similarity ie. it is plainly the same type of action. So, I hope you would agree then, if we can show plainly the same substantive actions happening in successive adult 'Years of Revolution' at almost the same time of the year, it is an extra-special fit. In Barak Obama's case we are going to explore his biographical details (ie. the actual facts) during his 24th/36th/48th years (4th. August to 4th. August each time).
Ultimately, despite initial successes, the initiative ran out of steam. After some pressuring, the Chicago Housing Authority asked Washington for the millions in Federal funding it would take to remove the asbestos and they didn't agree, saying such money would be better spent elsewhere. To this day some of those asbestos problems remain. So, that was 24, what about at 36?
Now we progress to the 12 months beginning 4th. August, 1997. This time it is the newly-elected Illinois Senator, who wanted to get involved in State-based issues. His first involvement, suggested to him, was in the area of Party ethics and he worked on helping pass a sweeping law, that banned most gifts from lobbyists and personal use of campaign funds by state legislators. This took most of his time until the new year.
His next big involvement was the implementation of Illinois legislation for the national TANF program (Temporary Assistance For Needy Families). This included a healthcare component, and as a member of the Health and Human Services Senate Committee, he would have participated. In mid-March, I could only find reference to his nomination as Democrat candidate for a further 2 year term, so I can't pretend to be a 'fly on the wall' here. TANF was effective on 1st. July, 1998, so we can presume part of his activities were again Health Policy related. However, he went on to chair this Committee 6 years later in 2003, after 4 years as minority spokesman. He sponsored successful efforts to expand children's health care and create a plan to provide equal health care access for all Illinois residents.
Let's check another couple of similarities. Just as in Altgeld Gardens, he sensed a political opportunity in doing what he did and is on record as saying so HERE. Also, just as Altgeld Gardens still has an asbestos problem, so the modern-day South Side of Chicago is a hotbed of violence and crime, bred of poverty and unequal opportunity. It is known to locals and others as Chiraq and is also known for a lack of community services, particularly a trauma ward, which causes a lot of extra deaths from gunshot wounds, on the way to get treatment.
Finally let's visit Obama's last adult 'Year of Revolution' at the age of 48 (ie. beginning 4th. August, 2009). Now, as the recently installed US President, he had been at work from the earliest opportunity in Feb., to work with Congress to construct a plan for healthcare reform. It was indeed front and centre of his first term objectives. When was the historic legislation for the Affordable Care Act signed by Obama? That would be 23rd. March, 2010. Again, around exactly the same mid-March timetable, that is closely aligned with events at 24 and 36. Again there would be several years of effort to get meaningful change implemented, that takes us up to the present moment.
It would be safe to say, that what was, I'm sure, seen to be an outstanding potential political legacy, has encountered all sorts of difficulties and general unpopularity. The strength of this opposition will be tested in the forthcoming mid-term elections at the end of the year. What does the future hold for Obamacare, and to put an unintended pun in the mix, why does Obama care so much about Obamacare? I would say it's because health care reform is deeply rooted in his 'Life Cycles' DNA. I trust you can see how his three adult 'Years of Revolution' (24/36/48) are essentially the same. The same themes, the same timing and the same longer term difficulties. The similarities are substantive and not just symbolic. He essentially repeats the same actions every 12 years, just on a larger political stage each time :- ie. local, State and National. The essence of Obama is not just ambition for power, but the chance to facilitate meaningful reforms, that also help his career.
Now I'm not a fortune teller, so I make no predictions as to how this will play out. Perhaps it will be "third time a charm" for him. On the other hand, we have the spectre of the Altgeld Projects and Chiraq, to suggest that Obamacare may be more of an albatross, than a pinnacle. In case you think I'm somewhat biased in my analysis, I can direct you to an equally disspassionate profile I did of George W. Bush in my first book Life Cycles. Till next month :- "May the cycles always bring you good fortune.
