Alinsky & Obama
Saul Alinsky is often called by Conservatives, the mentor for Obamas tactical strategy to change America into a Socialist Society. Alinsky could hardly be a mentor since he died when the President was about ten or eleven years old. The often reference to Alinsky by Obama political opponents has caused me to refresh my memory about Alinsky and his influence in many community organizing efforts.
In rereading Alinsky’s work it is easy to recognize his hand as a guiding light for Obama and his administration. Saul Alinsky wrote “Rules for Radicals” . Following are extractions from Alinsky thoughts and an introductory paragraph describing his work.
Introducing “Rules for Radicals” Alinsky said:
“What follows is for those who want to change the world from what it is to what they believe it should be. The Prince was written by Machiavelli for the Haves on how to hold power. Rules for Radicals is written for the Have-Nots on how to take it away” .
He outlined “power tactics” for radicals
“In the world of give and take, tactics is the art of how to take and how to give. Here our concern is with the tactic of taking; how the Have-Nots can take power from the Haves.”
1. Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.
2. Never go outside the experience of your people
3. Wherever possible go outside of the experience of the enemy. You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity.
4. Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counterattack ridicule.
5. A good tactic is one that your people enjoy.
6. A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag. Man can sustain militant interest in any issue for only a limited time.
7. Keep the pressure on, with different tactics and actions, and utilize all events of the period for your purpose.
8. The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.
9. The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition.
10. The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.
11. Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.
Saul Alinsky’s son said that Obama had followed Alinsky’s guidelines in the campaign and the Democratic convention in Denver.
Obama in his campaign promised Change that was not then clearly defined and he is now defining the change he planned in a rapid fashion.
Alinsky’s Rule 4( Ridicule opponents) is being used by the Obamanistas at every opportunity to discredit anyone who would dare to challenge the actions of the President. Those who question the birth certificate absence are called Birthers and Right Wingnuts A question of Obama policy is responded to with charges of racial prejudice towards whoever voiced the question. The recent absurd Jimmy Carter statements leveling a racist motive on most of the Obama opposition fits neatly into Rule 4. This Blog is often attacked as being racially motivated and written by a Right Wingnut. Alinsky’s tactics are alive and understood by the left. Ridicule and racial charges are used in every instance of opposition. As Alinsky indicated decades ago this tactic is difficult to answer. They are akin to the “Do you still beat your wife” question. Almost any answer will only move the debate sideways, with no real answer satisfactory to the radical .
Deflecting serious questions is an Alinsky tactic that the President has learned well. Questioned about ACORN his answer was that he was “unaware that ACORN was receiving significant Federal funds and anyway, it was not high on his areas of concern. He had much more important areas to deal with?? “
Obama may not have had Alinsky as a mentor but he sure read the book and he and his supporters use some of the “Rules for Radicals” almost every day.
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