May 7th 09, 05:26 AM
Community Organizing Explained
by Phyllis Schlafly
>>"Immediately after the Democratic National Convention in Colorado, the Boston Globe published a letter from L. David Alinsky. He boasted about how Barack Obama had made extremely effective use of his training in the methods of David's late father, the famous Chicago radical, Saul D. Alinsky (right>).
David Alinsky gloated: "I am proud to see that my father's model for
organizing is being applied successfully beyond local community
organizing to affect the Democratic campaign in 2008. It is a fine
tribute to Saul Alinsky as we approach his 100th birthday."
What was Saul Alinsky's model that Barack Obama used so successfully
to defeat the Clinton machine plus the Republican Party in a dramatic
one-two punch never before seen in politics? What is known today as
"the Alinsky ideology and Alinsky concepts of mass organization for
power" are fully set forth in Alinsky's 1971 book, "Rules for
Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals."
Alinsky's worldview was that mankind is divided into three parts: "the
Haves, the Have-Nots and the Have-a-Little, Want Mores." His purpose
was to teach the Have-Nots how to take power and money away from the
Haves by creating mass organizations to seize power, and he frankly
admitted that "this means revolution."
He wanted a radical change of America's social and economic structure,
and he planned to achieve that through creating public discontent and
moral confusion. Alinsky developed strategies to achieve power through
mass organization, and organizing was his word for revolution.
He wanted to move the United States from capitalism to socialism,
where the means of production would be owned by all the people (i.e.,
the government). A believer in economic determinism, he viewed
unemployment, disease, crime and bigotry as byproducts of capitalism.
"Change" was Alinsky's favorite word, used on page after page. "I will
argue," he wrote, "that man's hopes lie in the acceptance of the great
law of change."
Alinsky used what he called "general concepts of change" to move us
toward "a science of revolution." What he called "change" meant
massive change in our socio-economic structure, and what he called
"organizing" meant pursuing confrontational political tactics.
Alinsky taught the Have-Nots to "hate the establishment of the Haves"
because they have "power, money, food, security and luxury." He
claimed that "justice, morality, law and order are mere words used by
the Haves to justify and secure their status quo."
Alinsky didn't ignore traditional moral standards or dismiss them as
unnecessary. He was more devious -- he taught his followers that
"moral rationalization is indispensable at all times of action whether
to justify the selection or the use of ends or means."
To achieve his goals, he sought local community organizers who
projected confidence and vision as well as change. Barack Obama fit
the profile.
Alinsky didn't want just talkers, he wanted radicals who were prepared
to take bold action to organize the discontented, precipitate crises,
grab power and thereby transform society. He taught his organizers how
to infiltrate existing institutions such as churches, unions and
political parties, gain influence in them and then introduce change.
The qualities Alinsky looked for in a good organizer were ego
("reaching for the highest level for which man can reach -- to create,
to be a 'great creator,' to play God"), curiosity (raising "questions
that agitate, that break through the accepted pattern"), irreverence
("nothing is sacred"; "detests dogma, defies any finite definition of
morality"), a sense of humor ("the most potent weapons known to
mankind are satire and ridicule") and an organized personality with
confidence in presenting the right reason for his actions only "as a
moral rationalization after the right end has been achieved."
The organizer must "rub raw the resentments of the people of the
community; fan the latent hostilities of many of the people to the
point of overt expression. ... An organizer must stir up
dissatisfaction and discontent."
Alinsky trained his community organizers to adopt a "middle-class
identity" and familiarity with their "values and problems." After
achieving "the priceless value of his middle-class experience," he
will "begin to dissect and examine that way of life as he never has
before."
Alinsky's trainees are instructed to return to the suburban scene of
the middle class with its variety of organizations, from PTAs to
League of Women Voters, consumer groups, churches and clubs. Alinsky
boasted: "With rare exceptions, our activists and radicals are
products of and rebels against our middle-class society. ... Our
rebels have contemptuously rejected the values and way of life of the
middle class."
Put "Rules for Radicals" on your must-read list if you want to
understand much of contemporary politics. "<<
http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=7079
by Phyllis Schlafly
>>"Immediately after the Democratic National Convention in Colorado, the Boston Globe published a letter from L. David Alinsky. He boasted about how Barack Obama had made extremely effective use of his training in the methods of David's late father, the famous Chicago radical, Saul D. Alinsky (right>).
David Alinsky gloated: "I am proud to see that my father's model for
organizing is being applied successfully beyond local community
organizing to affect the Democratic campaign in 2008. It is a fine
tribute to Saul Alinsky as we approach his 100th birthday."
What was Saul Alinsky's model that Barack Obama used so successfully
to defeat the Clinton machine plus the Republican Party in a dramatic
one-two punch never before seen in politics? What is known today as
"the Alinsky ideology and Alinsky concepts of mass organization for
power" are fully set forth in Alinsky's 1971 book, "Rules for
Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals."
Alinsky's worldview was that mankind is divided into three parts: "the
Haves, the Have-Nots and the Have-a-Little, Want Mores." His purpose
was to teach the Have-Nots how to take power and money away from the
Haves by creating mass organizations to seize power, and he frankly
admitted that "this means revolution."
He wanted a radical change of America's social and economic structure,
and he planned to achieve that through creating public discontent and
moral confusion. Alinsky developed strategies to achieve power through
mass organization, and organizing was his word for revolution.
He wanted to move the United States from capitalism to socialism,
where the means of production would be owned by all the people (i.e.,
the government). A believer in economic determinism, he viewed
unemployment, disease, crime and bigotry as byproducts of capitalism.
"Change" was Alinsky's favorite word, used on page after page. "I will
argue," he wrote, "that man's hopes lie in the acceptance of the great
law of change."
Alinsky used what he called "general concepts of change" to move us
toward "a science of revolution." What he called "change" meant
massive change in our socio-economic structure, and what he called
"organizing" meant pursuing confrontational political tactics.
Alinsky taught the Have-Nots to "hate the establishment of the Haves"
because they have "power, money, food, security and luxury." He
claimed that "justice, morality, law and order are mere words used by
the Haves to justify and secure their status quo."
Alinsky didn't ignore traditional moral standards or dismiss them as
unnecessary. He was more devious -- he taught his followers that
"moral rationalization is indispensable at all times of action whether
to justify the selection or the use of ends or means."
To achieve his goals, he sought local community organizers who
projected confidence and vision as well as change. Barack Obama fit
the profile.
Alinsky didn't want just talkers, he wanted radicals who were prepared
to take bold action to organize the discontented, precipitate crises,
grab power and thereby transform society. He taught his organizers how
to infiltrate existing institutions such as churches, unions and
political parties, gain influence in them and then introduce change.
The qualities Alinsky looked for in a good organizer were ego
("reaching for the highest level for which man can reach -- to create,
to be a 'great creator,' to play God"), curiosity (raising "questions
that agitate, that break through the accepted pattern"), irreverence
("nothing is sacred"; "detests dogma, defies any finite definition of
morality"), a sense of humor ("the most potent weapons known to
mankind are satire and ridicule") and an organized personality with
confidence in presenting the right reason for his actions only "as a
moral rationalization after the right end has been achieved."
The organizer must "rub raw the resentments of the people of the
community; fan the latent hostilities of many of the people to the
point of overt expression. ... An organizer must stir up
dissatisfaction and discontent."
Alinsky trained his community organizers to adopt a "middle-class
identity" and familiarity with their "values and problems." After
achieving "the priceless value of his middle-class experience," he
will "begin to dissect and examine that way of life as he never has
before."
Alinsky's trainees are instructed to return to the suburban scene of
the middle class with its variety of organizations, from PTAs to
League of Women Voters, consumer groups, churches and clubs. Alinsky
boasted: "With rare exceptions, our activists and radicals are
products of and rebels against our middle-class society. ... Our
rebels have contemptuously rejected the values and way of life of the
middle class."
Put "Rules for Radicals" on your must-read list if you want to
understand much of contemporary politics. "<<
http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=7079