We all know the smiling telegenic, well-spoken (with TelePrompTer) Barack Obama …
The President who smiles knowingly and assures us that the Bush Administration left the nation in shambles, but with the help of his team, we can and will recover.
The big question, of course, is what kind of nation will be left after Obama’s efforts to deal with financial reform, healthcare reform, combating global warming and dealing with illegal immigration. All overlaid with the enlargement of government, an increased penetration of unions into government and the private sector, the rise of government-funded grass-roots activism and a host of other government initiatives which will attempt to perpetuate the democrat’s one-party rule into the foreseeable future.
But do we know the serious, committed ideologue who is attempting to turn the American ship of state towards a socialistic one-party rule?
The man who seems to live by the Alinsky rules of social activism.
"Don't scare" the middle class”
"Rules for Radicals" dedicated to mankind's "first radical, Lucifer"
“"Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins -- or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom—Lucifer."
RULE 1: "Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have." Power is derived from 2 main sources - money and people. "Have-Nots" must build power from flesh and blood. (These are two things of which there is a plentiful supply. Government and corporations always have a difficult time appealing to people, and usually do so almost exclusively with economic arguments.)
RULE 2: "Never go outside the expertise of your people." It results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to the backbone of anyone. (Organizations under attack wonder why radicals don't address the "real" issues. This is why. They avoid things with which they have no knowledge.)
RULE 3: "Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy." Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. (This happens all the time. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by seemingly irrelevant arguments that they are then forced to address.)
RULE 4: "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules." If the rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000 letters. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules. (This is a serious rule. The besieged entity's very credibility and reputation is at stake, because if activists catch it lying or not living up to its commitments, they can continue to chip away at the damage.)
RULE 5: "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon." There is no defense. It's irrational. It's infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions. (Pretty crude, rude and mean, huh? They want to create anger and fear.)
RULE 6: "A good tactic is one your people enjoy." They'll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They're doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones. (Radical activists, in this sense, are no different that any other human being. We all avoid "un-fun" activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.)
RULE 7: "A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag." Don't become old news. (Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.)
RULE 8: "Keep the pressure on. Never let up." Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. (Attack, attack, attack from all sides, never giving the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.) The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition.
RULE 9: "The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself." Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist. (Perception is reality. Large organizations always prepare a worst-case scenario, something that may be furthest from the activists' minds. The upshot is that the organization will expend enormous time and energy, creating in its own collective mind the direst of conclusions. The possibilities can easily poison the mind and result in demoralization.)
RULE 10: "If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive." Violence from the other side can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog. (Unions used this tactic. Peaceful [albeit loud] demonstrations during the heyday of unions in the early to mid-20th Century incurred management's wrath, often in the form of violence that eventually brought public sympathy to their side.)
RULE 11: "The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative." Never let the enemy score points because you're caught without a solution to the problem. (Old saw: If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. Activist organizations have an agenda, and their strategy is to hold a place at the table, to be given a forum to wield their power. So, they have to have a compromise solution.)
RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.) <Source>
Thus it appears that Barack Obama has internalized the very same community organizing tactics that he successfully taught as a community organizer and is now successfully, I am sad to say, applying them to today’s issues.
There is a defense …
The most feared man in the world is not the most well-trained, the most knowledgeable, or the most committed – it is the man who doesn’t have anything to lose and doesn’t care a rat’s ass what you think of him or his cause. In this manner, the most dangerous fighters are not Navy Seals, but people crazy enough to blow themselves up in a crowded area – because they have nothing to lose or have been promised rewards in the hereafter.
Without resorting to violence, the greatest defense that can be mounted against an ideologue is the “broken record defense.” Keep repeating the same mantra over and over, in every forum and at every opportunity. If they call you crazy (are you listening Glenn Beck), acknowledge that they may be right and continue on with your story. Feel embarrassed by your past actions, lack of achievement – acknowledge it and continue with your story. If they try to make you wrong, acknowledge the possibility and continue with your story.
To enhance your message, use engaging humor which mocks their premise and trivializes their pronouncements. Refuse to give weight to their pronouncements or acknowledge their power (see Alinsky Rule Number One).
Go viral, make or do something so outrageous that people are drawn to the spectacle and in the process absorb your message.
But most of all, interfere with their message and their fundraising. Mock those who give enormous sums of money to the cause and ask them what they plan to receive in return: ego-stroking, special privilege and access, a government contract? Even worse, find out if they are using their own funds and openly question whether communal funds or the funds of a public corporation should be used in this manner?
Make light of the public officials and corporate executives who are kissing political ass?
Two can play at this game. They have money, power and position – but you have nothing to lose, thereby achieving some measure of equality.
Personally, I started this blog because I was tired of yelling at the television and pounding the dash of my car. As I stated before, the purpose of this blog is to make me feel better and give me an outlet for my pent up anger at a government which is rapidly spiraling out of control. I am a selfish bastard and invite like minded people to join me – or mock me – as you wish. Other than select relatives and friends, what you may think does not really matter to me. If I can help you crystallize your thinking, either way, I have just that more additional satisfaction of knowing I may have made a difference in this topsy-turvy world.
It is not so much I fear the concept of socialism as the consequences of a corrupt and complacent elected official who sacrifices the public’s welfare for their own self-interest.
Just as I am sure that there are many God-fearing, good-hearted, hard-working illegal immigrants seeking to improve their lives, I believe that the sheer number of people pouring across our borders is lowering the literacy and productivity of our state and nation while increasing crime, poverty and destroying our educational, healthcare, judicial, retirement, social and cultural infrastructure. I want our elected officials to develop a comprehensive solution to immigration – but not for political purposes, not at an unacceptable cost and definitely not to advance the agenda of a foreign sovereign power.
I have come to the conclusion that Alinsky’s tactics, while extremely powerful, can be overcome by a very simple action. For five or six election cycles, vote the incumbents out of office and vote for the unknown over the professional politician. Ignore political parties and send the entire political world a message: you serve at the pleasure of the citizens of the United States and you will work, not for your personal benefit or to advance the special interests who have financed your campaign – but for the people. And you will be voted out, no matter how good, bad or indifferent you are, in the next election cycle. Perhaps we can return to the days of the citizen/legislator and part-time government. Probably not, but it’s worth a shot.
My answer …
Be well, be safe and take care of yourself and your family first.
-- steve
P.S. My best friend Al, and one who’s opinion I truly value, is likely to accuse me of tilting at windmills. My only answer to him is that is sure beats watching the starfish grow at the end of his boat dock.
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OneCitizenSpeaking: Saying out loud what you may be thinking …
Great read, thanks for the time, crossed blogged to my site link back to your home page. J.C.
Posted by: Jim Campbell | July 02, 2009 at 09:14 AM