{"id":8657,"date":"2016-07-20T22:46:01","date_gmt":"2016-07-20T22:46:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonicfrog.net\/?p=8657"},"modified":"2016-07-20T22:48:35","modified_gmt":"2016-07-20T22:48:35","slug":"rules-for-radicals-and-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonicfrog.net\/?p=8657","title":{"rendered":"Rules For Radicals&#8230; And Others."},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"Rules%20For%20Radicals...%20And%20Others.\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div><blockquote><p><em>&#8220;Saul Alinsky was a brilliant man. Evil, but brilliant. Unfortunately, whether we like it or not, everyone on the Left from the President on down is playing by his rules in the political arena.&#8221; (<\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/townhall.com\/columnists\/johnhawkins\/2012\/04\/13\/12_ways_to_use_saul_alinskys_rules_for_radicals_against_liberals\">Townhall<\/a><em>)<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Republicans are fond of vilifying both President Obama and Hillary Clinton because of their supposed brainwashed allegiance and fealty to this evil guy by the name of Saul Alinsky. Saul Alinsky was a community organizer (guilty) in Chicago in the 1940&#8217;s. Before Barrack Obama started his path toward the Presidency, you never ever heard about this guy Alinsky. But MAN, if you want to bring some Conservatives to high alert, just mention the guy, as Ben Carson did last night. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.conservapedia.com\/Saul_Alinsky\">Conservapedia<\/a> says this explicitly:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><b>Saul David Alinsky<\/b> (January 30, 1909 &#8211; June 12, 1972) was a liberal community organizer in Chicago who developed a method of local organizing that was widely copied by Democrats, and influenced <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Barack Obama\" href=\"http:\/\/www.conservapedia.com\/Barack_Obama\">Barack Obama<\/a> and <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Hillary Clinton\" href=\"http:\/\/www.conservapedia.com\/Hillary_Clinton\">Hillary Clinton<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Alinsky wrote a book, Rules For Radicals, which <a href=\"http:\/\/politifact.com\/truth-o-meter\/article\/2016\/jul\/20\/what-ben-carson-said-about-hillary-clinton-saul-al\/\">Politifact<\/a> describes as offering &#8220;advice to activists seeking to influence public policy, covering topics such as class differences and tactics such as disrupting meetings and winning media attention&#8221;. The book was written in 1971 and draws on his long experiences of seeing what works best to influence people and organization, and make the most impact to achieve the stated goal.<\/p>\n<p>Here is the list as is typically presented:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>RULE 1: <\/strong>\u201cPower is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.\u201d Power is derived from 2 main sources \u2013 money and people. \u201cHave-Nots\u201d 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.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>RULE 2: <\/strong>\u201cNever go outside the expertise of your people.\u201d It results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to the backbone of anyone. (Organizations under attack wonder why radicals don\u2019t address the \u201creal\u201d issues. This is why. They avoid things with which they have no knowledge.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>RULE 3: <\/strong>\u201cWhenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy.\u201d 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.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>RULE 4: <\/strong>\u201cMake the enemy live up to its own book of rules.\u201d 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\u2019s 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.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>RULE 5: <\/strong>\u201cRidicule is man\u2019s most potent weapon.\u201d There is no defense. It\u2019s irrational. It\u2019s 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.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>RULE 6: <\/strong>\u201cA good tactic is one your people enjoy.\u201d They\u2019ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They\u2019re 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 \u201cun-fun\u201d activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>RULE 7: <\/strong>\u201cA tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.\u201d Don\u2019t become old news. (Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>RULE 8: <\/strong>\u201cKeep the pressure on. Never let up.\u201d 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.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>RULE 9: <\/strong>\u201cThe threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.\u201d 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\u2019 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.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>RULE 10: \u201c<\/strong>If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.\u201d 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\u2019s wrath, often in the form of violence that eventually brought public sympathy to their side.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>RULE 11: <\/strong>\u201cThe price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.\u201d Never let the enemy score points because you\u2019re caught without a solution to the problem. (Old saw: If you\u2019re not part of the solution, you\u2019re 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.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>RULE 12: <\/strong>Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.\u201d 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.)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve read &#8220;The Art Of War&#8221;, or &#8220;The Prince&#8221;, some of these strategies will look familiar, so it&#8217;s not as if the rules Alinsky came up with are really original or dangerous. They are time honored and used by all sorts of people and organizations&#8230; And political parties&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>HEY! WE&#8217;RE HAVING A PARTY RIGHT NOW!!!!<\/p>\n<p>Why yes, we are!!!<\/p>\n<p>Lets see if the Republicans might be using some of the &#8220;evil ideas&#8221; presented by Alinsky.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>RULE 1: \u201cPower is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.\u201d Power is derived from 2 main sources \u2013 money and people.<\/strong> <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Money?<\/p>\n<p>SUPERPACS. Check<\/p>\n<p>People?<\/p>\n<p>Plenty of white fearful voters. Check.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>RULE 2: \u201cNever go outside the expertise of your people.\u201d It results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to the backbone of anyone.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Judging from the past two nights, and the GOP platform, they are definitely not treading new ground. From hate Hillary to the continuation of the stated desire to keep the LGBT community as second class citizens&#8230; And don&#8217;t forget GOD!!! According to the benediction delivered, He has chosen Trump to win the Presidency.\u00a0 Check on 2.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>RULE 5: \u201cRidicule is man\u2019s most potent weapon.\u201d There is no defense. It\u2019s irrational. It\u2019s infuriating.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Donald Trump&#8217;s entire campaign strategy has very effectively relied on this.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>RULE 6: \u201cA good tactic is one your people enjoy.\u201d They\u2019ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They\u2019re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>See Rule number 5. And for some reason, Conservatives really really enjoy ruminating over the exploits and picadillos of Hillary&#8217;s husband, even though he&#8217;s not running.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>RULE 8: \u201cKeep the pressure on. Never let up.\u201d 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.)<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>From Whitewater to Benghazi and e-mails. And when the FBI and Department of Justice decided not to prosecute Hillary for the e-mail debacle??? <a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/entry\/republicans-fbi-investigation-hillary-clinton_us_577c6466e4b09b4c43c18c22\">This<\/a>. It really does never end.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><em>RULE 9: \u201cThe threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.\u201d Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist. <\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Hillary is a monster that will destroy the country!!!!&#8221;. Or something like that.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><em>RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.\u201d 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.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Two words &#8211; Hillary Clinton.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m sure there are more that can be listed. But do understand that the Alinsky rules are used quite often, by all sides. He didn&#8217;t invent them, he just wrote them down.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"Rules%20For%20Radicals...%20And%20Others.\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div><p>&#8220;Saul Alinsky was a brilliant man. Evil, but brilliant. Unfortunately, whether we like it or not, everyone on the Left from the President on down is playing by his rules in the political arena.&#8221; (Townhall) &nbsp; Republicans are fond of vilifying both President Obama and Hillary Clinton because of their supposed brainwashed allegiance and fealty [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[38,27,22],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonicfrog.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8657"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonicfrog.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonicfrog.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonicfrog.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonicfrog.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8657"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sonicfrog.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8659,"href":"https:\/\/sonicfrog.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8657\/revisions\/8659"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonicfrog.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonicfrog.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonicfrog.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}