Alinsky vs. Sun Tzu: How ancient strategy can be used against the Liberal Left.

Free Republic ^ | September 19, 2009 | Publius772000

[LucyT]

Refresher Course:

"...Saul Alinsky has been discussed in such a matter-of-fact way that many casual observers have heard of him."

The following is a list of Alinsky’s 12 rules for upheaval:

RULE 1: “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.”
RULE 2: “Never go outside the expertise of your people.”
RULE 3: “Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy.”
RULE 4: “Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.”
RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.”
RULE 6: “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.”
RULE 7: “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.”
RULE 8: “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.”
RULE 9: “The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.”
RULE 10: “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.”
RULE 11: “The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.”
RULE 12: “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”

"Of these, Rules 4, 5, 8, and 12 have been used to greatest effect by the Left. In their war against the Constitution and traditional America, they have assailed, in turn, most of the great foundations of our society."

............................................

[LucyT]

"Of these, Rules 4, 5, 8, and 12 have been used to greatest effect by the Left.

"In their war against the Constitution and traditional America, they have assailed, in turn, most of the great foundations of our society.

"They have removed God. They have made abortion mainstream. They have helped the tiny minority of gay and lesbian activists dictate policy to the majority.

"They have made millions dependent on government through social programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and now federal control of automakers, banks, energy, and health care. - Granted, some of these Leftist changes took place long before Alinsky, but his principles have been widely used by the 21st century brand of so-called progressives who look to take the next step."

[humblegunner]

Alinsky is over rated. Half of that crap is obvious and the rest is plagiarized.

[Cold Heart]

Speaking of Medicare, an expert on the Russian mafia stated on Varney & Co. FOX Business this morning, that the Russian mafia is very active in medicare fraud. How come our “transparent” government hasn’t mentioned this? Or maybe that was part of the “more flexability after the election” part.

[LucyT]

.

"Much has been made in recent political history of Saul Alinsky and his Rules for Radicals. Bill Clinton reportedly followed Alinsky’s advice. Barack Obama taught a class on using Alinsky principles to keep the nation in chaos. After all, it’s easier to get radical policies enacted during a crisis. However, I assert that there is an older, much more battle-tested set of rules for warfare that are becoming more applicable to politics in the United States as the political arena begins to resemble the Roman Colosseum: The Art of War by Sun-Tzu."

[cripplecreek]

I personally feel that rule number one has been pretty effective at demoralizing the right.

The reality is that we have at least as much power as the left and its growing. The GOP holds 3 branch majorities in 24 states while the democrats hold all 3 branches in 13 states. The states have shown some willingness to stand against Obama and our job is to weld them into a solid block to fight back.

[PetroniusMaximus]

Free Republic should spawn a private, invitation-only 24/7 think tank devoted to exploring this very idea.

[SENTINEL]

Alinsky cut his teeth as a henchman for Al Capone. Really.

Alinsky dedicated "Rules for Radicals" to Lucifer. Really.

Obama taught "Alinsky Tactics 101" as a professor. Really.

STICK TO YOUR GUNS

[PeterPrinciple]

The implication here is that we may have to use these same tactics, which I am tending to agree. Civil disobedience has been too long associated with the left, but historically it has been used for for many just and right causes also.

The danger of the current left and the french revolution is that they were rebelling against what they didn't want. And it was bloody.

Our founding fathers were wise in having a very clear understanding of what they were working toward, which was their rights from God. People were not always pure in their ideology, but I think the evidence in our original documents speak.

We as conservatives here are not of like mind, and have little common ground, we are fractionalized. Balkenized if you prefer.

[PeterPrinciple]

I will add the following to your refresher course:

http://www.heritage.org/research/lecture/ten-conservative-principles

[LucyT]

[cripplecreek]

I also suggest that people study up on guys like Edward Bernays, George Creel, and Walter Lippman. They were progressive propaganda pioneers of the 1920s forward. I suggest it because propaganda loses its effectiveness when you recognize it.

If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it not possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it? The recent practice of propaganda has proved that it is possible, at least up to a certain point and within certain limits.

-Bernays

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. ...In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.

-Bernays

In his 1965 autobiography, Bernays recalls a dinner at his home in 1933 where Karl von Wiegand, foreign correspondent of the Hearst newspapers, an old hand at interpreting Europe and just returned from Germany, was telling us about Goebbels and his propaganda plans to consolidate Nazi power. Goebbels had shown Wiegand his propaganda library, the best Wiegand had ever seen. Goebbels, said Wiegand, was using my book Crystallizing Public Opinion as a basis for his destructive campaign against the Jews of Germany. This shocked me. ... Obviously the attack on the Jews of Germany was no emotional outburst of the Nazis, but a deliberate, planned campaign.

----------------------------------------------

“function of news is to signalize an event, the function of truth is to bring to light the hidden facts, to set them in relation with each other, and make a picture of reality on which men can act.” A journalist’s version of the truth is subjective and limited to how he constructs his reality. The news, therefore, is “imperfectly recorded” and too fragile to bear the charge as “an organ of direct democracy.”

Walter Lippman

Early on Lippmann said the "bewildered herd," his way of referring to the masses, must be governed by “a specialized class whose interests reach beyond the locality." This class is composed of experts, specialists and bureaucrats. The experts, who often are referred to as "elites," were to be a machinery of knowledge that circumvents the primary defect of democracy, the impossible ideal of the "omnicompetent citizen".

[skinkinthegrass]

Free Republic should spawn a private, invitation-only
24/7 think tank devoted to exploring this very idea.it already exists...It's called The Heritage Foundation...

My tax return
I just received my tax return for 2011 back from the IRS. It puzzles me!!!
They are questioning how many dependents I claimed.
I guess it was because of my response to the question: “List all dependents?”
I replied: 12 million illegal immigrants;
3 million crack heads;
42 million unemployed people on food stamps,
2 million people in over 243 prisons;
Half of Mexico; and 535 persons in the U.S. House and Senate.”
1 useless President.
Evidently, this was NOT an acceptable answer.
I KEEP ASKING MYSELF, WHO DID I MISS?

[miele man]

You mention Alinsky’s 12 Rules but nary a word about or from Sun Tzu yet your thread title is one versus the other. Where are the Sun Tzu principles?

[cripplecreek]

We as conservatives here are not of like mind, and have little common ground, we are fractionalized. Balkenized if you prefer.

Compared to the left we're like a solid block of granite. As an example, the left consists of blacks who aren't fond of hispanics and hispanics who aren't fond of blacks and neither group cares about environmental groups or issues. You have your urban liberals who claim to care about the poor but only want others to sacrifice to help the poor while they themselves live in nice neighborhoods.

The stroke of genius in the Michigan RTW fight was bringing in pro union conservatives who supported RTW. When the support among union members hit 40% it triggered the legislation. Now the unions are caught in a divide among their own members that is only going to get worse.

[avenir]

Sounds like a fantastic idea. I’d love to read the group’s final report.

[X-spurt]

Regardless of how the progressives planned it, Social Security and Medicare are no free ride, we each paid through the nose for the pittance returned.

[B.O. Plenty]

There is no way that the left are going to let us just "live and let live"....

....they are hell bent to forcing the Rush doctrine to be used eventually....

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

miele man ~:” You mention Alinsky’s 12 Rules but nary a word about or from Sun Tzu yet your thread title is one versus the other. Where are the Sun Tzu principles? “

Agreed !
There is no Sun Tzu comparison

Saul D. Alinsky , a known communist community organizer used the above principles to effect change in resistant communities ,and aginst large commercial enterprizes . The above listed principles are enumerated in his book “Rules for Radicles “ .

Sun Tzu’s “ The Art of War “ is a tactical reference in physical and psychological aspects of warfare , and evaluating how to hurt the enemy the most , while minimizing your exposure to loss .
I would have liked to have seen how these two books can be applied
Perhaps the Sun Tzu portion is still yet forthcomming.. ?

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt

[Louis Foxwell]

FR is you, friend. Do it. Email is available for private contact and communications.