Why Cloward-Piven Will Eat Itself

American Thinker ^ | July 03, 2010 | Hoss Varad

[neverdem]

Long considered a tool for fomenting socialist revolution in America, the "Cloward-Piven Strategy" was a sociopolitical theory developed by left-wing ivory tower-dwellers Richard Cloward and Frances Fox Piven. I'm sure the foil hat-wearing adherents of this line of thinking will complain here about my oversimplification of the plan and general lack of nuance, but basically, it seeks to undermine the (American) government by overloading said government with dependents needing welfare.

Apparently, this will force the government into recognizing that there are a lot of dependents out there (artificially created, no doubt), which would inevitably lead to the United States' government establishing a guaranteed national income or some such poppycock. You see, folks? This is what happens when you let sociologists from the Ivy League be taken seriously.

Sadly, many in the Democratic Party have adopted this strategy as a way to build their base and solidify their political power, believing that Cloward and Piven knew what the hell they were talking about and that, by some miracle, crashing the national economy by using welfare and other government payout programs as a tool would bring about even larger government.

This seems a clear-cut case of throwing the logical conclusion to the four breezes so we can focus on our much-wanted outcome: a socialist fantasy-land for all the little boys and girls everywhere across the land.

Now, I may not be an Ivy League professor or even a lowly graduate, but it seems to me that bloating government and overloading already burdened bureaucracies would totally crash them. As in: they're over. Kaput. No existen más.

If the demands on the state are so great that they force a breakdown of the existing bureaucracies, basically bankrupting the government, how in blazes is it then possible to further increase the size of government to provide everyone the same pay every year? It isn't.

First, adding people to the welfare rolls depletes the numbers of gainfully employed citizens, reducing revenues and increasing government costs. Second, with these new people now dependent on government, they are less likely to seek gainful employment (since getting money for free is fun and all). This will establish a larger permanent welfare class. Third, there will soon arise a situation where those who remain gainfully employed cannot work hard enough or long enough to generate the revenues needed to provide for the ever-increasing number of takers.

This cycle continues until all meaningful revenues dry up and the system essentially chokes on its own largesse and dies. Then, Cloward and Piven would have us believe, a new, bigger government/bureaucracy/candy store of others' labors will arise to make sure everything is fair for everyone forever. This leaves unresolved the question: Now that the government is broke and the productive sector is broke and/or gone, who's going to finance this?

No one. We have just entered a state of sociopolitical and economic upheaval. It will not, however, render a large, omni-providential state that will be able to assure everyone's equitable financial well-being in perpetuity. In fact, it won't even get off the ground.

What will likely happen instead is a brief state of chaos wherein the dependent drones of the government trudge zombie-like to collect their "benefits" and "entitlements." Then, seeing that those goodies can no longer be had, they probably turn like a spider monkey on their masters, who promised them these things would keep on coming. Then, desperate, some of these folks might move out into the suburbs and rural areas to pillage and plunder for those things they "need." After a few nasty encounters with the well-armed populace, this activity will shortly be curtailed, and some semblance of order will be restored in some areas.

This is what some might call a WTSHTF scenario (I'm not good with acronyms, but I think it means something bad), or an anarchy state whereby small regions will band together for common defense. Whether it be a rudimentary (albeit modern) version of feudalism or ancient Greek-style polis or small geographic regions that unite for survival -- it matters not. Small government will be achieved. And that would be the antithesis of what Cloward and Piven want.

In short, overloading the state will destroy the state, not make it bigger and better. Of course, once I get my degree from Yale, I may think differently. I'll keep you posted.

Hoss Varad is an American political observer, philosopher, satirist, and all-around politically incorrect kind of guy. More of his drivel can be found at junkpanic.com.

[grey_whiskers]

cf this song.

There will be regional differences as well.

What the Communists don't understand -- unless they have plotted *far* deeper than anyone thought, say at the level of (dang it, can't find the link [*]) -- is that Americans will *fight back*.

[*] within the last month or two I read a harrowing account of the Communists in either Korea or Vietnam, where they temporarily overran a town and were driven out after three or four days: but in that short time they had killed thousands of people, almost all of whom were either known anti-Communists, or in a position to influence opinion against the Communists by having the ear of "everyman", such as taxi-drivers, etc. The Communists were able to do this since their stooges in the town had taken years to compile lists of targets and personal information about them.

Cheers!

[highlander_UW]

Wouldn’t you agree that we are seeing Cloward-Pliven in action right now in this county? It seems as if our current government doesn’t mind working overtime at the moment destroying everything in the country that we need in order to support ourselves and remain an independent people.

Absolutely I agree that is the goal of what we're seeing from many politicians currently.

I'm not sure there is a solution that would be so obvious that they'd abandon their plans, but I suspect if there were such a thing it'd be a condition where it is clear they wouldn't have the upper hand in the power vacuum aftermath of the collapse they seek to cause.

The deal is, I think there already is, at a minimum, competition to fill that vacuum from American groups such as the Tea party folks...but liberals are typically self deluded and rather blind and dense. So it would have to be very obvious to them (which is a high threshold) that they will fail in the aftermath.

For the time being I think conservatives need to strengthen their connections in their local communities. Many already have, we are, after all, average Americans. But it is, I believe, from this strong local community base that will be the building blocks of society and resistance to the tyranny the left seeks to impose.

[gitmo]

As I understand it, the goal is to collapse the government, forcing a military takeover that enslaves the entire populace as an emergency measure. The free ride for the parasites comes to an abrupt halt, as well as that pesky liberty that both the producers and the parasites currently enjoy.

[gitmo]

There’s fewer of them than us. And we have the benefit of actual weapons training.

They are counting on a military blindly following orders during the emergency lockdown of the nation.

[TennTuxedo]

The writer and those believing his theory, forget that the agents of change, do not plan on maintaining a status quo in the echelon of power and governing. Every time something similar has taken place in history, you have mass starvation, police state, political purges, and serfdom. Our nation will look nothing like the one we live in now and by that time people will be weakened, disorganized, and unable to fight back.

[east1234]

There are only a few million in the military, if they imposed martial law how would they content with 10, 20, or 30 million snipers?

[gitmo]

I hope there ARE that many Americans who would take up arms to protect the nation. But I don’t see many people willing to emulate the Sons of Liberty in today’s world.

[itsahoot]

I believe, is that they will be the ones to pick up the pieces after they've destroyed the US.

Two words. Martial Law. That is the key to who winds up in charge, and they will have blue helmet help, count on it.

[13Sisters76]

Good cartoon.

Bambi ain’t us.

[13Sisters76]

To you, too! and to all the good Americans here- wave that flag!!!

[painter]

So the end will be, I think they will be successful in destroying the US, but they will fail in their attempt to take power. The result will be ugly.

They will be shot down in the streets or hanging on the end of ropes!

[daisy mae for the usa]

I am expecting no elections in November. I hope and pray daily this will not happen.

[nascarnation]

I think you’re too worried.
We’ll definitely have elections in November.

And we’ll have elections in 2012 (although Baraq may be the only candidate on the ballot)

[Rearden]

Absolutely! Very well said, again.

I live in a very rural area in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. My neighbors and I have a barter system that we set up a several years ago to keep out of sight of the government in our daily commerce between one another. One of the primary reasons for doing such was to be prepared in case we ever faced a situation with the government which we seem to be approaching right now.

It gives a small comfort at least that we might ignore much of the government mess right now and go about our business. Many in my community have relatives who made whiskey back in the day and were able to pretty much ignore the Yankee government we have never trusted. As long as they didn’t trade outside of the community, they were safe and were more or less invisible.

[daisy mae for the usa]

Everyone tells me I’m wrong and I do want to be wrong. The thought keeps persisting, though. But, I’m not worried. I believe in this country and the founding principles. I agree with the person up thread who said Americans are fundamentally unable to accept anything less than freedom. But we do need to recognize that freedom must be defended. How, when, and where may still be up in the air, but it’s coming. Like everyone else, I’ll be doing my part when November gets here! You can count on that!

[Interesting Times]

What I find amazing is some people think elections will be suspended due to a self created disaster.

The leftists don't have to suspend elections. All they have to do is corrupt them.

[highlander_UW]

Two words. Martial Law. That is the key to who winds up in charge, and they will have blue helmet help, count on it.

That very well may be their intent. If so, their hand may be forced by the fact that it looks like Obama will be consigned to the dung heap of history after one term. At this point it seems very unlikely that he'd win a second term. Obviously things may change (unlikely) or they may be able to sufficiently cheat as to override any voter response, although too far and it becomes very obvious. So that being said, if there was going to be martial law in response to some "Reichstag" type event (which I expect will be blamed on the Tea Party) it'll have to be within the next 2 1/2 years.

[highlander_UW]

They will be shot down in the streets or hanging on the end of ropes!

Civil war with people being shot down in the streets and hanged is part of the "ugly" end I referred to. Historically, there have been very few nice and clean civil wars.

[Eva]

Our county in WA was ruled by the ultra liberal, leftists, actually from the local university for almost fifteen years. They started by suing the county for not enforcing the state growth management act and proceeded by taking over the county council and moving beyond the requirements of the growth management act. Their big push was to not only limit growth, but to roll back growth and commercial development outside of urban boundaries, as well as limiting farming, especially farm animals.

Last year, we unseated the liberals on the county council and undid much of the chaos that they had brought to the county, not all of it, but a good bit. In addition to the land use issues, we fought off a monopoly of paramedic services by the city firefighters’ union.

[highlander_UW]

Absolutely! Very well said, again.

Thanks, and it's reassuring to hear there are communities that are strongly knit together. as my handle implies, I attended the University of Washington, and I still live in the liberal hell hole. The state itself is one of the most beautiful in the nation, but the politics is down near the ugly end of the spectrum (although not as bad as IL, NJ or CA). I am currently looking for an opportunity (read that job and living arrangements) outside of the immediate Puget Sound area where I can find a community that is both a bit more conservative as well as more neighborly (which are probably related).

You may not be familiar with the political/geographic situation in WA, but there are 3 primary counties that are democrat, but they are the 3 most populous ones. The rest of the state is largely conservative...but they're out voted, and in some occasions just cheated in the elections, by the 3 big counties. ACORN was caught tampering with the election in WA previously.