Rules for Radicals — and Conservatives the Rightwing World Resurrects Saul Alinsky

Peter Dreier Rules for Radicals — and Conservatives The Rightwing World Resurrects Saul Alinsky

n the 1960s and ’70s, Saul Alinsky, often KHZURWHEHIRUHG\LQJRIDKHDUWDWWDFNLQ0DUFK considered the founder of community orga- ULJKWZLQJEORJJHU$QGUHZ%UHLWEDUWFODLPHGWKDW I QL]LQJZDVDSRSXODU¿JXUHDPRQJOLEHUDO “the media does not want you to know that the DFWLYLVWVEDVHGSULPDULO\RQKLVKRZWRPDQXDOV president is a radical’s radical whose presidency Reveille for Radicals and Rules for Radicals, and itself is a love song to a socialist ‘community orga- his reputation as a tough-talking, street-smart QL]HU¶´7KHRUJDQL]HULQTXHVWLRQZDV$OLQVN\,Q agitator who helped poor and DFFRUGLQJWRWKH%UHLWEDUW¶V working-class Americans gain In honor of Saul Alinsky’s 40th ZHEVLWH2EDPDWKHQDQ,OOLQRLV DYRLFHLQEDWWOHVZLWKSROLWL- yortsayt, June 12th, 2012 state senator, agreed to participate FLDQVDQGFRUSRUDWLRQV1RZWKH in a panel discussion 5HSXEOLFDQ3DUW\DQGLWVULJKWZLQJ following a perfor- HFKRFKDPEHUDUHWU\LQJWRPDNH mance of a play called Alinsky, who died at 63 in 1972, fa- ³7KH/RYH6RQJRI6DXO PRXVDOORYHUDJDLQE\OLQNLQJKLP $OLQVN\´ 7KH RWKHU WR%DUDFN2EDPDDQGGHPRQL]LQJ panelists, according the president as a dangerous radical. WR%UHLWEDUWLQFOXGHG During his primary campaign, someone who “worked 1HZW*LQJULFKFRQVWDQWO\LQYRNHG with secret Commu- $OLQVN\¶VJKRVW³7KHFHQWHUSLHFHRI nist and Soviet spy WKLVFDPSDLJQ,EHOLHYHLV$PHULFDQ /HH3UHVVPDQWRVXS- exceptionalism versus the radicalism SRUWVWULNHUVDW5HSXE- of Saul Alinsky,” he said in stump lic Steel in Chicago speeches and television appearances. in 1937” and another 2UYDULRXVO\³,I\RXEHOLHYHDVZH who “worked closely do in the Declaration of Indepen- with the Socialist Party GHQFHDQG\RXWKLQNWKDW¶VDEHWWHU LQWKHVEHFRP- source than Saul Alinsky, welcome to the team.” LQJSUHVLGHQWRIWKHORFDOFKDSWHURIWKH1HJUR ³7KHSUHVLGHQWEHOLHYHVLQDNLQGRI6DXO$OLQVN\ $PHULFDQ/DERU&RXQFLODQRUJDQL]DWLRQIRXQGHG radicalism which would lead to a secular European E\6RFLDOLVW3DUW\OHDGHU$3KLOOLS5DQGROSK´ socialist model.” $OWKRXJKWKLVHYHQWRFFXUUHGWZHQW\\HDUVEHIRUH 7KHULJKWZLQJEORJRVSKHUHDQGSXQGLWRFUDF\ 2EDPDZDVHOHFWHGSUHVLGHQW%UHLWEDUWDUJXHG SLFNHGXSRQ*LQJULFK¶V¿[DWLRQ,QWKHODVWDUWLFOH that it foreshadowed the covert socialist goals he is now advancing through his presidency. Peter Dreier WHDFKHVSROLWLFVDQGFKDLUVWKH8UEDQ *LQJULFK¶VUDQWVDQG%UHLWEDUW¶VFRQVSLUDF\ and Environmental Policy Department at Occidental WKHRU\ZHQWYLUDOZLWKLQWKHULJKWZLQJEORJRVSKHUH &ROOHJH+LVQHZERRNThe 100 Greatest Americans DQGIHGWKHEHOLHIWKDW2EDPDLVDVRFLDOLVWDQG of the 20th Century: A Social Justice Hall of Fame, UDGLFDOZKRVHDGPLQLVWUDWLRQLVJXLGHGE\$OLQ- ZDVSXEOLVKHGE\1DWLRQ%RRNVLQ-XQH7KLVHVVD\ VN\¶VLGHDV%UHLWEDUWZURWHDQRWKHUFRQVHUYDWLYH RQ6DXO$OLQVN\LVDGDSWHGIURPWKHERRNZKLFKLV EORJJHUKDGFDXJKW³WKHSUHVLGHQWZLWKKLVKDQG DYDLODEOHDWKWWSMHZLVKFXUUHQWVRUJPDUNHWSODFH LQWKHFRPPXQLVWFRRNLHMDU´$FROXPQLVWIRU

14 JEWISH CURRENTS TWELVE OF ALINSKY’S ORGANIZING PRINCIPLES From Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals 1971

³3RZHULVQRWRQO\ZKDW\RXKDYHEXWZKDWWKHHQHP\WKLQNV\RXKDYH´ ³1HYHUJRRXWVLGHWKHH[SHULHQFHRI\RXUSHRSOH´ ³:KHUHYHUSRVVLEOHJRRXWVLGHWKHH[SHULHQFHRIWKHHQHP\´ ³0DNHWKHHQHP\OLYHXSWRWKHLURZQERRNRIUXOHV´ 5) “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” ³$JRRGWDFWLFLVRQHWKDW\RXUSHRSOHHQMR\´ ³$WDFWLFWKDWGUDJVRQWRRORQJEHFRPHVDGUDJ´ 8) “.HHSWKHSUHVVXUHRQ1HYHUOHWXS´ ³7KHWKUHDWLVXVXDOO\PRUHWHUULI\LQJWKDQWKHWKLQJLWVHOI´ 7KHUHIRUHGRQ¶WDOORZ\RXUVHOIWR EHFRPHGHPRUDOL]DWLRQE\DQWLFLSDWLQJWKHZRUVW ³,I\RXSXVKDQHJDWLYHKDUGLWZLOOSXVKWKURXJKDQGEHFRPHDSRVLWLYH´ 5HSUHVVLYHYLROHQFH from the other side, for example, can create sympathy for your movement.) ³7KHSULFHRIDVXFFHVVIXODWWDFNLVDFRQVWUXFWLYHDOWHUQDWLYH´ %HSUHSDUHGZLWKDSODQ including a compromise plan.) 12) “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” the conservative Washington Times claimed that \RXKDYHDFWXDOUHVSRQVLELOLWLHV´$IHZGD\VODWHU LQ&KLFDJR2EDPDZDVH[SRVHGWR³WKHUXWKOHVV 5XG\*LXOLDQLFODLPHGRQWKHWHOHYLVLRQWDONVKRZ WDFWLFVDQGFRQWHPSWIRUWUXWKH[SRXQGHGE\KLV Meet the Press WKDW2EDPDKDGEHHQUHFUXLWHGWR JXLGLQJOLJKW6DXO$OLQVN\´7KHUDFLVWDQGUDFH &KLFDJRE\³D6DXO$OLQVN\JURXS´ZLWK³DYHU\ REVHVVHGEORJVLWH:1'FODLPHGWKDW$OLQVN\ZDV core Saul Alinsky kind of almost socialist notion 2EDPD¶V³PHQWRU´DQGWKDW2EDPDZDV$OLQVN\¶V WKDW>JRYHUQPHQW@VKRXOGEHXVHGIRUUHGLVWULEXWLRQ ³VWDUVWXGHQW´²LJQRULQJWKHIDFWWKDW2EDPDZDV of wealth.” \HDUVROGZKHQ$OLQVN\GLHG,Q)HEUXDU\-RKQ $IWHU2EDPDHQWHUHGWKH:KLWH+RXVH)R[ Fund wrote in the conservative National Review 1HZV¶*OHQQ%HFNFRQVWDQWO\OLQNHGKLPWR$OLQ- WKDW2EDPD¶VDGPLQLVWUDWLRQZDVIROORZLQJWKH VN\ZKRP%HFNYLHZHGDVD0DU[LVW0DFKLDYHOOL ³$OLQVN\SOD\ERRN´ ZKRVHLGHDVIRUUDGLFDOFKDQJHKDGLQ¿OWUDWHGWKH 'HPRFUDWLF3DUW\DQGPDLQVWUHDPOLEHUDOLVP$IWHU Even in 2008, invoking Alinsky had been part of %HFNOHIW)R[1HZVODVW\HDUKLVIRUPHUFROOHDJXHV WKH5HSXEOLFDQV¶VWUDWHJ\,QWKHODWHVZKLOH FRQWLQXHGWKHFDPSDLJQ%LOO2¶5HLOO\WROGKLV DVWXGHQWDW:HOOHVOH\&ROOHJH+LOODU\&OLQWRQKDG audience that Alinsky “is in the great tradition of interviewed Alinsky and written her senior thesis .DUO0DU[>DQG@/HQLQ´&RPPHQWDWRU0RQLFD DERXWKLP'XULQJWKHSUHVLGHQWLDOFDPSDLJQIRXU &URZOH\VDLG³7KLVLVWKHYHU\HVVHQFHRIVRFLDO- years ago, conservatives mined that thesis to tar- LVP7KHWDFWLFVRI6DXO$OLQVN\DQG%DUDFN QLVK&OLQWRQDVDUDGLFDO7KH\WRRNELJJHUVZLSHV 2EDPDDUHJHDUHGWRZDUGZHDOWKUHGLVWULEXWLRQ´ KRZHYHUDW2EDPDZKRKDGEHHQDFRPPXQLW\ 6HDQ+DQQLW\LQYLWHG$QGUHZ%UHLWEDUW¶VHGLWRULQ organizer for three years in the 1980s in Chicago FKLHI%HQ6KDSLURIRUDVSHFLDO)2;VHJPHQWDERXW DQGKDGDFNQRZOHGJHGEHLQJLQÀXHQFHGE\$OLQ- WKH2EDPD$OLQVN\FRQQHFWLRQ'XULQJDSUHVV VN\¶VZULWLQJVDQGLGHDV,QKHU6HSWHPEHU EULH¿QJLQ-DQXDU\(G+HQU\WKHQHWZRUN¶VFKLHI VSHHFKDWWKH5HSXEOLFDQFRQYHQWLRQ6DUDK3DOLQ :KLWH+RXVHFRUUHVSRQGHQWVDLGWR:KLWH+RXVH mockingly said, “I guess a small-town mayor is SUHVVVHFUHWDU\-D\&DUQH\³1HZW*LQJULFKNHHSV sort of like a community organizer, except that saying on the campaign trail that the president’s

SUMMER 2012 15 anecdote surfaced earlier this year on the right- ZLQJEORJRVSKHUHFRQVSLUDF\PLQGHGH[WUHPLVWV XVHGLWDVHYLGHQFHWKDW0LWW5RPQH\KDGDOVR OLNH2EDPDEHHQLQIHFWHGE\$OLQVN\¶VLQÀXHQFH *LYHQWKLVWHQXRXVFRQQHFWLRQWR$OLQVN\LWLV XQOLNHO\WKDW0LWW5RPQH\ZLOOXWWHUWKHRUJDQL]HU¶V QDPHGXULQJKLVFDPSDLJQWRHYLFW2EDPDIURP WKH:KLWH+RXVH%XW5HSXEOLFDQFRQVHUYDWLYHV through Super PAC-sponsored ads and other media conduits and spokespeople, will make sure that voters regularly hear Alinsky’s name tied to 2EDPDDQGWKDW$OLQVN\¶VQDPHSOD\VLQWRDOOWKH VXEOLPLQDOPHVVDJHVDQGFRGHZRUGVWKDWWKH*23 will use against the president. 7KHFRQVHUYDWLYHSXQGLWVDQG5HSXEOLFDQVWUDWH- gists count on the fact that most Americans have QHYHUKHDUGRI$OLQVN\+H¶VDP\VWHULRXV¿JXUH ZLWKDYDJXHO\IRUHLJQ DQG-HZLVK VRXQGLQJ QDPHZKRPWKH\FDQGHVFULEHDVDUDGLFDODQGD socialist. Yet Alinsky’s story is hardly a mystery. “A compelling narrative of the major social justice +H¶VEHHQWKHVXEMHFWRIRQHPDMRUELRJUDSK\ movements of the United States and the ways that 6DQIRUG+RUZLWW¶VLet Them Call Me Rebel) and high ideals are transformed into action. I’ve found RQHIXOOOHQJWKGRFXPHQWDU\¿OP The Democratic Promise,QDUUDWHGE\$OHF%DOGZLQ myself caught up in the sweep of history the book

encompasses and in the richness of the details Born in 1909 to Orthodox Jewish parents who embedded in each story. Terriﬁc reading.” divorced when he was 13, Alinsky grew up in a Chicago slum. At the University of Chicago, —JONATHAN KOZOL he took courses in the school’s famed sociology department and then attended graduate courses LQFULPLQRORJ\DQGODZ/HDYLQJJUDGXDWHVFKRRO A member of the Perseus Books Group ZLWKRXWDGHJUHHKHMRLQHG&KLFDJR¶V,QVWLWXWHIRU www.nationbooks.org -XYHQLOH5HVHDUFK ,-5 ZKLFKZDVGHYHORSLQJ FRPPXQLW\SURMHFWVEDVHGRQWKHWKHQQRYHOWKHRU\ that crime was the result of poverty and social tur- vision comes from Saul Alinsky, the community PRLOLQQHLJKERUKRRGV$OLQVN\GHYHORSHGDWDOHQW RUJDQL]HU,KDYHQ¶WKHDUG\RXDVNHGDERXWWKDW´ IRUEXLOGLQJWUXVWLQJUHODWLRQVKLSVZLWKFRPPXQLW\ residents, criminals, and prisoners. Ironically, Mitt Romney’s father George, the one- ,Q,-5DVVLJQHG$OLQVN\WRVWXG\&KLFDJR¶V WLPHJRYHUQRURI0LFKLJDQPHWZLWK$OLQVN\LQ %DFNRIWKHUpton Sinclair’s novel, The Jungle. Alinsky spent WKLQN\RXRXJKWWROLVWHQWR$OLQVN\´WKHOLEHUDO5H- most of his time with leaders of the Packinghouse SXEOLFDQDGYLVHGKLVSROLWLFDODOOLHV VHH7*HRUJH :RUNHUVXQLRQZKRZHUHWU\LQJWRRUJDQL]H Harris’ Romney’s Way, 1968). “It seems to me that HPSOR\HHVRIWKHPDMRUPHDWSDFNLQJ¿UPVWKDW ZHDUHDOZD\VWDONLQJWRWKHVDPHSHRSOH0D\EH GRPLQDWHGWKHDUHD7KHXQLRQXQGHUVWRRGWKDWLW WKHWLPHKDVFRPHWRKHDUQHZYRLFHV´:KHQWKLV ZRXOGEHGLI¿FXOWWRZLQDYLFWRU\LQWKHZRUN-

16 JEWISH CURRENTS places without community support, so they em- $OLQVN\SXEOLVKHGReveille for RadicalsDEHVW- EUDFHG$OLQVN\¶VHIIRUWVWREXLOGDQHLJKERUKRRG VHOOHUWKDWGHVFULEHGWKHQXWVDQGEROWVRIHIIHFWLYH organization. RUJDQL]LQJ7KHERRNEHFDPHWKH%LEOHRIFRP- $OLQVN\UHVKDSHGDFWLYLVPLQ$PHULFDE\WUDQV- PXQLW\RUJDQL]LQJXQWLOKHZURWHKLVQH[WERRN ferring some grassroots organizing tactics from Rules for Radicals, in 1971. VKRSÀRRUVDQGIDFWRULHVWRXUEDQQHLJKERUKRRGV DQGUHOLJLRXVFRQJUHJDWLRQV,Q%DFNRIWKH

SUMMER 2012 17 tions” around the country. He envisioned these RIQRWKLQJEXWKXJHSRUWLRQVRIEDNHGEHDQV7KH JURXSVDORQJZLWKXQLRQVIRUPLQJWKHEDVLVRID LGHDZDVWRFRQGXFWWKHQDWLRQ¶V¿UVW³IDUWLQ´WR SURJUHVVLYHPRYHPHQWIRUVRFLDOMXVWLFH,Q HPEDUUDVV.RGDNDPDMRU3KLOKDUPRQLFVSRQVRU Alinsky hired Fred Ross, an experienced organizer )RUWXQDWHO\IRUWKH3KLOKDUPRQLF),*+7GLGQRW among California’s migrant farmworkers. Ross KDYHWRUHVRUWWRWKDWWDFWLFEHFDXVH.RGDNDJUHHG EXLOWWKH&RPPXQLW\6HUYLFH2UJDQL]DWLRQ &62 WRLPSOHPHQWWKHMREVSURJUDP LQVHYHUDOFLWLHVPRVWO\DPRQJ/DWLQRVUHFUXLWLQJ 7KHEDWWOHLQ5RFKHVWHUZDVW\SLFDORI$OLQVN\¶V QHZPHPEHUVDQGLGHQWLI\LQJSRWHQWLDOOHDGHUV approach, which was to employ any tactic that through house meetings and one-on-one conver- ZRXOGZRUNWREULQJSRZHUIXOSROLWLFLDQVDQG VDWLRQV,Q6DQ-RVH&DOLIRUQLDRQHRIWKHSHRSOH FRUSRUDWLRQVWRWKHQHJRWLDWLQJWDEOHZLWKRUGLQDU\ Ross recruited was César Chávez, whom Ross people. As he wrote in Rules for Radicals, “The hired and trained as an organizer. Chávez would PrinceZDVZULWWHQE\0DFKLDYHOOLIRUWKH+DYHV later adopt these organizing ideas in starting the on how to hold power. Rules for Radicals is written 8QLWHG)DUP:RUNHUVXQLRQ IRUWKH+DYH1RWVRQKRZWRWDNHLWDZD\´ ,QWKHPLGV$OLQVN\EHJDQWUDLQLQJRU- JDQL]HUVDQGRYHUVHHLQJFDPSDLJQVLQ%XIIDOR During the 1960s, Alinsky was particularly scorn- 5RFKHVWHU1HZ

18 JEWISH CURRENTS DORQJVLGHWKHPLQEXLOGLQJDQDOOLDQFHEHWZHHQWKH $OLQVN\¶VLGHDVDERXWRUJDQL]LQJ0RVWRIWKHP² QHLJKERUKRRGWKHFKXUFKDQGWKHXQLRQV²EXWKH OLNHWKH\RXQJ%DUDFN2EDPDZKRGLGQRWZRUN was neither a Communist nor a socialist himself. He IRU$OLQVN\¶V,QGXVWULDO$UHDV)RXQGDWLRQEXWIRU ZDVIRQGRITXRWLQJ0DGLVRQ-HIIHUVRQDQG7RP DQRWKHUFKXUFKEDVHGFRPPXQLW\RUJDQL]LQJJURXS Paine. He considered himself a patriotic Ameri- LQ&KLFDJR¶VSRRUQHLJKERUKRRGVIURPWR can. He eschewed ideology. His closest political ²KDYHEHHQSURJUHVVLYHVIROORZLQJ$OLQ- WLHVZHUHZLWKWKH&DWKROLF&KXUFK+HIUHTXHQWO\ sky’s instincts to challenge the rich and powerful. spoke at seminaries advising future priests to ex- 7KHOHIWKRZHYHUKDVQRPRQRSRO\RQXVLQJ SUHVVWKHLUIDLWKE\SXWWLQJ&DWKROLFVRFLDOWHDFK $OLQVN\¶VWHFKQLTXHV$IWHU2EDPDWRRNRI¿FHLQ LQJVLQWRSUDFWLFHE\KHOSLQJWRRUJDQL]HWKHLU HYHQDVWKH7HD3DUW\DQGFRQVHUYDWLYHVOLNH parishioners rather than doling out charity. In 1969, %HFNDWWDFNHG2EDPDIRUEHLQJDQ$OLQVN\LWHDQG a coalition of Catholic groups in Iowa gave Alinsky D³VRFLDOLVW´WKH\EHJDQUHFRPPHQGLQJ$OLQVN\¶V LWV3DFHPLQ7HUULV3HDFHDQG)UHHGRP$ZDUG ERRNVDVWUDLQLQJWRROVIRUEXLOGLQJDULJKWZLQJ QDPHGDIWHU3RSH-RKQ;;,,,¶VHQF\FOLFDORQZDU PRYHPHQW2QH7HD3DUW\OHDGHUH[SODLQHG³$OLQ- SHDFHDQGVRFLDOMXVWLFH7RGD\PDQ\RIWKHFRP- VN\¶VERRNLVLPSRUWDQWEHFDXVHWKHUHUHDOO\LV munity organizing groups that follow Alinsky’s QRHTXLYDOHQWERRNIRUFRQVHUYDWLYHV7KHUH¶VQR ideas are rooted in religious congregations that µ5XOHVIRU&RXQWHU5DGLFDOV¶´)UHHGRP:RUNV constitute a progressive counterpart to the upsurge DFRUSRUDWHIXQGHGFRQVHUYDWLYHJURXSVWDUWHGE\ of rightwing activism among evangelicals. IRUPHU5HSXEOLFDQFRQJUHVVPDQ'LFN$UPH\KDV 7HQVRIWKRXVDQGVRIRUJDQL]HUVDQGDFWLYLVWV used Rules for Radicals as a primer for its training KDYHEHHQGLUHFWO\RULQGLUHFWO\LQIOXHQFHGE\ RI7HD3DUW\DFWLYLVWVJC

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