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

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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$OLQVN\LWLV XQOLNHO\WKDW0LWW5RPQH\ZLOOXWWHUWKHRUJDQL]HU¶V QDPHGXULQJKLVFDPSDLJQWRHYLFW2EDPDIURP WKH:KLWH+RXVH%XW5HSXEOLFDQFRQVHUYDWLYHV through Super PAC-sponsored ads and other me- dia conduits and spokespeople, will make sure that voters regularly hear Alinsky’s name tied to 2EDPDDQGWKDW$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 %DFNRIWKH<DUGVDUHDWKHLPPLJUDQWQHLJKERU- WRDVNKLVDGYLFHDERXWDGGUHVVLQJWKHUDFLDO KRRGRIDERXWQLQHW\WKRXVDQGPDGHIDPRXVLQ turmoil following that summer’s Detroit riots. “I Upton 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<DUGV Alinsky’s books not only provided organizers he sought out local leaders involved in churches, with a WRRONLWRISULQFLSOHVDQGWDFWLFVEXWDOVR VSRUWVOHDJXHVQHLJKERUKRRGEXVLQHVVHVDQGRWKHU offered a vision for a renewed democracy. Alinsky QHWZRUNV2QHZDV-RVHSK0HHJDQDVXSHUYLVRU was scornful of social workers, whom he thought of recreation at Davis Park.
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