Posted on 01/25/2010 6:55:59 AM PST by eeevil conservative
The purpose of these writings is quite simple. We wanted to provide an easy to use tool in understanding Alinsky’s teachings, the tactics used by his followers, their motives, and the contrast of these to the spirit of America and her forefathers. Alinsky’s goal was revolution, just as our forefathers; but the outcome of each revolution are as different as freedom vs slavery.
No one can begin the study of Rules for Radicals without noting that Alinsky includes a quote from Thomas Paine and one from himself at the onset.
Paine quote:
“Lest them call me rebel and welcome, I feel no concern from it; but I should suffer the misery of devils, were I to make a whore of my soul….”
Alinsky quote:
“Lest we forge at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgement to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins- or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom—Lucifer.”
Alinsky makes it clear with his quote from Paine, that his soul is invested in this revolution; hence calling him a name, like “rebel,” does not concern him. Yet he uses Paine of all people to establish this. I submit he used Paine as some way to not just legitimize himself, but to portray him as noble in his own eyes as well to others. I also conclude that he uses Lucifer as an example of a rebel, the first one to set the record straight that even calling him Satan himself will not dissuade him, he is committed. He wants his followers to be just as committed. He also establishes with his quote about Lucifer that the prize or goal for this deep dedication is one’s own “kingdom.” I’d also like to note that it is quite cute that he compares history to legends and mythology and challenges that no one really knows that there is any difference between them. As we continue this study, you will notice that he uses this technique quite often. He takes legitimate things, and mixes them among “evils” in an attempt to subliminally make them equal.
In the first paragraph of his prologue he attempts to establish that the “system” is flawed, everyone knows it, and the people cry out to “burn it down.” In the second paragraph he claims that the radicals of his generation are the vanguard, and few of them survived the “Joe McCarty holocaust of the early 1950’s” and even fewer gained an insight “beyond the “dialectical materialism of orthodox Marxism.” Alinsky wastes not time making very clear his motivation and his end game objective; Marxism.
The third paragraph begins with this:
“Today’s generation is desperately trying to make some sense out of their lives and out of the world. Most of them are products of the middle class. They have rejected their materialistic backgrounds, the goal of a well-paid job, suburban home, automobile, country club membership, first class travel, status, security, and everything that meant success to their parents. They have had it, they watched it lead their parents to tranquilizers, alcohol, long-term-endurance marriages, or divorces, high blood pressure, ulcers, frustration, and the disillusionment of “the good life.”
Note that he combines country club membership, first class travel, and status, with a well-paid job, suburban home, automobile, and security; while labeling them all as materialistic. I have yet to find a youngster who does not long for the freedom of the use of or for the possession of their own car. He is suggesting that a poor paying dead-end job, an inner city shack, dependence upon public transportation (government run and subsidized transportation, by the way), and lack of security should be the goals of true radicals? What kind of world or future is that? You see, security and personal property are evil and materialistic. Having nothing to live for is noble and makes you sincere and worthy to be his foot soldier. He believes the youth have rejected these sins of their parents. He wants his followers, his fellow radicals, to have NOTHING that would interfere with what he wants from them. He wants them to have nothing to lose, so there is no action or deed with too big a price for them to take.
We are only 2 and a half paragraphs into the prologue folks, but I think this is enough for today. I want to keep these short so that busy folks can keep up without giving up too much time with their families, etc.
Please feel free to share your thoughts on anything I have written above or to add your own insights.
Open mike time!
thank you TS!
you have been added!
The most in depth writing regarding who this first rebel is comes from two books of the Bible. Ezekiel 28:12-19 and Isaiah 14:12-32. Now I do realize that it will be considered politically incorrect to bring forth the Bible by some in this discussion, but without the foundation of knowing who Lucifer was at his creation and then why he rebelled, one cannot fully comprehend what Alinsky is 'preaching'.
Another book that gave to me a better comprehension about the minds of rulers after the rebellion has been successful was written by Whittaker Chambers, called Witness. Mr. Chambers sums up the world of that other way in the foreword in his book to his children. Following is a link to the foreword for those who have not read the book.
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/hiss/chambersletter.html
AWESOME! Thanks for adding this!!
Thank you. Already feeling more informed.
GOOD to hear! and thanks...it means a lot to have feedback that folks find this work helpful.....the info added in the thread by other FREEPers is just as important as well...
I pray that God blesses this project...
The Alinsky vs. Paine Archive.
Also, by linking off site, if someone stumbles upon an old thread, the link will always be up to date.
please add me to the list...thanks
Interesting. Thoughtful. Inciteful.
You could never qualify to teach in public schools, could you? You are far above their pay grade.
Please add me to your list so I don’t miss a lesson.
Thanks
It's also a great point that Alinsky seeks to beggar his supporters. He appealed to a generation that had never felt the true want of hunger and homelessness by convincing them that there was something disdainful about having something to eat and somewhere to sleep.
I remember an episode of MASH where Alan Alda makes the same appeal, saying the American dream was to die of a coronary at your desk while planning to stab your boss in the back. Oddly enough, I knew a girl who was adopted as an orphan out of Korea, and she dealt with great guilt that she was living such an opulent life when she spent the first part of it living in an overhang without walls and eating food cooked over an open fire.
WOW!!!
That is AWESOME!!
Thanks so very much!!
YOU ROCK!!
No problem. This is one of the most important ideological battles going on in the US.
LOL!!
the gals in the office at my girls’ school shake when I come in.....the teachers actually like me...they let me come in and “teach” the kids a few things to give them a break and keep the kids learning at the same time...funny— the teachers often tell me that they learn a lot from my visits as well...
I am no professor.. I just like to learn and share what I learn....I am nerd...it is fun to me...I am just a stay at home mom with a real geek syndrome...
I visit colleges too sometimes....the kids are much more fun than the college students...the college students get mad that they have been taught lies...and it usually takes about 5 minutes to get their arms uncrossed and that lemon sucking look off their faces....LOL!
bump for later
again— I just cannot thank you enough— this is just AWESOME!
I am greatly humbled by you providing this....
Thanks again!
It positively eludes me how destruction of (self worth, dreams, hopes, enjoyment of family, survival of an civilized society) being committed to a worthy life ...
versus
To oppress, kill, demean, possess, control, lie, cheat, instill pain,steal, murder, dispossess, starve, ... are indeed all the work of Satan and ... how is it desirable?
It truly astounds me that this can sound and deliver anything to anyone that is worth dying to obtain.
It is ugly loathsome, a type of suicide.
wow-— thanks for sharing that...
really makes us think.....
well put!
Paine desired for the redistribution of wealth. Similar to Alinsky that is why both his books Reveille for Radicals (1946) and Rules for Radicals (1971) are including Thomas Paine.
yeah— learning that....
figures....
Kerretarded offered the idea of juxting Paine and offered to do the work and writings....wondering if just Alinsky VS America wouldn’t be better, and Kerretarded could use writings of any of our founding fathers, etc as comparitive works....
Will be talking to him later— we will see what we can do to make this better...
Kerretarded is also crunched for time...so we might just have me write on Alinsky and then have him or others sumbit juxting writings to be posted on Fridays as the wrap up...
I welcome any thoughts on this...
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