Alinsky VS Paine (Intro)

Rules for Radicals | 1/25/10

[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!

[Eagle of Liberty]

SOME writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.

Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamities is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer! Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built on the ruins of the bowers of paradise. For were the impulses of conscience clear, uniform, and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other lawgiver; but that not being the case, he finds it necessary to surrender up a part of his property to furnish means for the protection of the rest; and this he is induced to do by the same prudence which in every other case advises him out of two evils to choose the least. Wherefore, security being the true design and end of government, it unanswerably follows that whatever form thereof appears most likely to ensure it to us, with the least expense and greatest benefit, is preferable to all others.

Thomas Paine broke Common Sense into four main sections. He first delves into the beginnings of Government in the first section titled "OF THE ORIGIN AND DESIGN OF GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL. WITH CONCISE REMARKS ON THE ENGLISH CONSTITUTION". Above are the first two paragraphs from this first section.

In these opening paragraphs, you get an immediate sense of his feelings for Government. He also spells out the reason why Government is needed. That reason is because evil exists. This evil causes good men to give up a little bit of society for security. He goes on to state that, because Government is a necessary evil, it should be contructed simple enough so that if it needs to be modified, it can be done easily.

This opening section is truly important as it explains how the English Government, and hence all Governments, can morph with time into complex monsters if the structure of such Government is not given strict boundaries from the beginning.

[gnickgnack2]

Great Community Service project you have going there!

And I doubt it’s a LEMON-sucking that’s going through their minds!

Thanks for all you do.

[hondact200]

the pamphlet that Thomas Paine Agrarian Justice was originally written in French and translated to english. The elitists in the day of Paine, Franklin, jefferson wrote in French the international language. The Agrarian Justice is available at the Social security Online History. just thought everyone would like to know that at the social security administration Thomas Paine is recognized the right of the disabled to receive health care. Please do keep in mind that Saul Alinsky is basing many of his premises about Community Organization that came out of European Intellectual Thought. He utilizes Alexis Toqueville Democracy in America. This thought came about by the French Intellectual Movement. Here is where we may see that Obamas education at the supposed Occidential, Columbia Universities may be actually fronts for his education in Paris through exchange programs. he could take classes abroad but still be considered at student at Occiedentail and Columbia. He could attend internationally at the prices he paid in the states or was paid by some one else. I remember the coursework I took in college on American and European Intellectual History and I had the opportunities to study abroad but never did. Please do not misunderstand I do not make myself out to be an intellectual, but in order to have studies in american and european history and many many the prerequisites for seminary in a state school allowed for the coursework in some rather mind blowing elitist attitudes. Interesting that much of Obama screams are coming from the intellectual movement that spread through Europe, In France shortly thereafter the French Revolution that entailed and many of these same intellectuals literally lost their heads on the guillotine. In the vaccuum Napoleon rose to power and it ended in disaster and Napoleon was exiled to the Island of Elba where he succumbed to aresnic poisoning, when his body was exhumed he was perfectly preserved like he died the day before being exhumed.

[daisy mae for the usa]

I just finished reading your link—cried like a baby. Please continue to bring these insights to this conversation! Our children are historically unprepared for our country’s current crisis. Thank you for sharing.

[Eagle of Liberty]

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.

Probably a little off-color, but my wife and I were watching a news report over the weekend from a reporter in Haiti and in the report she said that beans and rice have finally made it to the island. She tried to offer an energy bar to a child and he refused to eat it. He instead waited until the beans and rice arrived. I then looked at my wife and said, "Well, I guess the starving may have actually turned down those cabbage rolls that my parents made me eat when I was a kid."

[Eagle of Liberty]

I still believe that Paine’s Common Sense makes some very powerful observations and will continue to post them here.

[daisy mae for the usa]

I agree. I hope you will. This statement alone has great weight:

Wherefore, security being the true design and end of government, it unanswerably follows that whatever form thereof appears most likely to ensure it to us, with the least expense and greatest benefit, is preferable to all others.

My view of government is not that it is evil, but that it is —human— therefore it will always be flawed. Paine made a very important point, having the feeling of security as fully as possible while at the same time giving up as little as possible, is by far the more preferred route for a human to desire. The reason the American form of security as established by the founders has been corrupted in the years since our country’s beginning is because it was built on the premise that the Creator established a natural law by which we all benefit. This very premise has become undesirable over time by many who reject the Creator. This premise ultimately requires a nurturing —society— to have a moral code which does not condone depravity. This means —life— must be VALUED in all its forms. The current health care debate revolves around the idea of life and how it can be —valued— with the giving or taking of goods and services by the determination of our government. Man seeks to place himself in the Creator’s seat.

[Eagle of Liberty]

PRECISELY!

As Government grabs more “security” away from us, i.e. the bigger that safety net gets, the more FREEDOM we lose! We were all given the ability to choose, but some wish to completely give up that ability in exchange for the handouts from Government.

[gunnyg]

Alinsky’s RFR mentions that he was to begin with a sociologist.

Here’ a good, I think, article on sociology that may serve as am eye-opener.

http://gunnyg.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/and-just-where-did-sociology-come-from/

[Richard Kimball]

Having only taken a couple of sociology courses, two things are evident to me. First, most sociology teachers are nuts. Second, inherent in the study of sociology is an assumption that the sociologist has the right to control other people.

[gunnyg]

“Having only taken a couple of sociology courses, two things are evident to me. First, most sociology teachers are nuts. Second, inherent in the study of sociology is an assumption that the sociologist has the right to control other people.”
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NOTE:

Of the several sociology courses I have taken (years, years ago), most of them were cross-referenced as soc/psych so that credit could be taken as either soc/psych...e.g., “Sociology/Psychology of...”

[Alkhin]

From the outset can see how frightening Alinsky is in his active destruction.

[Richard Kimball]

In this prologue, I keep coming back to Alinsky's initial homage to Lucifer, particularly coming in the first paragraphs. It's something to remember as we peruse the text. Implicit in this homage is that Lucifer is at least partially the template for what follows. To the Christian or Jew, this is something which is a risk to our mortal souls. For those who do not have a particular faith, it should still serve as a sign post.

Satan was unrestrained by moral implications, and in his plans, the question of whether something is moral or immoral is irrelevant. Aleister Crowley said the sum of the law is "Do what thou wilt."

I suspect as we delve into this book and Alinsky's tactics, we will find that in all of them there are only two considerations: Will it work, and can I get away with it?

As we learn the tactics, it should be with a mind of finding how to counteract them, not how to implement them for our ends. We have to learn to expose the lie to the light of truth, not co-opt the lie to our own purposes.

[tunedin]

Thanks eeevil. Please add me to your ping list.

[gunnyg]

Matter of fact, Sociology is not the only “discipline” that could be listed among the pseudo-sciences...

http://gunnyg.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/pseudo-sciences-sociology-and-psychology/