Obama quotes Alinsky in speech to young Israelis

JERUSALEM – In his address in Jerusalem today, President Obama channeled Saul Alinsky, citing the radical community organizer’s defining mantra as he urged young Israelis to “create change” to nudge their leadership to act.

Obama told a crowd of college students at Jerusalem’s main convention center that Israel “has the wisdom to see the world as it is, but also the courage to see the world as it should be.”

One of Alinsky’s major themes was working with the world as it “is” to turn it into the world as “it should be.”

In his defining work, “Rules for Radicals,” which he dedicated to “the first rebel,” Lucifer, Alinsky used those words to lay out his main agenda. He asserted radical change must be brought about by working within a system instead of attacking it from the outside.

“It is necessary to begin where the world is if we are going to change it to what we think it should be. That means working in the system,” wrote Alinsky.

Obama related his Alinsky quote to a suggestion that “peace” begins with the people and not just the leadership – a statement some may relate to community organizing.

He further suggested Israelis do an end-run around the country’s leadership and “create the change that you want to see.”

The president said: “That is where peace begins – not just in the plans of leaders, but in the hearts of people; not just in a carefully designed process, but in the daily connections that take place among those who live together in this land, and in this sacred city of Jerusalem.”

He continued: “Speaking as a politician, I can promise you this: Political leaders will not take risks if ............

RE :”In his address in Jerusalem today, President Obama channeled Saul Alinsky, citing the radical community organizer’s defining mantra as he urged young Israelis to “create change” to nudge their leadership to act.
Obama told a crowd of college students at Jerusalem’s main convention center that Israel “has the wisdom to see the world as it is, but also the courage to see the world as it should be.”
One of Alinsky’s major themes was working with the world as it “is” to turn it into the world as “it should be.”

I first saw this clip on LOD last night (MSNBC) and Lawrence was making the argument how Brave Obama is to go over to Isreal and pitch to them making peace with a Palestinian state, much of which that new state would be right where the Israeli state is now, and then how he got cheered not booed for it.
Better yet he said in the US the GOP would have booed him for the same speech claiming to represent the Israelis (you smell it?)

I immediately noticed something about the audience. All dumb college age kids, the same type who believe Obama’s BS here. Its was a typical Obama staged event for propaganda use back here. ('that Obama is the prince of peace')

Message to Larry : ” Brave would have been O giving a speech to Palestinians and telling them to cut the crap because no-one likes a terrorist”. Maybe add that they shouldnt blame others for their condition or expect anyone else to make their lives better for them, that is their job.

If Obama can cause some progress to occur in the Israeli-Palestine conflict they I’ll give him credit. Sounds like he has a strategy of (a) assuring Israel that we will not allow them to lose their homeland, and (b) getting younger Israelis to see that the current situation is no good and Israel can safely withdraw from some of the land they captured in ‘67 without worring about losing their country.

I thought his speech to the younger-Israeli audience was good.

Obama’s going to make people on both sides angry. We can’t judge his trip and other measures he takes, until months from now.

There’s nothing I like about Obama’s governance of our own country but that doesn’t mean he can do no good.

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