Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals, Rule Number One
Thursday, December 31st, 2009As I listen to Obama’s speeches, or many of the speeches given by the Left, I’m constantly aware of the Rules of Saul Alinsky. Many times in these speeches, words are used to manipulate or con us into a belief.
Saul Alinsky was a Community Organizer in Chicago who wrote a book, “Rules for Radicals” which quickly became the bible of the Left. It educated people about organizing and manipulating groups of people to get them to do what the organizer wants, and at the same time, convince them it’s for their own good. Barack Obama later taught these rules, himself, so he knows them well.
The First Rule is “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.” Power is derived from 2 main sources – money and people. “Have-Nots” must build power from flesh and blood.
Generally, when a community organizer starts out, he or she doesn’t have a lot of support. But if they talk in superlatives about their conquests, their goals, their support…their audience ‘thinks’ they have power. I hear Obama talking about their plans for increasing jobs, plans for cutting the deficit, but has anyone seen a plan? It’s simply shameless deception. This rule is further supported by creating two groups of people, the haves and the have nots. The audience, of course, is in the ‘have nots’ and feels resentments towards the haves. This kind of manipulation is played daily by the left in their speeches…remember the phrase, “Wall Street vs. Main Street” or “tax cuts for the rich”. This is purely manipulative speech that the main street media keeps alive. What is Wall Street vs. Main Street? Is Wall Street supposed to be our enemy? Are your IRA and pension accounts held by Wall Street firms? Is that bad? What would you do without your pensions? Goldman Sachs is a good friend of Obama’s, so is he part of Wall Street or Main Street?
Take the phrase “tax cuts for the rich”. Everyone who paid taxes got a tax cut; those who didn’t pay taxes, didn’t. It wasn’t a tax cut for the rich, but it was rather a tax cut for taxpayers. Did rich people get more back? Yes…why shouldn’t they? This was never really explained, but the phrase was used over and over. It was never fully explained what rich people should do with their tax cut; should they give it back to the government? should they give it to people who don’t pay taxes?
The purpose of the rules and tactics of Alinsky is to con and manipulate the audience into believing their words. So listen to a speech, question the remarks and make sure you understand what’s being said.