The “holier than thou” argument – when a university professor, activist, movie star or liberal politician promotes a grandiose program to help the poor, crass standards like “cost/benefit”, “measurable outcomes”, or “unintended consequences” are inappropriate. After all, it’s not the result that is important, but the intent. The failure of the Great Society welfare programs is not viewed as a cautionary example, but as a reason to develop more new and more grandiose government programs. Thomas Sowell aptly describes this as “self congratulation as a basis for policy”.  

 

The“double standard” argument  –   The United States, capitalists, white males, Israel and Christians are judged by absolute moral standards. Then, in a slick pirouette,   repellant practices by totalitarian regimes, socialists,   people of color or Muslims are judged using a more nuanced, historical perspective.

No one would argue that Native Americans were mistreated during the 200+ years of the American republic. This is well documented and discussed endlessly.  What is not discussed at all is the fact that Native Americans also mistreated each other long before the advent of the white men. Aztecs cut out the hearts of sacrificial victims; Mayan civilization was based on the domination of one group of dark skinned people by other dark skinned people; the Sioux were at constant war with the Cheyenne and other tribes and subjected captives to cruel punishments; the Yaqui Indians of the Southwest devised exquisite tortures for non Yaqui’s long before the white men; the Anasazi were driven from their homes by another more aggressive tribe.

 “The collective shadow of our way of life, the underbelly of unresolved racism and class inequality, the narcissism of each of us takes care only of himself and let the other swim or sink  is exposed in this catastrophe.”

 “What you will not see, but what we witnessed, were the real heroes and sheroes of the      hurricane relief effort: the working class of New Orleans.” “We are now facing our moral failure and hopefully out of this confrontation we may find healing and transformation - toward compassion and caring each for the other.”            

 

          

 

 “Private greed” is making money selling people what they want ... “public service” is gaining power to make people do what you want.  -- Thomas Sowell

 Quotes from Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals

 Obama was trained for his community organizing activities by Saul Alinsky’s Industrial Areas Foundation, which uses Alinsky’s principals to train activists. Understanding Alinsky is key to understanding Obama’s campaign.   Here are quotes from Alinsky's rules for radicals.

The Purpose of the Rules  “ a mass power organization which will change the world into a place where all men and women walk erect, in the spirit of that credo of the Spanish Civil War, “Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees”.   This means revolution.”

Of Means and Ends –

“You do what you can with what you have and clothe it with moral arguments.”

“A naked illustration of this (above) point is to be found in Trotsky’s summary of Lenin’s famous April Theses, issued shortly after Lenin’s return from exile … They have the guns and therefore we are for peace and reformation through the ballot. When we have the guns then it will be through the bullet.”

The Education of an Organizer --

• “The first step in community organization is disorganization.”
• “In the beginning, the organizer’s first job is to create the issues or problems.”
• “An organizer must stir up dissatisfaction and discontent.”

Tactics

1.  “Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.”

2.   “Never go outside the experience of your people.”

3.   “Whenever possible go outside the experience of the enemy.”

4.   “Make the enemy live up to there own rulebook”

5.   “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.”

6.   “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.”

7.   “A tactic that drags on becomes a drag.”

8.   “Keep the pressure on.”

9.   “The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.”

10. “The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain           a constant pressure on the opposition.”

11. “ If you push a negative hard enough and deep enough it will break through to its            counterside … In a fight, almost anything goes. It almost reaches the point where      you stop to apologize if a chance blow lands above the belt.”

12. “The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. You cannot risk  being trapped by the enemy in his sudden agreement with your demand.”

13. “ Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”

“The real action is in the enemy’s reaction. The enemy properly goaded and guided in his reaction will be your major strength. Tactics, like life, require that you move with the action.”