Tuesday, August 18, 2009

The Alinsky Judo

Exit, voice and Alinsky on how and why Obama and the Alinskyites are currently getting the Alinsky treatment from the right:

We suffer from monopoly in many places. Because our government grows larger and stronger, and because we do have an option to exit (in a Hirschman sense), we are left with voice. Ways to make voice more effective will be preferred, and that is what Alinsky offered his followers. The right has simply adopted George C. Scott’s line from Patton: “Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I read your book!”
The key point: "there’s nothing inherently left-wing in Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals. It’s a schematic for running popular opposition" The right can run the same plays. The right HAS run the same plays, in townhalls and Tea Parties and other activist activities. And so far, the right-wing "truth to power" is running rings around the Obama Machine. Fancy that.

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