Rules for Republicans -- Prologue

I just began reading Alinsky's Rules for Radicals.  It has sooooooooooooooo many things we can learn from it.  This will probably be a chapter by chapter ongoing series.

• First Sentence:

The Revolutionary Force today has two targets, moral as well as material.

For our purposes, that means that free-market capitalism is ultmately about human dignity while also being the best (and only) path to prosperity.

• The Value of the American Flag:

the flag, itself, remains the glorious symbol of America's hopes and aspirations.

This one's obvious, although it's always good to remind yourself of the value of shamlessly wrapping yourself in the flag.

• The timeless value of humor in politics:

there are certain central concepts of action in human politics that operate regardless of the scene or time....[H]umor is essential, for through humor much is accepted that would have been rejected of presented seriously.

Two words: Banking Queen!  This is actually something we've done a respectable job of; although we always need to do more.  South Park is the first example to come to mind, though I'm sure there are several others.

• Alinsky's Nixonian contempt for the anti-war movement:

If the real radical finds that having long hair sets up psycholgical barriers to communication and organization, he cuts his hair....My thing, if I want to organize, is solid communication with the people in the community. 

Allinsky, like Nixon, understood how the degree to which the anti-war movement alienated decent people.  On our side, I think that entails creating a network that empowers (I know, I hate that word too) closet conservatives to feel comfortable speaking out in their own communities. 

The key is to relate to people in ways they can understand.  Too often, people are lead to believe that the charactures of us in the drive by's are true, and the drive by's get away with it far too often.  When the drive by's smeared Sarah Palin, people in the Philly Suburbs fell for it.  When you learn that your neighbor is pro-life, that makes it a lot harder to fall for the drive by slander.

• The need to completely demoralize the population:

They must feel so frustrated, so defeated, so lost, so futureless in the prevailing system that they are willing to let go of the past and chance the future.

This helpless pessimism has been the central theme of Obama's campaign, transition, and Presidency. When President Obama's politicies fail, which they will, we won't have to engage in the sort of pessimism the Dems did under Bush.

• The need to talk to everyone:

If we fail to communicate with them, if we don't encourage them to form alliances with us, they will move to the right.

Substitute left for right, and that's the core of our dilemma today.  For too long, we've written too many voters off as unattainable and failed to ask for their votes (eg. blacks); we need no more of Grover's gypsies.

• The need to organize from the Precinct level up:

To build a powerful organization takes time.  It is tedious, but that's the way the game is played -- if you want to play and not just yell, "Kill the umpire!"

While the internet can aid this process tremendously, we still need to get e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and get people to show up to meetings.  It's not glamorous, but it's essential.

• The inherent superiority of the, admittedly flawed, American system:

Lenin was a pragmatist; when he returned to what was then Petrograd from exile, he said that the Bolsheviks stood for getting power through the ballot box but would reconsider after they got the guns....Let us, in the name of radical pragmatism not forget that in our system with all it's repressions we can still speak out and denounce the administration, attack it's policies, work to build an opposition political base....I can attack my government, try to organize to change it.  That's more than I could do in Moscow, Peking [sic], or Havana.

Just remember, we live in the greatest country on Earth, even if we did just elect an idiot.  We'll get through this.

• The need to work on the hearts and minds of the broader population:

It is most important for those of us who want revolutionary change to understand that revolution must be preceeded by reformation.  To assume that a politcal revolution can survive without the supporting base of popular reformation is to ask for the impossible in politics....A reformation means that the masses of our people have reached the point of disillusionment with past ways and values.  They don't know what will work but they do know that the prevailing system is self-defeating, frustrating, and hopeless.

Essentially, you have to lead people to think the status quo is intolerable and anything will be better.  Give Obama time, we'll have plenty of opportunities.

• The Importance of Organizing around almost Anything:

Remember: Once you organize people around something as commonly agreed upon as pollution, then an organized people is on the move.  From there it's a short and natural step to political pollution, to Pentagon pollution.

Every local community has reasons for local citizens to organize around issues of public affairs.  Only you know what will work in your own community.  Still, when something your local government does outrages you, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!

Remember to get e-mail addresses and cell phone numbers.

• Keeping the Pressure On Politicians:

No Politician can sit on a hot issue if you make it hot enough.

Why do I have a funny feeling we're on the verge of another populist uprising a la immigration and drill, baby, drill?

Thoughts/Suggestions ?!?