I have often referred to the liberal’s use of Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals in my op-eds and this blog. Evidence of its use by anti-Trumpers is more obvious than ever as they are declaring the illegitimacy of a Donald Trump presidency.
What we are witnessing is the concentrated use of four of the Alinsky’s 12 rules in attacking the president elect, all designed to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty among Americans.
(Cover courtesy en.wikipedia.com)
The primary rule they are following, #12, states, “Pick the target (Trump), freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” It is an attempt to cut off Trump’s support network and isolate him from sympathy. “This is cruel, but very effective,” wrote Alinsky, “Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.”
“Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon,” states Alinsky in Rule #5, “There is no defense, It’s irrational. It’s infuriating.”
In Rule #8, he advises to “Keep the pressure on. Never let up. Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance.” It is interesting to note that he states in his book, “Once the battle is joined and a tactic is employed, it is important that the conflict not be carried on over too long a time. I cannot repeat too often that a conflict (as in the liberal attack on Trump) that drags on too long becomes a drag.” He cites that “human beings can sustain an interest in a particular subject only over a limited period of time.”
A successful Trump, especially in the first 100 days, could be instrumental in cutting off the anti-Trump effort.
In Rule #10, Alinsky writes, “If you push hard enough, it will push through and become positive,” like the old saying attributed to Joseph Goebbels – “If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.”
While reviewing my notes on Alinsky, I discovered a passage that he would not have imagined when he wrote his book. He believed that it would be America’s white middle class that would adopt his rules, assuming a revolt against corporate America. “The middle class is where the power is. When more than three-fourths of our people from both the point of view of economics and of their self-identification are middle class, it is obvious that their action or inaction will determine the direction of change. Large parts of the middle class, the ‘silent majority,’ must be activated.”
During the recent primary and general election, we saw just that; middle America, those in flyover country, turned against the GOP establishment and Hillary Clinton, forming the Trump movement. Unknowingly, they were following Alinsky’s advice.
Now it’s vital that they not allow the anti-Trump element, led by Democrats and a biased dishonest media, to stop the Trump train. They must focus on those who are attempting to obstruct Trump, in preparation for the 2018 elections, when 25 Democrat senators will be up for reelection.
(If you would like a free subscription to kramerontheright, simply scroll to the bottom of the column at right.)
