Last night at the lecture on Saul Alinsky the thesis Dan presented was from a quote William F. Buckley made in 1966. In 1966 Buckley, who invited Alinsky to be his guest on his show Firing Line, made the comment: “It is too much to argue that American democracy is being altered by Alinsky’s ideas.”.
People leaving the session were asked the question:
1. Do you agree with Buckley, that still in 2017, Alinsky ideas have not altered American Democracy? (Buckley comments made in 1966)
62% of the 64 people that responded to the poll DID NOT agree with Buckley and said: In 2017, Alinsky’s ideas HAVE ALTERED AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.
The second question that was asked was:
2. Are you a Community Organizer (Activist)?
44% of the 64 people that responded to the poll said: Yes, I am a Community Organizer or Activist.
Below are Comments made about the Alinsky session:
First of all, thank you for putting on the presentation. I’ve attended or watched a fair amount of EmpowerU classes and this was one of the best. That was very informative and you obviously spent a lot of time and effort organizing everything. I was planning to come to the EmpowerU studio but I was tired from work, so I watched it online. I really like the virtual classes. I was planning to watch the Cranley Simpson debate online but… well, you know. Anyway, I was somewhat knowledgeable on Alinsky (I have a pdf copy of the letter Hillary sent him right after Rules for Radicals came out) but I learned a lot. I had no idea how creative he was, the Rochester Symphony, O’Hare airport, etc. After hearing him speak in the old interviews, it’s easy to think of examples of how modern Democrats, especially the hard-core radicals use his tactics.
I really like how you stressed Conservatives and Christians should find their own level in applying Alinsky’s rules while maintaining your ethics and morals. I have been saying for a long time that conservatives need to do this. Thank you also for mentioning Rules for Conservatives by Michael Charles Master. I had heard of something like that but forgot about it. I was glad to see the power point slides on the website before the class even started and that the video will be on the site tomorrow also.
In answer to your question to the people in the class at the end, I believe YES, Alinsky’s rules have changed modern politics. It changed how the Democrats campaign and operate anyway. Republicans are still catching up. I agree with the comment in class, President Trump, knowingly or not, uses Alinsky’s tactics frequently and it angers and confuses the left. They’re obviously not immune to their own venom. I find that wonderfully entertaining, there’s a German word for that: schadenfreude.
–Jon
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Thank you for being able to sit in on the Saul Alinsky webinar tonight. It was very informative. Saul Alinsky is someone I have been studying from the aspect of understanding the strategies and tactics of Progressives, as well as apply these principles in my own business, in a very nice way however, to affect change.
I look forward to viewing future webinars, potentially attending some of the sessions you sponsor, as well as listing to you when you visit with Brian Thomas on 55 KRC.
–Kevin
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This was a great presentation! It is very important to identify the tactics of the enemy and put them into perspective. And if we can use their own ideas against them, even better. Conservatives will not stoop to the mantra of “the end justifies the means” because most believe in self-governance and not violating others’ rights, but if we can use the left’s tactics to make a point and draw attention to an issue, we most definitely should! The sooner conservatives realize that to make a change sometimes all you have to do is show up, things will change. I believe we have already seen this in the TEA party movement. Show up and make some noise. 50 people at a local government meeting (township, county, etc) can open some eyes. The higher you go, the more people you need…..5000 in Columbus, 500,000 in DC. We can make a difference. Just show up.
–Denise
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Great presentation on Saul Alinsky. This helps me understand the techniques of the far Left. I can look back at the Romney – Obama debate where Obama ridiculed Romney for claiming that Russia was our major enemy.Obama’s approval of Black Lives Matter as well his approval of the war on local police forces- make sense knowing Obama’s study of Rules for Radicals. Obama and Alinsky are right in line for the use of intimidation with the Tea Party. Obama ‘s words and actions now make sense. He studied the book.
–Ted
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My wife and I were impressed by your Rules for Radicals presentation last night (which we watched from home). Your perspective was informative and nuanced. In todays political context, with massive lies, corruption, violence, murder, and false flags, Alinsky seems almost quaint. We’re clearly at a tipping point. I fear for the future of our country.1)EmpowerU is an achievement that you’re entitled to be very proud of. It’s a taste of a welcome future of citizen reporting and knowledge sharing that, we hope, is beyond the reach of corrupt corporate media. Thank you! 2)We welcome the option of “participating” from home. Onsite attendance is not really an option for us, for reasons that include, age, distance, limited time, and convenience. Please keep working to extend that capability. 3)I suggest you start by amending your registration form to allow folks like us to indicate we’ll be watching online…and how many of us there are (in our case, two). 4) We’d favor the option of being able to Subscribevia an optional, monthly or annual withdrawal from our VISA account. I suggest you offer different levels of support. 5) I’m sure you’re aware of the current technical issues that need to be addressed: chaotic audio (programs that start with no audio at all, then with audio that fades in and out, then audio distortion from the hand-held microphones), burned out video images, weird from-the-ceiling camera perspectives, etc. We’re well aware that EmpowerU is a work in progress, and the cost, in this stage of your evolution, is almost stifling.
I hope these comments are helpful. If there’s anything you’d like to discus, give me a shout at 561-4415. Our prayer wheels are spinning night & day on your behalf.
–Fred