The resemblance is striking. Especially when you factor in the mousy looking thing that was his mother...hard to see how the combination of old Stanley Ann and Barack Sr. resulted in Little Frank.
But, putting that bit of cattiness aside, his biography is not complete without throwing in Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals. The Obama campaign was absolutely textbook Alinsky...in the words of Alinsky's son, L. David Alinsky:
“I am proud to see that my father’s model for organizing is being applied successfully beyond local community organizing to affect the Democratic campaign in 2008. It is a fine tribute to Saul Alinsky as we approach his 100th birthday.”
I read Rules for Radicals during the campaign, and was astonished at how many of the "rules" were being applied, right before our very noses, while we remained completely unaware. And it continues today. Take, for example, Obama's recent fear-mongering warnings that if we wait, we will go from "crisis" to "catastrophe." Textbook Alinsky. Discussing how important it is to work within the system, as opposed to taking radical, revolutionary action (as Ayers' Weather Underground did), Alinsky writes:
"There's another reason for working inside the system. Dostoevski said that taking a new step is what people fear most. Any revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude toward change among the mass of our people. 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 acceptance is the reformation essential to any revolution. To bring on this reformation requires that the organizer work inside the system, among not only the middle class but the 40 per cent of American families - more than seventy million people - whose incomes range from $5,000 to $10,000 a year. They cannot be dismissed by labeling them blue collar or hard hat. They will not continue to be relatively passive and slightly challenging. If we fail to communicate with them, if we don't encourage them to form alliances with us, they will move to the right. Maybe they will anyway, but let's not let it happen by default."
[snip]
"A revolutionary organizer must shake up the prevailing patterns of their lives - agitate, create disenchantment and discontent with the current values, to produce, if not a passion for change, at least a passive, affirmative, non-challenging climate."
[snip]
"A reformation means that 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, frustating and hopeless. They won't act for change but won't strongly oppose those who do. The time is then ripe for revolution."
We are being groomed then...being told that everything we once held dear about free markets and capitalism is doomed, that the very fabric of our nation is pulling apart and that only a dramatic reversal of past policies can save us. There is no hope save that granted us by the benevolent Messiah. He, and He alone, has the knowledge and strength to pull us from the abyss.
The goal, of course, is to take us so far down the road to socialism that, by the time we stir from our reverie and realize how far we have strayed, we will be so dependent on the generosity of our leaders and so cowed by cries that we are racists and bigots, that we will lack the conviction to right the ship of state. With each new government handout the ranks of the submissive will grow. With each small loss of freedom we allow them to inflict upon us we become less resilient.
The answer to the question, then, is in our hands today. Not tomorrow, next week or next year, for then it may be too late. We must rail against each infringement of our rights as if it were a life or death matter. We are too near the tipping point to do otherwise.
You are right, of course - I forgot the influence of Alinsky. His influence was a lot more dangerous than Ayers'. (I'll give myself the benefit of meaning Alinsky when I cited Ayers.) Alinsky was much smarter than Bill Ayers, who was of the smash and burn Abbey Hoffman school. (I once attended a speech by Hoffman who said "When you've seen one IBM building, you've seen 'em all. Burn 'em!")
ReplyDeleteI keep seeing more and more brilliance in the selection of Obama for the 2008 campaign.
To win all the power in Washington, they were smart enough to secure labor support with the tried and true Democrat allegiance to labor bosses. Putting all the old re-fried Dems in important positions in government handled that.
By choosing a black man, they were smart
enough to know they would get overwhelming support from African Americans, prominent black conservatives notwithstanding.
Then understanding the hatred of George Bush by intellectuals and media elites, they simply added the ability to speak Harvardese.
I think the man, Barack Obama, is unimportant to them. They have the office. They have the power. Obama has to know he was served the presidency on a silver platter. We have to know he will do the bidding of the servers.