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Class Warfare, the Tea Party, Alinsky and the Sixties

I spent a good deal of time watching video feeds and real time chat on Occupy Wall Street.  Van Jones is supporting this movement and probably helped instigate it.  He’s said in October the progressive movement will ‘push back’ against the Tea Party. Call me curious, I decided to see what they were pushing back against.

What I saw was a bunch of college aged kids who have never worked a day in their life protesting…. something.  They really don’t know what that something is because there is video of them being asked what they are protesting and they don’t know!  These brainwashed babies feel they are entitled to something and that the ‘rich’ have what they want and are keeping it to themselves. I don’t think I really understood the word ‘sheeple’ until I undertook the task of trying to figure out what was going on with Occupy Wall Street.  It sure looks like the October “push back” is going to be an attempt to ignite class warfare. 

I’ve said for a long time that the long term unemployed are going to be a very vulnerable group of people that could easily be exploited by the left.  If the left manages to unite the long term unemployed, union members and the jobless college students into street action backed by union money, we could easily flash right back to the heydays of the 1960s because those at Occupy Wall Street are already claiming police brutality.  (Of course they are-it worked very well for them about in the 60’s)

So, the over-riding question is how does the Conservative Movement respond to these actions?   What I remember most about the sixties was the fear the older generation had of the protesters.  They chose to “hunker down” and hope the entire thing would just go away.  That was a mistake of gargantuan proportions because if they had stood up to the 60’s radicals we would not be where we are today as a country.  We would not see alleged conservative representatives ‘reaching across the aisle’ to full fledged and self proclaimed socialists and communists who are bound and determined to do away with our Constitution. Unfortunately, they did not have the internet… BUT WE DO!

In the very near future it could be the Tea Party Members’ chance to correct the wrongs of the sixties.  Are we going to ‘hunker down’ and hope these folks just go away?  There is no doubt the progressives will not rest until they use every possible means to bring about their ‘utopia’on the backs of the productive working Americans.  What are Conservatives going to do to counter them and maintain the dignity of the Tea Party Conservatives?

My suggestion comes directly from Alinsky’s ‘Rules for Radicals. Number 5 to be precise:  “RULE 5: "Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.” I think we should laugh at them and make fun of them. (this is really pretty easy to do!)  We can blog and post all over the internet about the ridiculousness of this ideologically ill-defined ‘protest’.  We question where the money is coming from for all these people to ‘live’ and presumably eat in one of the most expensive cities in the United States. We question the reported number of people there and the camera shots that are close up to make the crowd look bigger. We question why there are police clashes with this group, yet much larger groups attended Tea Parties and this was not an issue. Question their age, question their education level….there are so many options available to ridicule and laugh at these folks.  They WANT you to fear their movement t- Alinsky outlined it for them:  RULE 3: "Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy." Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. RULE 9: "The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself." Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist.”

Here’s a good link to an outline of the rules in case you want to read them all and perhaps make use of some I haven‘t referenced:

https://sleepless.blogs.com/george/2009/08/alinskys-rules-for-radicals-for-dummies.html

Read them, learn them, use them….and laugh while you are countering the Occupy Wall Street groups!
 

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Rich Mitchell

Rich Mitchell is the editor-in-chief of Conservative Daily News and the president of Bald Eagle Media, LLC. His posts may contain opinions that are his own and are not necessarily shared by Bald Eagle Media, CDN, staff or .. much of anyone else. Find him on twitter, facebook and

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One Comment

  1. Re:

    1.) “What I saw was a bunch of college aged kids who have never worked a day in their life protesting…” If you had any historical sense any whatsoever… you would instead acknowledge the power of “student protests” not only in this country as clearly demonstrated in their effective protests against the Vietnam War, (if that does not raise your hairs) but globally: from Tienanmen Square to Egypt. Those darn pesky students that never worked a day in their life. I tell ya. Sheeze.

    2.) “They really don’t know what that something is because there is video of them being asked what they are protesting and they don’t know!” Guess again. They know exactly what they are protesting. Problem is that you’re not paying attention. That’s not their problem however. It’s yours.

    3.) “It sure looks like the October “push back” is going to be an attempt to ignite class warfare.” Head’s up. It’s only characterized by those conducting the war as “class warfare”…. when the poor fight back. Fair enough, at least we all understand each other and openly now calling it for exactly what is.

    4.) “Unfortunately, they did not have the internet… BUT WE DO!” The Tea party has no clue what it is doing on the internet as it relates to today’s wall street occupiers. An assertion otherwise is so absurd that I’m not even going to bother. G’luck in your having the “one up” in that regard. (I’m not going to laugh here but I should.)

    5.) “RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.” LOL! Hilarious. Okay I had to laugh at that, could not hold it back. Is that what conservative ideology has devolved to? That’s ummm, well…PATHETIC. Can I take this article viral? I have a couple dozen friends who would roll on the floor reading this. Please? LOL!

    6.) I quit. This flatulence is not worth responding to.

    6.)

    4.)

    1. why would your friends laugh? Alinsky wrote the book on radical dissent. Its a favorite among socialists and anarchists. Alinsky was a communist and he wrote that “ridicule is man’s most potent weapon”. If its good enough for Alinsky, why on earth would you characterize conservatives as “devolving” into ridicule. Its a tried and true tactic from one of the most crafty and brilliant left-wing minds of our time. Are you saying the conservatives are “devolving” into left wing morons?

      1. I know that this isn’t my conversation, but I have a question for you. Isn’t the whole quote, “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.” Why are the people at OWS the enemy? At worst, they are deluded, confused, or “brainwashed” as the author wrote. It would seem that if we are going to fix what is wrong with our society, treating our fellow Americans as enemies is counter-productive. Understanding, educating, and dialogue would seem to be a better way to go at this. What do you think?

        1. Oh, I’ve done much more research on this by reading most of the stories on this website:

          https://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/page/2

          they want their school loans paid for, they want free healthcare, their mortgages paid…..because it apparently is “not fair” that they aren’t making a ton of money in their chosen profession after they graduate from college. The majority of the stories seem to be from young single mothers. I found that interesting. Read the stories there….then you’ll know more.

          Also,
          Their list of demand on the OWS site ( https://occupywallst.org/forum/proposed-list-of-demands-for-occupy-wall-st-moveme/ )

          Demand three: Guaranteed living wage income regardless of employment.

          Demand four: Free college education.

          then there’s this one:

          Demand eleven: Immediate across the board debt forgiveness for all. Debt forgiveness of sovereign debt, commercial loans, home mortgages, home equity loans, credit card debt, student loans and personal loans now! All debt must be stricken from the “Books.” World Bank Loans to all Nations, Bank to Bank Debt and all Bonds and Margin Call Debt in the stock market including all Derivatives or Credit Default Swaps, all 65 trillion dollars of them must also be stricken from the “Books.” And I don’t mean debt that is in default, I mean all debt on the entire planet period.

          and they wonder why we laugh at them???

          1. Since you have been reading so much, I’m sure that I don’t need to remind you that they do not have any official type of list. Just people throwing ideas around. Yes, the list proposed above is laughable when one is trying to marginalize We the People into insignificance. There is a higher road, though, involving discussion, debate, and education.

            Did you pick this one list simply because it was the easiest to “ridicule” or because in your enormous amount of reading you failed to find any other proposals? What about this one? These proposals are actually the ones being voted on. I found it in two locations in just under 3 minutes of searching.

            Occupy Wall Street – Official Demands
            Written by Anonymous

            The Sovereign People’s Movement, represented nationally through the people occupying the various Liberty Square locations across this great country, have laid out and democratically submitted and are currently voting on the list of following Demands to then be distilled into one Unified Common demand of the people.

            1. CONGRESS PASS HR 1489 (“RETURN TO PRUDENT BANKING ACT” https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-1489 ). THIS REINSTATES MANY PROVISIONS OF THE GLASS-STEAGALL ACT.

            2. USE CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORITY AND OVERSIGHT TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE FEDERAL AGENCIES FULLY INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE THE WALL STREET CRIMINALS who clearly broke the law and helped cause the 2008 financial crisis…

            3. CONGRESS ENACT LEGISLATION TO PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY BY REVERSING THE EFFECTS OF THE CITIZENS UNITED SUPREME COURT DECISION which essentially said corporations can spend as much as they want on elections.

            4. CONGRESS PASS THE BUFFETT RULE ON FAIR TAXATION SO THE RICH AND CORPORATIONS PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE & CLOSE CORPORATE TAX LOOP HOLES AND ENACT A PROHIBITION ON HIDING FUNDS OFF SHORE.

            5. CONGRESS COMPLETELY REVAMP THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION and staff it at all levels with proven professionals who get the job done protecting the integrity of the marketplace so citizens and investors are both protected.

            6. CONGRESS PASS SPECIFIC AND EFFECTIVE LAWS LIMITING THE INFLUENCE OF LOBBYISTS AND ELIMINATING THE PRACTICE OF LOBBYISTS WRITING LEGISLATION THAT ENDS UP ON THE FLOOR OF CONGRESS.

            7. CONGRESS PASSING “Revolving Door Legislation” LEGISLATION ELIMINATING THE ABILITY OF FORMER GOVERNMENT REGULATORS GOING TO WORK FOR CORPORATIONS THAT THEY ONCE REGULATED.

            8. ELIMINATE “PERSONHOOD” LEGAL STATUS FOR CORPORATIONS.

  2. You too, Deanna, are the 99%, we welcome all those involved with the Tea Party to join us. We are all-inclusive, this means every political party, race, gender, etc… I am involved in the occupation and I am not a college kid who has never had a job in their life. I’m a grown woman with 2 grown children who has worked hard my whole life. On Sunday at Occupy Seattle I was standing with a retired couple in their 90’s who were there supporting the movement. You can not learn all you need to know about the movement by watching the live feeds, in order to understand fully you have to GO to an occupation and talk to people, you are welcome, we would love to dialogue with you! You would not succeed at changing anything by ridiculing us, because you ARE us, you’re just still stuck on being divisive while the movement is way beyond that.

  3. I get sooo tired of all these people who only want to divide our country along ideological lines. The Tea Party began, primarily, because of the wall street bailouts that the American people were forced into shouldering. Yet, instead of focusing on the issues and having the courage to unite with other Americans who are different than them, the Tea Partiers are choosing the path (again) of divisiveness, hatred, and fear. Perhaps the Tea Partiers should remember that they are Americans first (just like the wall street protesters are), lay their differences aside, and really let Washington know that the American people won’t be pushed around anymore.

      1. Well, a low fruit to pick comes from this article. Usually, one doesn’t ridicule those who they are showing love to.

        1. What was hateful? And how does the tone of this article differ from the tone of OWS protesters who are yelling, angry and have made anti-semitic AND anti-tea party comments? Youtube is ripe with examples. 700 arrested in one weekend in OWS. Tea Party arrests? None.

          1. Kira, those in economic power have always sought to divide the people and keep us fighting amongst ourselves so they can go about business as usual. Nothing in this article said anything about unifying under a common banner as Americans. The OWS protest is about we Americans who are the 99%. I think that it would be wonderful if the Tea Party brought their voice to the OWS protest.

            The yelling and anger at OWS is directed against those people who took the money from the American people to bail them out from their bad business deals, didn’t use the money as it was supposed to be used, didn’t provide any transparency, and then turned around and paid themselves large bonuses. That is the difference. Are you angry at those who are creating the problems, or are you angry at your fellow Americans who are different than you – lesbian or gay, atheist, liberal, pro-choice, etc.? (You in general, not you personally 🙂

            Regarding the antisemitism and anti-tea party comments, I didn’t hear them so I can not comment. As far as no arrests happening at Tea Party Rallies, that should tell us all something about who the Banksters feel are the real threat to their continued rape of the American people. They leave the Tea Party alone because they feel the Tea Party is an asset to them, unlike those at the OWS protests. Did you see the footage taken just before those 700 walked onto the Brooklyn Bridge? They were obediently following the police officers who were leading them in the march. The police led them onto the bridge, where more police were waiting to arrest them.

  4. Deanna L., Deanna L.,

    Your article goes about setting up two questions and then answers itself, in its suggestion of engaging the battle tactics of Alinsky’s ‘Rules for Radicals’. I believe that together Jen’s comments (shared below) and your article’s two questions above: “What are Conservatives going to do to counter them [the occupiers] and maintain the dignity of the Tea Party Conservatives?” raise a couple of very good ‘bigger picture’ questions. The occupiers objectives are, essentially, to let Washington know that the American people won’t be pushed around anymore by corporations (and/or by the politicians corporations own) at the expense of the American people.

    The larger unanswered questions being:

    1.) “why” in the first place do you have the sense that Conservatives need to “counter them” [the occupiers] ?

    …and…

    2.) just “how” is it, as you’ve asserted in your article’s question, that that occupy protests would “challenge the dignity of the Tea Party” ?

    Your article goes about setting up two questions and then answers itself, in its suggestion of engaging the battle tactics of Alinsky’s ‘Rules for Radicals’. I believe that together Jen’s comments (shared below) and your article’s two questions above: “What are Conservatives going to do to counter them [the occupiers] and maintain the dignity of the Tea Party Conservatives?” raise a couple of very good ‘bigger picture’ questions. The occupiers objectives are, essentially, to let Washington know that the American people won’t be pushed around anymore by corporations (and/or by the politicians corporations own) at the expense of the American people.

    The larger unanswered questions being:

    1.) “why” in the first place do you have the sense that Conservatives need to “counter them” [the occupiers] ?

    …and…

    2.) just “how” is it, as you’ve asserted in your article’s question, that that occupy protests would “challenge the dignity of the Tea Party” ?

  5. I apologize that my message below contains the same text twice. It was not intentional.

  6. Deanna L.,

    As it relates to your comment “If its good enough for Alinsky, why on earth would you characterize conservatives as “devolving” into ridicule. Its a tried and true tactic from one of the most crafty and brilliant left-wing minds of our time”

    The answer is: From whose time? I appreciate your difficulty in trying to comprehend a 21st century protest movement from the perspective of the 20th century. Alinsky attempted to impart his theory and methods of organizing to the 70’s generation of young activists, organizing that drew upon his own experiences in the 60’s.

    Here are some contemporary insights you might learn from in mainstream media (CNN) opinion that handily flatten your “Alinsky Maneuver” battle tactic of ridiculing. Your ridicule is already being ridiculed as analysis that incoherently clings to antiquated and obsolete perspectives: https://www.cnn.com/2011/10/05/opinion/rushkoff-occupy-wall-street/index.html

  7. Yeah even the Occupy Wall Street Web site said to quit making lists of demands, because they don’t everyone to know that they are not even sure of the issues and how to make them better. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
    These young people are being used by anarchists and radicals, who do not want to save this country and the constitution, they want to take away everything, everyone has worked for and give it to those who they think are deserving.
    The man reason socialism only works in Bees and Ants, is that they have no egos, not so for humans, there is always someone who wants more or wants to be in charge. Look at your history!
    Capitalism has built the greatest country in the world in a short 200 + years, it was built on independence, freedom and courage. The only thing standing in this country’s way, is it’s own over bearing, over regulating and over taxing too large of a Government.
    The only thing I hear from the Occupy Wall Street Crowd is the call for more regulations, give’me, and whinning about how life ain’t fair. Well get over it “Life Ain’t Fair” and who ever told you it is should be slapped, life is what YOU make it. If you don’t believe it look at the thousands of businesses, banks, companies, that when out of business, when ether they sold a bad product, didn’t treat their customers or employees right, or just were not good business men. But then this was back when men struggled to make a great business, not getting handout from some government official. Nothing is to big or to small to fail, but let the market determine that not a bureaucrat. Enough for this time, Have a great day. I’ll be working!!

  8. Oh yeah, Jen

    I believe that list came out after the protesters were told to ‘stop listing demands’. There’s this post:

    “The opponents of this movement are using the demands posted in this forum as the official lists. And some of these lists regardless of how right or wrong are extreme points of view and will only hurt our cause by making us look like extremist nut jobs. You don’t speak for everyone in this. Stop creating public demand lists, delete demands threads. Let the organizers and the law team working for them do this.”
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-website-stop-listing-demands-we-look-like-complete-imbecils/

    So basically, that tells me the ‘organizers’ and the ‘law team’ believe the people on the ground don’t know what they are protesting….at least until they are told. Which just proves my point. Thank you.

    1. And you are admitting that you chose an earlier, unofficial, list of demands knowing that there was another “official” list that wasn’t nearly as easy to ridicule. Thank YOU for making MY point 😉

      Yes, many of these people are young, inexperienced, and don’t have a clue about how the real world works. If OWS was hiding that fact, these forums wouldn’t be open to public viewing. But, do you know what? These kids are Americans. You may not like their views, but they have a voice too.

        1. Yeah, Deanna…and I hate to break it to you, but We the People as a whole have a lot to learn if we are going to turn this around. The only way we are going to learn is from each other, and the only way that can happen is through dialogue.

          We also have learn is to stop fighting with each other. We have got to learn to put aside our differences and work towards a common goal. We the People have bigger enemies than each other to face, and we will not be able to do it without joining together.

          Just sayin’

  9. It’s curious to me how you and many others criticize these student protesters by assuming they have never worked a day in their life (how did you determine this?) because if you listen to their complaints, and a good many of them do manage to articulate quite well what they’d like to see change, one of the reasons they are there is because they feel they are part of a terminally ill economy which shows no promise for future employment. statistically, they’re correct of course, and even when jobs do start to open up they’ll have to wait behind the line of more experienced workers who also can’t find jobs, but I’m sure we could blame this on them somehow… let’s see, yeah, because in order to stimulate an economy you have to invest in the economy, in banks, in enterprise, and all these good-for-nothing layabout intellectuals have done is take out loans for or pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for disproportionately inflated tuition fees and – no, sorry, it looks like you can’t blame this on them. They’re simply trying to function in an economic environment which has systematically rendered their efforts irrelevant – and, since you spoke of the constitution, this protest is a consitutionally endorsed, highly integral part of that function!

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