Scary Halloween Reading

From David Horowitz, “Alinsky, Beck, Satan, and Me”. No wonder he needs bodyguards on university campuses. He is writing in an "in your face" style here - denouncing more and explaining less than I would like. I've heard him speak more persuasively and less angrily on the radio than in his opening salvo against Alinsky here. He's a fascinating guy - the son of communists and former champion of the Black Panthers who became disillusioned in part because they murdered each other and their supporters.

You might want to read Alinsky's book before Horowitz' series. Or Sanford Horwitt’s book about Alinsky. Or Gramsci. Why didn't I learn about any of these people in college? I knew something about the radical movements they, and their more violent ideological brethren, spawned. And I had never heard of Lakoff until this year, either. Even though I have been aware for some time of the deceptive misuse and selective application of words which are favorite tactics, or "crucial intellectual moves" within the "progressive" movement.

Alinsky's model worked great for President Obama during his rise to power, but doesn't seem to be working out so well right now. In fact, some of Alinsky's methods are being used against the Head Community Organizer now. From Instapundit:

Yeah, Alinsky’s a set of rules for annoying The Man. Not much help once you are The Man.

Note also the history of the phrase, "Speaking Truth to Power".

Of course, Obama did not accept all of Alinski's advice. He didn't think community organizing worked without a strong leader. And Alinski also warned that when the "have-nots" gained power, they would behave as badly as those whom they had overthrown.

The Alinsky model (and its Gramscian predecessor) is far better at telling people how to overthrow an existing power structure or cultural system than at explaining how to establish and maintain a new structure or system. Something to keep in mind as liberal Democrats steeped (or at least dipped) in the Gramscian tradition make big plans to destroy, rather than reform the insurance industry as we know it and micro-manage your health care. What are the chances now that they will read the final bill before voting on it?

Scary Halloween links from Maggie's Farm.

Oh, and here's a book for kids, too.