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What is good for the goose...

Political "progressives" have a very short playbook. Short because it has worked very well up until now. For small confrontations (demonstrations) and overall local strategies, they have Saul Alinski's Rules for Radicals. It is worth noting that #1) - Hillary Clinton's 1969 Poli. Sci. Thesis was on Alinski and #2) - Obama taught Alinski strategies as part of his "Community Organization. From L. David Alinsky writing in the Boston Globe (son):

Son sees father's handiwork in convention
All the elements were present: the individual stories told by real people of their situations and hardships, the packed-to-the rafters crowd, the crowd's chanting of key phrases and names, the action on the spot of texting and phoning to show instant support and commitment to jump into the political battle, the rallying selections of music, the setting of the agenda by the power people. The Democratic National Convention had all the elements of the perfectly organized event, Saul Alinsky style.

Barack Obama's training in Chicago by the great community organizers is showing its effectiveness. It is an amazingly powerful format, and the method of my late father always works to get the message out and get the supporters on board. When executed meticulously and thoughtfully, it is a powerful strategy for initiating change and making it really happen. Obama learned his lesson well.

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.

L. DAVID ALINSKY

For large policy changes, the Cloward-Piven Strategy of creating crises, overloading the system and then swooping in and taking it over. This should be all too familiar to anyone who has been keeping their eyes open during the last ten months. Fortunately, these rules are not rocket science and people from other walks of life are starting to study and learn them and use them. Case in point -- a group called CFACT was in Copenhagen and had some fun with some Greenpeace ships:

CFACT drops the banner on Greenpeace ships in daring land and sea raids

(Copenhagen, Denmark, December 16, 2009) Global warming skeptics from CFACT yesterday pulled off an international climate caper using GPS triangulation from Greenpeace's own on-board camera photos to locate and sail up long-side of the infamous Greenpeace vessel, Rainbow Warrior. Then in Greenpeace-like fashion, the CFACT activists unfurled a banner reading "Propaganda Warrior" which underscored how the radical green group�s policies and agenda are based on myths, lies, and exaggerations.

Earlier in the day the activists daringly boarded Greenpeace's Arctic Sunrise with neither stealth nor force, but by baffling the crew with doughnuts, and unfurled a banner that read �Ship of Lies� off the starboard side.

�Greenpeace has been using these kinds of tactics for decades, and now they can find out what it�s like to have a little taste of their own medicine, � said CFACT executive director Craig Rucker who masterminded the operation.

CFACT unfurled the banners for two reasons, CFACT president David Rothbard explained. �Greenpeace ships, like the Rainbow Warrior and Arctic Sunrise, have become global symbols for radical environmentalism, and we wanted to call attention to the harm these groups are causing. And second, it seemed appropriate to use one of Greenpeace�s favorite tactics to make this point.�

Fun to see people like this get a dose of their own medicine. One of the two founders of Greenpeace dropped out over their lack of science. I was active in the Seattle branch back in the 1980's and dropped out after a few years for the same reason. Really nice people but it was like talking to a wall. Next couple of years should be interesting to say the least... Posted by DaveH at December 16, 2009 10:55 PM