Rules for Radicals - Saul Alinsky
I was trying to think of something to share today and found myself wanting to break out. Ironically, I went back to a traditional piece that dates back to Chicago and making change happen in communities. In 1972 Saul Alinsky, published the book Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals. The book shared the following rules for making change happen when you are not in a position of power:
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Power is not only what you have, but what an opponent thinks you have!
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Never go outside the experience of your people. The result is confusion, fear, and retreat.
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3.Whenever possible, go outside the experience of the enemy.
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4.Make opponents live up to their own book of rules.
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Take higher moral ground!?
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5.Ridicule is man's most potent weapon.
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6.A good tactic is one your people enjoy! People love doing fun stuff.
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7.A tactic that drags on to long becomes a drag.
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8.Keep the pressure on. Never let up. (Use multiple tactics, change your approach)
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9.The threat is usually more terrifying that the thing itself.
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10.If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive. (Gandhi - violence created sympathy)
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11.The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. (Always have a solution to any problem that arises)
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12.Pick a target, freeze it, personalize it, polarize it. (Focus on Individuals and things, not abstract entities)
Posted at 09:45PM Jun 12, 2006 by mowen in General |