Hugh Hewitt posted a modern version of Saul Alinsky’s playbook for radicals. Does it not remind you of the Dear Leader of Iran’s tactics in blustering, ridiculing, and improvising new angles of attack, all on the cheap:

– Power is not only what you have, but what the target thinks you have.

– Never go outside the expertise of your people. Feeling secure stiffens the backbone.

– Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the target. Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety, and uncertainty.

– Make the target live up to its own book of rules. If the rule is that every letter or E-mail gets a reply, send thousands.

– Ridicule, especially against organizational leaders, is a potent weapon. There’s no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force concessions.

– A good tactic is one your people enjoy. They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’ll even suggest better ones.

– Keep the pressure on. Never let up. Keep trying new tactics to keep the opposition off balance. As the target masters one approach, hit them with something new.

– Pick the target. Target an individual, personalize the attack, polarize and demoralize his/her supporters. Go after people, not institutions. Hurting, harassing, and humiliating individuals, especially leaders, causes more rapid organizational change.

Our point in posting these elements of the playbook is that Alinsky’s tactics were the tactics of the weak trying to con and intimidate the powerful. It is only a sucker who would play defense and actually be intimidated, allowing the weak radical to win. We’re scanning the horizon for suckers at home.

UPDATE

Hugh makes a very perceptive comment about Walter Cronkite and Rush Limbaugh being the emblematic media figures of their eras — all while the MSM continue to be haughty and clueless about the New Media. Excellent observation, and the first time we’ve encountered it.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 30th, 2006 at 9:36 am and is filed under art, culture, General, Iran, Left of Left, MSM, New Media, Religion, War. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.