The Palestinian Activist's Godfather: Radical Political Seer Saul Alinsky, Part III

Alinsky's Advice to Today's Protesters: Challenge, Insult, Agitate, Discredit To Stir Unrest

Today’s kaleidoscope of pro-Palestinian demonstrations from coast-to-coast has been dizzying. From the violent occupation of a building on Harvard’s campus to the walkout at President Biden’s commencement speech at Moorhead College, organized protests have continued.

For the general public, it’s instructional to investigate the organizing principles behind these protests. It’s vital to understand the strategic and tactical thinking that motivates these current-day organizers. It’s important to get into their heads.

Saul Alinsky, in his 1971 book, “Rules for Radicals” has long been the bible for New Left activists who today now appear to be giving leadership and direction at many of these high-profile protests. As the May 3 Wall Street Journal article reported, “Activist Groups Trained Students For Months Before Campus Protests.”  The fingerprints of older, New Left organizers can be seen from coast-to-coast.

I know the enticing, mythical power of Rules. I myself was a New Left activist and was the roommate of Chicago 8 defendant Rennie Davis. Activists such as Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin would stop by our apartment and talk political shop and strategy in our Washington, DC apartment. 

Eventually, I became more conservative. But I’ve always known the power of Rules. In Part III of my Substack series, I continue to review his lessons about how to generate chaos and disruption in the pursuit of radical political agendas. His advice provides dark and disturbing insights into today’s sweeping demonstrations.

Chaos is Alinsky’s ultimate weapon of choice. “The first step in community organization is community disorganization. The disruption of the present (societal) organization is the first step toward community organization,” he writes. “All change means disorganization of the old and organization of the new.”

Disruption is what we’ve seen explode in the public square. We’ve witnessed the blocking of bridges and airports, the interruption of congressional hearings and Presidential events, and of course, the shutting down of college campuses.

But disruption is a tactic, not the goal. In Rules, Alinsky says a successful movement becomes a battle for nothing less than political power. The pro-Palestinian demonstrations aren’t solely about Israel, but about accumulating political power. “Power is the reason for being of organizations,” Alinsky says.

This is the ultimate goal of the unfolding pro-Palestinian demonstrations. To paraphrase James Carville, President Clinton’s one-time brilliant political strategist, it’s not about Israel; it’s about political power, stupid.

President Biden and his campaign advisors do appear worried the Muslim vote can deliver Michigan and perhaps Wisconsin to Donald Trump. The pro-Palestinian demonstrations, with their progressive allies, are about gaining political power in 2024 — and beyond if there is a second Biden presidency.

So what are the rules advocated by Alinsky that we can see in today’s pro-Palestinian demonstrations?

The first principle is that an organizer must be rude. Yes, rude. Politeness in “political struggle” is out. Rudeness is the preferred strategy, which will upset the status quo and ultimately lead to chaos and the disintegration of society.

Since pro-Palestinian demonstrations have broken onto the scene, we’ve seen quite a bit of rudeness, including in-your-face antisemitism toward Jewish students, irreverent attacks on churches, disruption outside high visibility events like the Met Gala, and of course, public defiance of college administrators. 

This is pure, unadulterated Alinsky. Radical protesters, he advises, must be “challenging, insulting, agitating, discrediting.”

It appears that stretching the truth must be part of an organizer’s landscape. He cautions that the organizer must not “slip into becoming a true believer.” 

So we hear Palestinian supporters continue to repeat the nonsense that Israelis “commit genocide” or that “Israel kills babies.” The latter accusation, by the way, is written on a huge pro-Palestinian banner outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. The bigger the lie, the better.

Or, pro-Palestinian leaders claim without any qualms that the October 7 butchering of unarmed men, women, and children, was part of Palestinian “resistance.” 

What can we expect this summer? Is it over now that university classes have concluded?

No. Alinsky advises that continued, uninterrupted action is the life force of all mass movements. “Organizations need action as an individual needs oxygen,” he insightfully says. “The cessation of action brings death to the organization.” 

The veteran, New Left organizer understands this. The college protests must morph into more general protests. The bigger the target, the better. Keep the organization alive. Keep it active.

The next big target appears to be the Democratic National Convention, set for Chicago in August. But expect more protests to spread throughout the country as the summer unfolds.

Remember, for the political radical, inaction is activist “death” Action is the radicals “oxygen.”

It’s going to be a long, hot summer.