Obama’s Marxist political mentor dedicated his book to the Devil

Gintas writes:

The dedication in Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals:

Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins—or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom—Lucifer.

Or, better to rule an American hell than to serve in heaven.

LA replies:

Exactly right. He at least won his own kingdom. To rule one’s own kingdom of “endless misery” (to quote Satan in Book I of Paradise Lost) is better than not ruling, than just being an ordinary citizen, in a world of goodness. What kind of person openly makes the Devil his model and leader? Alinsky and his followers. And Obama was a follower and practitioner.

Also, see earlier entry on Alinsky as a promoter of Marxist revolution.

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Ken Hechtman writes:

LA replies:

Exactly right. He at least won his own kingdom. To rule one’s own kingdom of “endless misery” (to quote Satan in Book I of Paradise Lost) is better than not ruling, than just being an ordinary citizen, in a world of goodness. What kind of person openly makes the Devil his model and leader? Alinsky and his followers. And Obama was a follower and practitioner.

Don’t forget Hillary. Among other things, the 2008 Democratic primary was also very much a fight over Saul Alinsky’s legacy by two of his disciples. Remember Hillary’s senior thesis? If I remember right, you posted scans of it on VFR when it came out. It’s worth reading. It’s as good a distillation of Alinsky’s thought as anything he ever wrote himself, and maybe better. Hillary was 21 years old when she wrote it and less than a year out of the Republican Party and she understood one of the best minds on the left better than he understood himself. Whatever else she did later on, nobody can take that away from her.

Obama won in part because he had the backing of Marshall Ganz and ACORN and other people who are carrying on Alinsky’s work today. They’ve had to adapt his ideas to conditions that have changed in the last 30-60 years. Hillary and her advisers didn’t do that nearly as well.

LA replies:

Very interesting. I have not read Hillary’s thesis, and should do so. I also have never read Alinsky.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at July 27, 2009 10:53 AM | Send