“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 very first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom – Lucifer.”
Saul D. Alinsky, Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals
“Those who are most moral are farthest from the problem.”
Saul D. Alinsky, Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals
“Love and faith are not common companions. More commonly power and fear consort with faith….Power is not to be crossed; one must respect and obey. Power means strength, whereas love is a human frailty the people mistrust. It is a sad fact of life that power and fear are the fountainheads of faith.”
Saul D. Alinsky, Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals
“To say that corrupt means corrupt the ends is to believe in the immaculate conception of ends and principles. The real arena is corrupt and bloody. Life is a corrupting process from the time a child learns to play his mother off against his father in the politics of when to go to bed; he who fears corruption fears life.”
Saul D. Alinsky, Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals
“In the beginning the organizer’s first job is to create the issues or problems.”
Saul D. Alinsky, Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals
“Curiosity and irreverence go together. Curiosity cannot exist without the other. Curiosity asks, “Is this true?” “Just because this has always been the way, is the best or right way of life, the best or right religion, political or economic value, morality?” To the questioner, nothing is sacred. He detests dogma, defies any finite definition of morality, rebels against any repression of a free, open search of ideas no matter where they may lead. He is challenging, insulting, agitating, discrediting. He stirs unrest.”
― Saul D. Alinsky, Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals
“One of the most important things in life is what Judge Learned Hand described as ‘that ever-gnawing inner doubt as to whether you’re right.’ If you don’t have that, if you think you’ve got an inside track to absolute truth, you become doctrinaire, humorless and intellectually constipated. The greatest crimes in history have been perpetrated by such religious and political and racial fanatics, from the persecutions of the Inquisition on down to Communist purges and Nazi genocide”
― Saul D. Alinsky
“A revolution without a prior reformation would collapse or become a totalitarian tyranny. A reformation means that masses of our people have reached the point of disillusionment with past ways and values. They don’t know what will work but they do know that the prevailing system is self-defeating, frustrating, and hopeless. They won’t act for change but won’t strongly oppose those who do. The time is then ripe for revolution”
― Saul D. Alinsky, Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals