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Saul Alinsky

Saul Alinsky Quotes

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Famous Saul Alinsky Quotes

“In this world laws are written for the lofty aim of "the common good" and then acted out in life on the basis of the common greed. In this world irrationality clings to man like his shadow so that the right things get done for the wrong reasons - afterwards, we dredge up the right reasons for justification. It is a world not of angels but of angles, where men speak of moral principles but act on power principles; a world where we are always moral and our enemies always immoral; a world where "reconciliation" means that when one side gets the power and the other side gets reconciled to it.”

MenWorldMeanReasonDoneLawSpeakSidesCommonMoralEnemyPrinciplesWrittenThis WorldAngelShadowBasesAimGreedRight ThingJustificationAngleImmoralReconciliationLoftyCommon GoodIrrationalityMoral PrinciplesWrong ReasonsRules For Radicals
Author:Saul Alinsky
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“The seventh rule of the ethics of means and ends is that generally success or failure is a mighty determinant of ethics. The judgment of history leans heavily on the outcome of success or failure; it spells the difference between the traitor and the patriotic hero. There can be no such thing as a successful traitor, for if one succeeds he becomes a founding father.”

IfsMeanEndsFatherDifferencesSuccessfulHeroSucceedJudgmentEthicsOutcomesPatrioticSpellsFoundingTraitorSuccess Or FailureRules For Radicals
Book:Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals
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“Radicals, on the other hand, want to advance from the jungle of laissez-faire capitalism to a world worthy of the name of human civilization. They hope for a future where the means of economic production will be owned by all of the people instead of just a comparative handful. They feel that this minority control of production facilities is injurious to the large masses of people not only because of economic monopolies but because the political power inherent in this form of centralized economy does not augur for an ever expanding democratic way of life.”

PeopleWorldWayWantFeelsHumansMeanDoeHandsFormPoliticalPoliticsNamesEconomyEconomicCivilizationMassCapitalismDemocraticProductionsWorthyRadicalLiberalismMinoritiesInherentExpandingJungleMonopolyHandfulFacilityPolitical PowerLaissez FaireHuman CivilizationLaissez Faire Capitalism
Author:Saul Alinsky
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“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.”

PeopleHumansMeanFactsFearLove IsCommonCompanionFacts Of LifeMistrustFrailtyFountainheadRules For RadicalsFaith And LoveHuman FrailtiesPower And Fear
Author:Saul Alinsky
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“Change means movement. Movement means friction. Only in the frictionless vacuum of a nonexistent abstract world can movement or change occur without that abrasive friction of conflict.”

WorldMeanChangeMovementConflictSocial JusticeAbstractResolutionDisputesVacuumsConflict ResolutionFrictionMediationWin WinRules For Radicals
Book:Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals
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“Tactics mean doing what you can with what you have.”

MeanCreativityWords Of WisdomCharityRight ThingJust BeingYou Can Do ItNew BeginningsTacticsDoing GoodSuccess And FailureDoing YouSuccess FailurePositive MotivationPhilanthropicTeddyDoing RightDetermination And SuccessDoing Your BestAchieving SuccessRight ActionFailure In LifeNew Year New BeginningAchieved SuccessInspirational Success FailureRules For RadicalsFailure MotivationalAchievement And SuccessDaring GreatlyInspirational New BeginningNew Day New BeginningNew Life New BeginningInspirational AchievementSocial GoodLife DeterminationMotivational AchievementPhilanthropy InspirationMotivation And ChangeLife Best InspirationalUs Independence DayHard Work And DeterminationNew Beginning LifeShort Inspirational LifeAgree To DisagreePersonal MotivationPast SuccessPositive WorkPositive Thinking MotivationalWorking For A LivingToday Not TomorrowGood SpiritualKeep Positive
Book:Thirteen Tactics for Realistic Radicals: from Rules for Radicals
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“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”

PeopleKnowsWayMeanSelfPastValuesRevolutionMassTyrannyHopelessCollapseFrustratingRipeReformationPrevailingDisillusionmentRules For Radicals
Author:Saul Alinsky
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“The end is what you want, the means is how you get it. Whenever we think about social change, the question of means and ends arises. The man of action views the issue of means and ends in pragmatic and strategic terms. He has no other problem; he thinks only of his actual resources and the possibilities of various choices of action. He asks of ends only whether they are achievable and worth the cost; of means, only whether they will work. ... The real arena is corrupt and bloody.”

ThinkingMenWantMeanRealEndsProblemActionChoicesAsksSocialTermViewsIssuesPossibilityHe ManCostResourcesVariousWhat You WantAriseBloodyArenaSocial ChangeStrategicPragmaticRules For Radicals
Author:Saul Alinsky
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“From the moment the organizer enters a community he lives, dreams... only one thing and that is to build the mass power base of what he calls the army. Until he has developed that mass power base, he confronts no major issues.... Until he has those means and power instruments, his tactics are very different from power tactics. Therefore, every move revolves around one central point: how many recruits will this bring into the organization, whether by means of local organizations, churches, service groups, labor Unions, corner gangs, or as individuals.”

MeanDifferentMomentsDreamMovingIndividualCommunityChurchIssuesOne ThingGroupsMajorsMassLaborOrganizationArmyInstrumentsUnionsCornersLocalsTacticsGangRecruitOrganizerLabor UnionRules For RadicalsLife DreamLiving The DreamChurch Service
Author:Saul Alinsky
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“The first step in community organization is community disorganization. The disruption of the present organization is the first step toward community organization. Present arrangements must be disorganized if they are to be displace by new patterns.... All change means disorganization of the old and organization of the new.”

IfsFirstsMeanCommunityStepsOrganizationPatternsFirst StepsArrangementsDisruptionRules For RadicalsDisorganizedDisorganization
Author:Saul Alinsky
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