What James Morrow suggests in the next to last paragraph in his column The line between free speech and abuse is being erased (Sunday 25/3) about goading conservatives to taking a stand on free speech, was exactly the tactic suggested in rule 4 of Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals.
In his column Morrow wrote that:
“..If one were conspiratorially minded, one might think there was a whole concocted strategy at work. Make offence-taking an art form. Goad conservatives into making a stand for free speech.Use that stance to checkmate them into allowing public discourse to be wholly politicised and driven further into the gutter..”
No conspiratorially minded thinking necessary as James Morrow may be closer to the money than he realised.
Rule 4 of Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals states that — “Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.” If the rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000 letters. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules.
Notice too that “comedians” particularly millennials like Tom Ballard when talking about Bernardi, Trump, Abbott, Hanson et al or any conservative public figure they deploy Alinsky’s rule 5 on ridicule.
Rule 5 of Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals states that –. “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defence. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions”.