Business binoculars: Looking ahead to Obama’s playbook

At one time, the fine imposed on any Pittsburgh Steeler was $25,000 if he ever did the unthinkable: lose the playbook. You see, if an opponent gets your playbook, he will know exactly what to expect from you.

Fortunately, the nation now has Obama’s playbook, the “Alinsky method,” as set forth in Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals. Phyllis Schafly recently summarized this book in the following manner: “Saul Alinsky’s world view was that the United States is an oppressive and racist society where most people (the Have-Nots) are the victims of economic injustice with a future of despair. He wanted a radical change of American’s social and economic structure, and he planned to achieve that through creating public discontent and moral confusion. His goal was not to arrive at compromise or peaceful solution; his goal was to crush the Haves and transform society.”

But, why not read about this strategy in Alinsky’s own words.

“Any revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude toward change among the mass of our people... They must feel so frustrated, so defeated, so lost, so futureless in the prevailing system that they are willing to let go of the past and chance the future.

“A revolutionary organizer must shake up the prevailing patterns of their lives — agitate, create disenchantment and discontent with the current values, to produce, if not a passion for change, at least a passive, affirmative, non-challenging climate.”

With such a racial, revolutionary view of America, I believe Obama has high-jacked the Democrat party philosophically. Mr. President: Disown Alinsky, stop campaigning, stay home. Start solving problems, not just talking about them.

David R. Dilley is a retired economist living in Pelican Landing. Dilley received his master’s and doctoral degrees from Indiana University. He has taught at Indiana, Pittsburgh and NYU’s Graduate School and retired from U.S. Steel in 1985 as chief economist. Reach Dilley at bizbin.dilley@yahoo.com.