The left is that popular kid in high school who is a lot of fun to be around because he throws house parties every weekend and skips class to do weed. The right is that khaki-wearing, old-school nerd who attends all his classes, volunteers at his local church, and thinks about Rita Hayworth, er, baseball analytics in his spare time. The dichotomy of these two children is what has advanced political objectives for years; forget asserting boring facts, it’s all about declaring your feelings.
According to Saul Alinsky, the eminent author of the 1971 book, Rules for Radicals, “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.” He further writes:
“They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing and will even suggest better ones. (Radical activists, in this sense, are no different that any other human being. We all avoid “un-fun” activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.)”
Political operatives have exploited this rule to their advantage, amplifying his recommendation in the age of social media, hashtags, and selfies, which has allowed progressives, feminists, and socialists to give the impression they’re winning the culture war.
So far, it has been a success.
Let’s be candid: The right does not know how to throw a party like the left does, though this has gradually changed in the era of President Donald Trump – who doesn’t enjoy a good old Trump rally? The left appears to have more time, support, and resources to hold lively demonstrations, over-the-top protests, and copious marches, garnering the endorsement and coverage of celebrities, the mainstream media, and Big Tech.
It’s Time to Party
Should you have the unfortunate circumstance of turning on an award show where award shows win awards, what do you usually see? Beloved celebrities bemoaning President Trump, promoting leftist causes, and virtue signalling to the rest of the world. Thankfully, millions of Americans are tuning out, but those who remain fixated on the screen are receiving their dose of fake news and propaganda, whether it is the debunked gender wage gap or telling voters to cast a ballot for Hillary Clinton.
Take a walk down memory lane to January 21, 2017, when as many as one million pussy hat-wearing folks stormed the streets of Washington to advocate a plethora of progressive goodies, ranging from abortions to illegal immigration. The women’s march featured Madonna desiring to blow up the White House, washed up actress Ashley Judd talking about her blood-soaked bed sheets, and asinine placards suggesting guns have more rights than women. The event was live streamed by Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and plastered on network television.
(Contrast this with the March for Life event that took place a week later, which received little attention from the media and Silicon Valley.)
Climate change demonstrations sponsored by left-leaning organizations would make Saul Alinsky proud. Here are the traits of your average environmental protest:
- Use indoctrinated children as props.
- Spout foul language for your “real talk.”
- Utter threats against President Trump.
- Denounce capitalism while making money from capitalism.
- Showcase affluent, hypocritical leftists.
And here is one more: At the end of every environmental rally, be sure to leave a ton of trash behind.
Ultimately, whether you’re on the left or right, most of these events are fun to attend. For the left, you can bring the family, make your children cuss, and snap selfies to share with the world to show you are a good person. For the right, you get a great chuckle out of the mendacity, ignorance, and hypocrisy.
Activists Must Have Fun
To get your message out, politics must be fun, devoid of facts, and hip.
Conservatives and libertarians are viewed as a bunch of stuffed shirts. To those untrained observers, the right just wants to talk about the Bible and guns, and libertarians merely want to discuss Ludwig von Mises’s 1,000-page book Human Action. How mundane. That’s not a lot of excitement compared to sharing the same platform as a celebrity from the 2001 film Someone Like You.
If you want to make your left-leaning audience joyous, then all you have to say is “Trump is orange!” or “Trump is a monkey!” The juvenile humor works because that is the formula Stephen Colbert uses on a nightly basis.
Indeed, the more jovial your crowd is, the more it will attract your eyeballs. Who doesn’t want to be as happy and cool as the thespians who play scientists on television?
The more participants have fun, then the more likelihood they will take part in a myriad of activities. This a successful tactic because those who have an agenda can clandestinely indoctrinate attendees, who will then enlighten their uninformed friends and family about the odious oil companies and the evil patriarchal corporate America executives. It’s an elaborate and politically-charged multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme. And, like many MLM schemes, you will be scammed in the end.
What do you think about Saul Alinsky’s Rule Six? Let us know in the comments section!
