Suggested Answers to Short Quiz

"Rules for Radicals" by Saul Alinsky (available at your local library or from Amazon.com in paperback for $10.36 + shipping).
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johnkarls
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Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:43 pm

Suggested Answers to Short Quiz

Post by johnkarls »

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(from our weekly e-mail of Saturday 8/30/2008)

From: ReadingLiberallyEmailList@johnkarls.com
To: ReadingLiberallyEmailList@johnkarls.com
Cc:
Subject: Train Wreck + Quiz Answers
Date: Saturday August 30, 2008
Time: 10:50 am MDT > 12:06 pm MDT
Attachments: Flyer - Sep 10

Dear Friends,

A belated "thank you" to those of us who answered (through attendance or by e-mail) the "S.O.S." to turn last month's meeting into a volunteer "focus group" with no more than "six degrees of separation" to 100% of the American electorate because of the unanimous view expressed on both July 27th and re-emphasized on August 3rd by Chris Matthews and his four top political-reporter panelists - Gloria Borger (CNN and U.S. News & World Report), Eugene Robinson (The Washington Post), Elisabeth Bumiller (The New York Times) and Joe Klein (Time Magazine) - THAT POLLS CANNOT BE TRUSTED THIS YEAR BECAUSE PEOPLE LIE TO POLLSTERS DUE TO EMBARRASSMENT OVER THEIR OWN RACIAL ATTITUDES, AND THAT IF THE STILL-CURRENT POLLING NUMBERS OF VIRTUALLY DEAD-EVEN WITH 10% UNDECIDED FOLLOW THE PATTERN OF MANY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES WITH ALL OF THE UNDECIDEDS AND 2-3% OF BARACK'S "MEASURED" SUPPORT GOING TO HIS OPPONENT, THERE WILL BE A McCAIN LANDSLIDE OF HISTORIC PROPORTIONS!!!

Yesterday's announcement of McCain's running mate should be no surprise to those of us who have been monitoring this "train-wreck in progress"!!!

After all, our Second Quiz before last month's meeting (please see our bulletin board = http://www.drinkingliberallyslc.org/reading) pointed out (Q&A's 7-9) that (A) the Democratic Convention coming first meant Barack Obama would have to choose his running mate first, (B) Tom Brokaw on "Meet the Press" predicted that both candidates would want to select a female running mate (though he focused on Republican Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlitt Packard, rather than Governor Sarah Palin), and (C) Barack's having to choose first and having virtually no qualified female other than Hillary Clinton would leave him exposed to McCain's choosing a female.

If anyone has any belated ideas about how disaster can be averted (please see the proposed discussion outline for August 13th on http://www.drinkingliberallyslc.org/reading), it is not too late for action!!!

*****
SEPTEMBER 10TH MEETING

Our next meeting is WEDNESday Sep 10th and will focus on "Barack Obama's 'Bible' = 'Rules for Radicals' by Saul Alinsky" (available at your local library or from Amazon.com in paperback for $10.36 + shipping). Attached is a flyer with complete details. Please print it off and post it liberally on every bulletin board you can think of!!!

This month's quiz with last week's e-mail + suggested answers =

Question 1.

Who is considered the "father of community organizing"?

Suggested Answer 1.

Saul David Alinsky, who was born 30 January 1909 in Chicago, and died 12 June 1972 in Carmel CA.

Question 2.

About whom did Hillary Rodham write her senior honors thesis at Wellesley College?

Suggested Answer 2.

Saul Alinsky. Though after she became "First Lady," the White House requested Wellesley College to restrict access to the thesis for fear of becoming too closely associated with Alinsky's ideas.

Question 3.

Who organized the meatpackers in Chicago's notorious stockyards - which had been described by Upton Sinclair in his classic "The Jungle"?

Suggested Answer 3.

Saul Alinsky, which is where he began his lifetime work of community/labor/political organizing.

Question 4.

On what other causes did Alinsky work?

Suggested Answer 4.

After organizing the Meatpackers Union, Alinsky founded and ran his famous "Industrial Areas Foundation" which trained organizers and assisted in the founding of community organizations around the country - emphasizing the "grass roots" type of organizing that became prominent in the 1960's.

Most famously, he was the moving force behind the formation and success of the United Farm Workers. And (both directly and through his disciples) a moving force behind both the Civil Rights Movement and the Anti-Vietnam War Movement.

Question 5.

Who was the principal mentor for Cesar Chavez in organizing the United Farm Workers Union?

Suggested Answer 5.

Fred Ross, who was on Saul Alinsky's payroll and assigned by Alinsky to mentor Chavez.

Question 6.

Where had Cesar Chavez received his training in organizing?

Suggested Answer 6.

Saul Alinsky's "Industrial Areas Foundation" described in #4 above.

Question 7.

Did Alinsky have a pivotal influence on the civil rights movement and the anti-Vietnam war movement?

Suggested Answer 7.

Yes. Many important leaders in both movements had attended Alinsky's "Industrial Areas Foundation" and/or credited Alinsky's writings for their success.

Question 8.

What was Alinsky's attitude toward democracy?

Suggested Answer 8.

He was probably America's greatest "cheer leader" for democracy - constantly pointing out how much easier the goals of community organizations can be achieved in a democratic society.

Though why should this be a surprise??? After all, do any of us believe we would ever have heard of Mahatma Ghandi if he had been facing Hitler or Stalin, rather than the British???

Question 9.

If "Be All You Can Be" had not been used by the Army for 20 years as a recruitment slogan, what would it have best summarized?

Suggested Answer 9.

Saul Alinsky constantly preaching that one should do "whatever it takes" to achieve the goals of community groups - even if that means cutting your hair, shaving, wearing a coat & tie, being polite, etc., etc., when meeting with decision makers you are trying to influence.

Question 10.

What was the "bedrock philosophy" or basic "how to" for Alinsky?

Suggested Answer 10.

First, listening and listening and listening - to the members of the community you are attempting to "organize" - to ascertain what they want!!!

Then, making shrewd judgments of what might actually be achievable with hard work, knowledge and a little luck!!!

Question 11.

When Barack Obama was hired in 1985 by Jerry Kellman to leave his NYC corporate job and come to Chicago's South Side to work on Kellman's "Developing Communities Project" WHICH TO THIS DAY IS EXPLICITLY BASED ON ALINSKY'S PHILOSOPHY, what was Barack's first assignment?

Suggested Answer 11.

To conduct 30 interviews/week!!! In other words, to listen and listen and listen!!!

Question 12.

When Barack (or any Alinsky disciple who preaches "change") is criticized for a lack of specificity, why is the criticism invalid?

Suggested Answer 12.

Because Alinsky's organizing philosophy is not to generate the ideas and dictate them to the community. But rather to listen and listen and listen - and then be the agent to bring about the changes the community wants.

In Alinsky's philosophy, "change" is A PROCESS, rather than a set of proposals.

Question 13.

Please name at least two reasons for learning about Saul Alinsky's philosophy and methodology.

Suggested Answer 13.

To better understand Barack Obama.

To be better "agents for change" ourselves!!!

Your friend,

John K.

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