Sunday, December 4, 2011

Frank Luntz and Saul Alinsky on Compromise

"A society devoid of compromise is totalitarian. If I had to define a free and open society in one word, the word would be compromise." - Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals.

"Don't ever say you're willing to 'compromise.'"If you talk about 'compromise,' they'll say you're selling out. Your side doesn't want you to 'compromise.' Compromise says that you're selling out those principles." - Frank Luntz, Rules for Republicans.

So, whom does Luntz and the Republicon Party represent? The 1%, Wall Street thieves, criminals and vultures. "I Get It". It's despicable and it's obvious. Any right-winger or anyone who has not watched the Republicon presidential clown show with disgust and revulsion or hasn't seen the 112th Congress fight, obstruct, and pander for the Plutocracy is so blinded by propaganda as to be utterly lost to the human race.

But, right-wing blog comments are a pardoy on inteligent discourse as they boil down to a standardized list of shorthand rage and illogical conclusions. Merely mentioning Alinsky in this post would be enough to throw a conservative into a blistering red-hot rage and respond with the cliched short hand comments found on every conservative site.

However, there should seriously, be a simple numerical system for the unthinking automatic rightwing responses. It could go like this:
1) Obama is the same as Hitler, Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot et al.
2) ACORN
3) Saul Alinsky!!!
4) Of course, by the Free Market
5) Occupooper
6) leftist fascism
7) Get a job!
8) Gingrich is soooo smart
9) Fannie and Freddie
and so on.

And then instead of worrying about deciphering and refuting the nonsensical comments from conservative trolls all you would need to do is reference the handy-dandy chart.

3 comments:

Eric Noren said...

I'm probably giving Luntz more credit than you would, but I think his point is that people no longer like the word "compromise." It implies to an ideologue -- left or right -- that ideological principles are being compromised.

I've started to use the word pragmatic. Ideology only takes us so far, and to get anything done, we need to be more pragmatic. Yes, this means compromising, but we should be able to meet in the middle on things without either of us compromising on principle.

Joe "Truth 101" Kelly said...

I would be glad to incorporate the best ideas of the right if they had any good ideas.

Their whole plan is summed up in two words; less everything.

Grung_e_Gene said...

Yes, it appears you do give Luntz more credit than I.

However, your analysis of what the word now implies to hard left/right ideologues is probably correct.

But, Luntz is not trying to advise Republicans on better ways to communicate to the American People but, is trying to come up with the just the right political speak to fool enough people to vote for positions they don't actually hold.

Also, the "I Get It" line is clearly intended to mollify OWS and not out of any actual empathy for the plight of the non-Rich.