“All life is warfare, and it’s the continuing fight against the status quo that revitalizes society, stimulates new values and gives man renewed hope of eventual progress.”

-Saul Alinsky

Since Thursday marks the anniversary of Saul Alinsky’s passing, we’ll be focusing a bit on the grandfather of modern political organization. While it has been 26 years since Alinsky passed, he maintains relevance by being featured in the news nearly once a day. This is especially true in the context of this election, where two of the most talked about candidates worked to exemplify Alinsky’s teachings, and Ron Paul’s campaign is still alive thanks in part to modern applications of Alinsky’s methods.

In addition to pointing out cool, web-based odds and ends online, posting videos, and putting together Alinsky-centered podcasts, we’ll be talking with David Sirota on Wednesday and we’ll be sure to ask him Alinsky-relevant questions in focusing on the modern applications of his teachings. If you have anything you’d like to see go up, please be in touch.

Alinsky:

• Wikipedia entry
• 1970 Time Magazine profile
• Biographical overview
• “The American Radical”
• Comprehensive interview

Alinsky and Sen. Obama:

• Obama learns from team-Alinsky
• Obama, Alinsky, and ’self-interest doctrine’
• Obama, (Bobby) Kennedy, and Alinsky

Alinsky and Sen. Clinton

• “Alinsky’s Daughter” and the Super-Secret Saul-Centered Senior Thesis
• More thesis chatter on Hillary Clinton Quarterly
• And even more on The Boston Globe

Alinsky Miscellany:

• Alinsky quoted to suggest that conservatives are more honest than liberals
• Post-Alinsky organizing?
• Taking Alinsky to the inter-webs
• Alinsky’s core rules for radicals
• Lyrics to Sufjan Stevens’ Sufjan Stevens:The Perpetual Self, Or What Would Saul Alinsky Do?

-Filed in People