Week+8+-+2.3.2012

=Rules for Radicals - Rule #8=

**Saul Alinsky**’s //Rules for Radicals// essentially outline several guidelines or tips for organizers to keep in mind whilst managing various grassroots movements. According to Alinsky, his rules are meant to allow the “Have-Nots”, or in other words, the vast majority of people who are not in positions of power, to redistribute the power held by the “Haves”.

 Rule number 8 specifically clarifies how organizers and their movements must continuously pressure the opposition by utilizing diverse strategies while simultaneously incorporating recent and relevant happenings around the world to the specific cause. This, claims Alinsky, “will cause the opposition to react to your advantage.” [1].

 A current existing example of Alinsky’s rule number eight is evident within the various tactics employed by the Occupy Movement. The fact that the movement aims to represent the 99%, which basically are the “Have-Nots” referred to by Alinsky, demonstrates how the //Rules for Radicals// can be applied to this particular movement.

 The revolutionary act of relying on social media to organize protests and actions is predominantly associated with the Occupy Movement. Quite regularly the organization posts notifications namely on their Twitter account informing fellow members where and when events are occurring, along with information on where Police are arresting protesters so as to assist in avoiding these areas. These modern approaches exert a greater pressure on the opposition, or the 1%, than many previous movements of a similar calibre.

 Finally, the fact that the Occupy Movement relates its cause to the ever-rising post-secondary tuition fees allows the organization to attract students to their protests,  resulting in larger numbers of protesters and ultimately more pressure on the opposition.