Invoking Saul Alinsky: Beck Explores Why Wisconsin Is 'Ground Zero' for Union Thuggery

As the three phases of "Political System X" run their course, Glenn Beck touched on the "mob-tactics" of Saul Alinksy being brought to bear in the mainstream arena -- particularly where Wisconsin is concerned.

As Beck noted, Saul Alinsky turned to thugs to bring mob tactics into daily American life. His “approach to social justice,” in the words of the Washington Post, would come to rely on “generating conflict to mobilize the dispossessed.”

Mob tactics say: We will destroy your life, your family, intimidate your children and destroy your business unless you acquiesce. Beck drew correlation between this and the current landscape.

"This is exactly what is happening in Wisconsin":

For those who haven't followed the state's news closely, Wisconsin is fast-becoming what many consider ground-zero for union "thuggery." A growing list of lawmakers, business owners and regular everyday employees are reporting they have been subject to any number of union-led pressure-tactics devised to secure collective bargaining rights and other benefits currently under review. The price for non-compliance? Go out of business...or worse.

Most are likely familiar with Governor Scott Walker, who faces recall on June 5 over his stance on public employee union reforms. Walker and the GOP majority, of course, ended the union's compulsory dues, curbed bargaining rights, enacted pension and health care contributions and, above all, gave workers the freedom to choose whether to join a union or not. Michelle Malkin noted:

The Walker reform law helped prevent massive layoffs in public education by saving tens of millions of dollars in bloated benefits bills. Ending the state union monopoly on teachers' health insurance plans allowed dozens of school districts to switch their coverage to more competitive bid

Needless to say, members of the Wisconsin State Employees Union, AFSCME Council 24, are none too pleased.

But Walker isn't the only leader to come under fire. Three of the state's GOP legislators -- Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, Sen. Van Wanggaard and Sen. Terry Moulton -- also face recall and Sen. Pam Galloway is poised to step-down -- a move the left applauds as it will leave the state legislature deadlocked. Another target is embattled Tea Party candidate Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch. A small business woman, mother of two and cancer survivor who has worked on economic development, reaping "untold dividends" for the state. If ousted, the move would mark the first-ever recall of a lieutenant governor in American history.

But lawmakers are obvious targets. How are everyday civilians feeling the effects?

Businesses must display a pro-union sign in their windows...or else:

Imagine you are a small business owner and are approached by AFSCME Council 24 and told to display a pro-union sign in your store window stating:"We support workers rights." There is no option to remain "neutral." If you do not comply, the union will organize protests and stage an ongoing boycott of your store until you are out of business.

That is the grim scenario being faced by small businesses across the state.

Members of AFSCME Council 24, have begun circulating letters to businesses in southeast Wisconsin, warning that they will face a boycott if they don't support collective bargaining for public employee unions by displaying a union sign in their windows.

The letter states:  "Failure to do so will leave us no choice but (to) do a public boycott of your business...And sorry, neutral means 'no' to those who work for the largest employer in the area and are union members."

Jim Haney, the outgoing head of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, said the union effort was horrifying.

"It's kind of like the old protection racket," he said. " 'If you have the right sticker, we won't break your knees.' This is beyond the pale to force a small-business person to choose when they want to stay neutral. But that isn't good enough."

Fired for carrying a pro-Scott Walker sign in your vehicle? 

An employee of a Janesville custodial company says she was fired for carrying a pro-Scott Walker sign in her car.

According to reports, 68-year-old Mary Taylor, who works for Diversified Building Maintenance, was on assignment at Whitewater High School -- where her car was parked -- when company officials learned that school faculty were discussing the sign. A supervisor then allegedly asked Taylor if she was willing to remove the sign or be assigned to another building. According to reports, Taylor regused both options and was terminated, only to be reinstated shortly thereafter.

Diversified Building Maintenance told the Journal Sentinel it planned to have Taylor back to work the second week of March. Whether she will ever be allowed to return to Whitewater High School remains unknown.

"Who complains about a bumper sticker?" Beck asked incredulously. "And who actually takes someone seriously when someone complains about a bumper sticker?"

"This woman was fired because she didn't subscribe to union mentality... Oh, wait, she did get her job back but was moved to a different building."

So for putting a bumper sticker on her car she was fired, re-hired and it is she who has to pack up her desk in shame and move?

This goes straight to the heart of reinforcing negative stereotypes about "evil conservatives."

Issues arise over wearing a pro-Walker t-shirt at a Wisconsin bar:

Just this week a group of six visited Rox’s Bar and Grille in Pewaukee after spending the day at a pro-Walker rally. One of them was wearing a “Scott Walker is My Hero!” t-shirt.

According to a previous Blaze report, roughly an hour-and-a-half after arriving, as the group was on their way out, the same bouncer who had checked their identification at the front door then allegedly tod them that because of the Scott Walker shirt, they were no longer welcome to return. The bar owners, however, maintain that no member of the group was told not to return, only to refrain from wearing political or offensive t-shirts next time in order to "keep the peace" of the bar.

While there has been a showing of support for the pro-Walker group, one wonders what the backlash would be against the bar if someone wearing a pro-union shirt was told the same thing.

Even Wisconsin high school students are getting involved: 

Upon entering the rotunda in Madison while in town for a basketball game, students of Sheboygan Lutheran High School encountered a pro-union protest taking place. Instead of retreating, however, the students rallied in unison as they chanted "stand with Walker" in order to drown out the union protesters.

Series of videos chronicles left-wing intimidation and scare-tactics: 

The Workforce Fairness Institute is chronicling a series of left-wing pressure-tactics, including showing up at political adversaries' homes to harass and intimidate them and their families. The video is featured below for reference and paints a disturbing picture. Caution, strong language contained:

Yet again, the picture adds up to Phase II:

"Look at their tactics!" Beck exclaimed. These are all tactics that hail straight from the progressive handbook -- Saul Alinky's Rules for Radicals.

Both President Obama and Hillary Clinton were students of Alinksy. Beck noted that "this so-called teacher of theirs" was the same person who actually dedicated his book to none other than:

"The first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom -- Lucifer" 

In the words of NRO's John Fund, after studying criminology at the University of Chicago, Alinsky went into union organizing... and found it too tame.

Capone, a more suitable mentor:

If union organizing didn't stir Alinsky's soul nor satiate his hankering for radical activism, he certainly ended up finding fertile group to cultivate his seeds of discontent in none other than the mob. In retrospect, however, the move makes sense.

Alinsky, who claimed he worked his way into Al Capone's gang, becoming close to his top hit-man, "didn't care what method" he used. "As long as it worked in the end."

Proud of what he considered his achievement, Alinsky said he "learned a hell of a lot about the uses and abuses of power from the mob."

"That should send chills up your spine," Beck warned. "Because he means that in a 'we should emulate this' kind of way."

It was from this experience Alinsky derived his greatest insight and formulated his tactics of brining the mob to the mainstream, according to Beck.

But if there were any doubts as to Alinsky's ultimate goal, take into account the following quote:

"His approach to social justice relied on generating conflict to mobilize the dispossessed."

Beck asked viewers to study that sentence and weigh it against the backdrop of what is currently underway. Generating conflict is a key component of Phase II, which The Blaze has been covering extensively.

Destroying people's lives, tearing apart their families, intimidating their children and crippling their business is how people can be made to "fall in line," Beck explained.

Alinsky's approach was distinctive, and, as Americans can see now, is being replicated. According to Fund: "He [Alinsky] deployed pickets to the homes of slumlords and used megaphones to hurl insults at them; he dumped trash on the front step of a local alderman to demand better garbage collection; he flooded stockholder meetings with raucous protesters, a tactic Occupy Wall Street is emulating; and he tied up bank lines with people who exchanged loads of pennies for $100 bills and vice versa. He boasted that knowledge of his tactics often led to preemptive surrender by local officials or businesses."

Examples applied:

Beck used the example of the current Obamacare debate, saying it was "jammed down America's throat" despite the fact that the majority of Americans did not want it, nor did supporters of the bill like the way it was drafted.

These tactics are also represented in the mainstream media, where anyone who disagrees is mocked, painted an ignorant troglodyte, "shamed" and branded a "hatemonger or bigot."

Of course, this methodology, according to Beck, is also painfully apparent in the tactics of a Louis Farrakhan, who used intimidation -- even murder -- regularly to swing the pendulum in his favor.

Unions are often the prime propagators, however, as they have routinely targeted individuals. Take for example mobbing the home of a bank executive and scaring his child who was home alone. Beck noted the child was hiding in the bathroom in complete fear of the angry mob at this front door.

And this, Beck said, is the same type of intimidation being perpetuated in Wisconsin presently.

Recalling the case cited above in which small business were told to display a pro-union sign or face boycott and thus, liquidation, Beck noted the scenario sounds eerily familiar to a storyline from an old mob-movie or the real life actions of Al Capone.

Now recall who was influenced by Al Capone and was most influential in devising the tactics unions and community organizers -- including the president -- employ routinely.

Adding up?

Bringing it back to Wisconsin: 

"These are the same big labor thugs who want to oust the Governor Scott Walker over his collective bargaining reform law," Beck blasted.

It's "obvious" then, that his supporters would too, have a "target" on their back.

As Malkin wrote: "President Obama, the AFL-CIO, SEIU, AFSCME and left-wing operatives know that Wisconsin is Ground Zero in their battle against limited-government activists. Their demagogic propaganda war against Wisconsin GOP Rep. Paul Ryan, who is leading entitlement reform and budget discipline efforts in Washington, is of a piece with the campaign to overturn the popular elections that put Walker, Kleefisch and the GOP majority in place. If they can chill fiscal responsibility and free market-based reforms in Wisconsin, they can chill it everywhere. Will movement conservatives let them?"

Beck reminded that this is yet another instance where progressives are fanning the flames of chaos. Their modus operandi: If you can't convince, you silence and neutralize.

He urged that it is time for the Tea Party to rally around Wisconsin. We must expose this "evil" behavior."

Do not comply: 

Beck urged America not to allow the unions to bully us and to be vigilant of their tactics and methods of operation.

"We need to keep exposing the union thugs and their disgusting behavior."

"Tell the unions: I will not comply."

Beck promised viewers that there will be options moving forward to help Americans get more involved as there is much to be done leading up to the election.

You "may change the next election," he said.

Outlived its usefulness: 

There was a time, some argue, when unions were needed in this country. But the exploited can quickly become the exploiters when their power and influence -- from the halls of Washington to the steel mills of Pittsburgh -- is allowed to grow unchecked.

Watch Glenn's segment here: