Cloward-Piven Strategy Resurgence in the Form of BLM and ANTIFA Led Riots

Richard Andrew Cloward and Francis Fox Piven are two names that are largely unfamiliar to the average American, but their historical relevance is being seen all over the country today as we watch civil unrest in the form of riots ensue.  The Cloward-Piven strategy is well known among modern day revolutionaries including democratic socialists. These two individuals have long been members of the Democratic Socialists of America. 

This strategy has origins all the way back to 1965 when there were riots in Los Angeles that started after LAPD Officers attempted to subdue a man that was suspected of drunk driving using batons. In 1966, Cloward and Piven produced an article “The Weight of the Poor: A Strategy to End Poverty.” It was published in the May 2. 1966 issue of The Nation.  After tens of thousands of reprints, many recognized this work as a strategy that could be utilized in a crisis.

The Cloward-Piven strategy made an argument that the elite ruling class was subduing the poor through a welfare system that kept those on the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder in check through appeasement. The rationale that was used here, was that oligarchs avoided rebellion by the poor through implementation of a economic safety net.

The case to be made here was that the poor would only see progress, when society was afraid of them. The plan here was to overload the system, so that the system collapses. This then opens the door to installment of a totalitarian regime to control the masses.  This strategy was conceived with an inherent hatred for capitalism and the desire to collapse our economic system.

Saul Alinsky was an inspiration for many early Cloward-Piven advocates.  Alinsky authored Rules for Radicals, a work that has inspired leftist revolutionaries for decades. Hillary Clinton was also very partial to this work by Alinsky and wrote her thesis for school using ideology and concepts from the book. Alinsky was introduced to Hillary by a Methodist Pastor that had befriended her and started pointing her in a direction that lead her away from her conservative beliefs at the time. 

Hillary was a Goldwater girl before turning to the dark side, so to speak.  Alinsky’s background takes us all the way back to Chicago in the age of prohibition as he rode along with Al Capone’s bag man, learning the ropes from the professionals. Alinsky took what he learned and formed his own qualities as an agitator, but chose to do so through strategic placement of individuals in positions of authority in government, to take control from the inside.  

The article that sparked the explosion of the Cloward-Piven strategy called for, “cadres of aggressive organizers” and to utilize “demonstrations to create a climate of militancy.” Controlled media efforts with sycophantic journalists are made to push the narrative. The only thing today that is different from the original intent of this strategy is that the application that we are seeing now is not related to the welfare system. The main objective still leads to the same end, overwhelming the system and forcing it into collapse. They are now trying to disband law enforcement and/or cut their funding.

We must acknowledge that there is an organized effort, by bad actors, foreign and domestic, that want to see the destruction of our republic. We cannot be intimidated by those that want to call us conspiracy theorists, or make fun of us and our “tin foil hats.” We have to speak truth to our elected officials and remind them that they work for us, and that we are not their subjects. 

Putting an end to these revolutionary insurgents, is only possible if we recognize them for what they are. The first step to solving a problem, is acknowledging that you have one. We need to be united as a people because together we are strong. When we are divided along lines of race, gender, sexual orientation, and political ideology we are weak as we fight each other, rather than push back against those that are doing the damage to this country. We need to realize this and stop sabotaging our fellow Americans.


Jason A Brown, a husband and father, and practical nurse of 13 years, holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice/Homeland Security. He studies and applies arenas of thought including sociology, philosophy, constitutional law, politics, and history.

Comments

  1. either one leads from stand point of hope( optimism), or fear. There only 2-basic types of people- builders or providers, and or dividers and takers.
    In my study of history- Marx to Hilary do not have any type revolutionary ideas, their method have all been used in the past, dating all way back to pre- biblical kingdoms. What they have done is codify evil. Take economics- America and other have never really define,or codified “free economic” other than to practice ethics and a morality that promoted free economics. Marx came along and said I am going to be the Machiavelli of the 19th century, and wrote a lot stuff that contrary professors and emotionally handicap youth have been in love with since. Marxism fails every time, Marx could not even win his own revolution, it fails because it empowers the divide and takers and leads by fear.

Trackbacks

  1. […] and Francis Fox Piven are two names that are largely unfamiliar to the average American, but, as Jason Brown notes, their historical relevance is being seen all over the country today as we watch civil unrest in […]

  2. […] and Francis Fox Piven are two names that are largely unfamiliar to the average American, but, as Jason Brown notes, their […]

  3. […] and Francis Fox Piven are two names that are largely unfamiliar to the average American, but, as Jason Brown notes, their historical relevance is being seen all over the country today as we watch civil unrest in […]

  4. […] and Francis Fox Piven are two names that are largely unfamiliar to the average American, but, as Jason Brown notes, their historical relevance is being seen all over the country today as we watch civil unrest in […]

  5. […] and Francis Fox Piven are two names that are largely unfamiliar to the average American, but, as Jason Brown notes, their […]

  6. […] As Jason Brown notes, reflecting on the current crisis in America, we must acknowledge that there is an organized effort, by bad actors, foreign and domestic, that want to see the destruction of our republic. […]

  7. […] As Jason Brown notes, reflecting on the current crisis in America, we must acknowledge that there is an organized effort, by bad actors, foreign and domestic, that want to see the destruction of our republic. […]

  8. […] As Jason Brown notes, reflecting on the current crisis in America, we must acknowledge that there is an organized effort, by bad actors, foreign and domestic, that want to see the destruction of our republic. […]

  9. […] As Jason Brown notes, reflecting on the current crisis in America, we must acknowledge that there is an organized effort, by bad actors, foreign and domestic, that want to see the destruction of our republic. […]

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