comments on 3 Alinskys

[colist-admin at comm-org.utoledo.edu]

[ed:  thanks to Mark and Peter for sharing their continuing 
discussion on Peter's COMM-ORG paper--see below for reference]

From: "Mark R. Warren" <warrenma at gse.harvard.edu>
13. Januar 2003 

Dear Peter,

After I wrote you last week, I continued to think about your paper. 
I'm not sure it makes sense to give equal weight to "3 Alinskys." 
Yes, all of these things influenced and interested Alinsky, but he 
was primarily a "man of action", of politics.  

Best of luck,
Mark

****************************************
From: Peter Szynka <peter.szynka at diakonie-oldenburger-
land.de>
13.Januar 2003

Dear Mark,

I think you are right, Alinsky was a "man of action". But what I´m 
trying to do is to give the other two Alinsky´s more weight, because 
I think, that his integral approach could be an important contribution 
to politics as well as to science and to religion or morals. Alinsky 
"as a politician" has been utilized by parts of a somehow socialist 
movement during the 70th in West-Germany. This perception was 
selective and does not help for actual problems. Alinsky could be 
too easily discredited.  

The movement of the 70th neglected the early "scientific" and the 
later "moral" Alinsky. I hope that the emphasis on this "scientific" 
and "moral" Alinsky would give him more stand (for instance like a 
schemel, a three-legged-chair) in Germany. Also my emphasis on 
science and morals should help to mobilize two important "forces" 
over here: (social-) science and organized religion. 

Peter


[ed:  If you missed the December 31 announcement of Peter's 
paper "Three Alinskys," you can get it  at the COMM-ORG "Papers" 
page, in the  2002 papers section:  http://comm-
org.utoledo.edu/papers.htm ]