Principles of Political War (Part 3)
Here are six principles of political war the left understands much better than most conservatives: 1) Politics is war conducted by other means; 2) Politics is a war of position; 3) In political wars the aggressor usually prevails; 4) Position is defined by fear and hope; 5) The weapons of politics are symbols evoking fear and hope; and 6) Victory lies on the side of the people. Now let’s explain them further, one at a time. Politics is war conducted by other means: In modern political warfare one doesn’t only fight to prevail in argument but to destroy the opponent’s ability to argue at all. Conservatives often regard their political combat as a debate before the Oxford Union Society. Theoretically one’s winning should depend upon rational and well-articulated arguments. Unfortunately the democratic audience in American politics today is not made up of many
Politics is a war of position: There are essentially two sides to every political contest, namely friends and enemies. One can also identify two sides as winners and losers. A political combatant strives to define oneself as “friend” to the largest possible constituencies compatible with his principles. Friends that way become winners. “Others” (i.e., not friends) are simply enemies, and these become the losers. Caution is in order, however, in that American politics takes place in a pluralistic framework. Constituencies are diverse, overlap and are often in conflict. Coalitions are always shifting. Over the course of several election cycles, one’s friends might become enemies and vice versa. Two unwritten formal rules in democratic engagement are therefore fairness and tolerance. According to David Horowitz, “If you appear mean-spirited, nasty, or too judgmental, it will make the task easier for your opponent to define you as a threat, and therefore as the enemy.” Only nice conservatives win, in other words.
In political warfare, the aggressor usually prevails: Aggression is advantageous precisely because politics is a war of position. Position is defined by the images that stick moreover. By striking first, one defines issues and the adversary. Defining the opposition is indeed the most decisive move in a political war. Other things being equal, whoever is put on the defensive generally winds up on the losing side. Going negative, as it were, increases the risk of being defined as an enemy, but ruling that out is a huge risk. The trick is to be aggressive and selectively negative towards an opponent without being ugly about it.
Position is defined by fear and hope: The twin emotions of politics are fear and hope. Those who provide people with hope become friends; those who inspire fear become enemies. The weapons of politics are symbols evoking fear and hope: Conservatives lose a lot of political battles, because they come across as too hard-edged. David Horowitz says a good rule of thumb is to be just the opposite. “You have to convince people you care about them before they’ll care about what you have to say. When you do get to speak, don’t forget that a sound-bite is all you have. Whatever you have to say, make sure to say it loud and clear. Keep it simple and keep it short…. Repeat it often. Get it on television. Radio is good, but with few exceptions, only television reaches a public that is electorally significant. In politics, television is reality.”
Leftists always spout the party line. That’s because it is short and simple and one message is a sound-bite, whereas many messages become an indecipherable noise. Horowitz again: “The result of many messages is that there is no message. Symbols and sound-bites determine the vote. These are what hit people in the gut before they have time to think. And these are what people remember. Symbols are the impressions that last, and what ultimately defines you. Carefully chosen words and phrases are more important than paragraphs, speeches, party platforms and manifestos. What you project through images is what you are” in effect.
Victory lies on the side of the people: This is our faith, but if conservatives are to win the political war they have to turn their negative images around. They have to turn campaigns into causes also. In the Cold War conservatives had a cause and were elected time and again to defend the nation. The cause of anti-Communism resonated well at every level of American society, and even the poorest citizen understood that freedom was at stake. In a democracy, the cause that fires passions up becomes the cause of the people. As the left has shown before, the idea of justice is a powerful cause and energizes its troops in the political war. Horowitz reminds us that, “Conservatives believe in economic opportunity and individual freedom. The core of [conservative] ideas is freedom and justice for all. If we can make this intelligible to the American electorate, we will become the majority again and stop the socialist juggernaut that [now] threatens our American future.”
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Wesley Allen Riddle is a retired military officer with degrees and honors from West Point and
Source: http://odweridlife.blogspot.com/2010/08/wes-riddles-horse-sense-461.html
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