Do the ends of social justice justify using dishonest means?

[WhiskeyGirl]

It is very important for those of us writing or reading opinion pieces from whichever political point of view to be aware of the social philosopher Saul Alinsky (1909 to 1972). He has had a profound influence on the leadership of the Democratic party starting in the 1960’s, arguing that the ends of social justice can justify dishonest means to achieve it.

I read somewhere that he had read and praised Hillary Clinton’s Wellesley college thesis. Wikipedia writes, “In her 2003 memoirs, Clinton mentioned the thesis only briefly, saying she had agreed with some of Alinsky’s ideas, but hadn’t agreed with his belief that it was impossible to ‘change the system from inside.’”

Also, Michelle Obama refers to him favorably in her Princeton thesis. I’ve read that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama was influenced by him as was the Rev. Wright and Bill Ayers and the other terrorist members of the Weathermen underground. And, I suspect, so is the leadership of ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, Inc.), which currently is fighting charges of fraudulently registering thousands of voters in at least 13 states.

Alinsky’s first book was published in 1946 and had not received much notice when I attended college as a member of the 1950’s “beat generation” he so abhors. Reading a little of him as I have today it seems that he values social justice as the greatest good and that radical means, even dishonest or criminal means, are justified to achieve that end. Some of his followers have come to believe Alinsky excused lying, cheating, stealing, etc. if done in defense of social justice. That the ends justify the means has been expressed by Republicans as well as Democrats. Remember Barry Goldwater’s 1964 presidential nomination acceptance speech: “Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. And, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue”?

(snip)

The article goes on to show the prologue to Alinsky's book "Rules for Radicals".

http://www.kpcnews.com/articles/2008/10/14/features/columnists/george_witwer/hid78255sect_a85973188b5d8586bf0.txt

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First they came for the xxx, and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a xxx.

...

Then they came for me, and there was no one left
to speak up for me.

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When does it end?