The proxy tactic was an experimental tactic for Alinsky. It’s a more advanced topic for this substack, but there is an excellent example of it currently in the news.
Back Story
Georgia passed some voter laws. The Democrats have pounced on those laws calling them the new Jim Crow. Biden even said the laws are so draconian that they make “Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle.” Because as we all know, Eagles > Crows. Also, if I ever start an OnlyFans page, I’m doing it under the name Jim Eagle.
The particulars of the conflict don’t matter and aren’t the point of this substack. The framing of the argument by Democrats is the new Georgia laws are akin to Jim Crow voting laws.
This is a serious charge. Jim Crow laws are very racist and very bad. So we must do something about it. A corporation that has done something about it is the MLB. They’ve changed the venue of their All-Star game from Atlanta to Denver. This has also led to pressure on Georgia companies. The two most famous are Delta Airlines and Coca-cola.
This is where we are
Corporations are hurting the state of Georgia economically because the Democrats have framed the argument to make staying in Georgia akin to supporting Jim Crow-style laws.
Delta Airlines has released statements condemning the Georgia state government. But this is beside the point. Why do corporations care? Corporations have one job, and that is to make a profit. IBM would have never helped the Nazis if doing good were essential to corporations.
So why are these corporations acting this way? Well, in this case, we know—the Proxy tactic.
The Proxy Tactic
The proxy idea first came up as a way to gain entrance to the annual stockholders’ meeting for harassment and publicity
Shareholders of a company get to attend and vote at shareholders’ meetings. A proxy vote allows you to send someone in your place to the meeting. It’s a weak link in the chain. And it allows the radical to find a way in. They just need a willing shareholder.
Through the proxy vote and shareholders, the radicals can exert pain on the company via publicity stunts or intimidation. It’s a soft target.
This is what happened in the case of Delta Airlines.
Through proxies and an activist shareholder, Democrats were able to coerce an action out of Delta.
It’s a classic Saul Alinsky tactic that you rarely get to see evidence of. Check out the second to last chapter in Rules for Radicals to read more about it.