Comments on: Steppenwolf

by: The Mahablog » Don’t Blame the Boomers

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 02:42:06 +0000

[…] The truth is that we Boomers were brought up in the 1950s to be idealistic and patriotic. I’ve written about this before, here and here. We faced an entirely different culture with entirely different challenges than younger people do today. No doubt some of what we did makes no sense outside that context — you had to be there — but if you’d been brought up in the 1950s, you’d have felt drawn to beads and patchouli oil, too. Trust me. […]

by: Doug Hughes

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:26:50 +0000

Swami hit on a BIG point in #23. There was a relationship between the events and the music. Artists were informed, involved and unashamed to have their music be a declaration of their passion. The music moved the masses and the world changed.
Example: CSNY 4-way Street.

The music and video games culture that youth is exposed to today does not lend itself to social involvement. The children of Woodstock believed they could be an irresistable force. Yes, a backlash to that movement fueled Nixon’s rise to power. But I long for some sign of life, awareness and passion from today’s youth. They seem totally unaware of the dire risk and consequences of the erosion of civil rights here and the global distrust for those policies which contadict our principles.

by: Don

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 22:51:08 +0000

The draft is I think the big difference. The kids in college are not facing a trip to Baghdad when their student exemption runs out. Right now, even more than then, it’s mostly poor folk going to die. The well off kids who have the resources to go do protests, support a music culture, and in general make a lot of noise are not directly affected by the war. Ergo, they don’t care and so there are not many massive protests, not many songs denouncing the war, and no real concern. Those who are worked up can make a blog post in between cramming for exams.

by: maha

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 15:42:27 +0000

Che — California may have been an anomaly; I’m thinking of the country as a whole. But again, your definition of “progressivism” is bound by late-19th century ideas of progressivism that nationally didn’t survive the 1920s, and the sins of the Democratic Party and aging New Dealers were not sins of progressivism but a lack thereof.

I actually do see where you are coming from; it’s your choice of words and your notions of what “progressivism” is that are off base and, I think, playing into rightie fantasies.

And as for progressivism being the chief focus of the rebellion, let me say,

NONONONONONONONONO!

You keep saying that, but you’re not providing any examples that make sense. Young people rebelled against conformity, racial injustice, repression of civil liberty, and Vietnam, and none — NONE, sir — of those things was rooted in progressivism in this time-space continuum.

That said, any “ism” can be taken to extremes, which is why progressivism must always be paired with liberalism, for reasons explained in this post. But I have no more time to discuss this today.

by: Che Pasa

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 14:06:16 +0000

I realize our hostess doesn’t agree with me, nor in fact are many likely to agree with my hypotheses regarding the youth rebellions of the 1960’s vis a vis Progressivism — as Progressivism was being practiced by those in power at the time. And I realize the situation in California at the time may not have reflected the situation elsewhere.

But I’ll stick by my point. I’m trying to figure out why — when we rebels were right about so many things back in the day — the Reaganite reactionaries, and now the Bushevik totalitarians, have been so successful in dismantling much of the Progressive legacy and are hell bent on a full restoration of Archaic Feudalism. How did we as a nation go from trying to improve and perfect a flawed Progressive system to the current situation where the denizens of the White House and their lackeys are trying to undo the American Revolution?

And what can today’s youth do about it…

Understanding what the revolt of the 1960’s was about and who and what were being rebelled against and what the revolt was intended to accomplish might be helpful. My perspective is that Progressivism — as it was being practiced by those in power (albeit in California) at the time — was a chief focus of the rebellion.

by: c u n d gulag

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 12:46:24 +0000

I agree with Joe at #1. And violent ones at that… I see ad’s for war games on TV all of the time.
In honor of Bill Maher, I think we ought to have a “New Rule:” You can’t buy violent video war games unless you’ve served in the military.
We have a real “War Game” that they could play, instead. I’m against the war. I’m an anti-war activist in North Carolina. But maybe if we had the prerequisite that you had to serve in the military before you could buy a violent game, that would get the kid’s out in the street’s.
I doubt it, though. Many of them are too busy building fake video “Sims” lives, instead of being concerned about others lives.
I will give today’s kid’s one thing - their focus. I know a few that are so focused on their studies, that they really are not all that aware of what is going on in this country.
Maybe I’m being too pessimistic. “HOPE” is the only acceptable four-letter word. After all, THEY are OUR future. And I’m not givimg up hope in them…

by: Zeus

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 08:03:02 +0000

“Some even wistfully remarked that they would like to be part of a generational rebellion” John McMillian

I wistfully remember being a part of that generational rebellion and often tell my children how sad it is that their generation is not doing more regarding this war.

How ironic that 1960s parents preferred that their children not get involved in war protests where many of us today wish that our children would.

by: Che Pasa

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 05:09:24 +0000

[post deleted because I don’t have time to respond to it; Che is using a definition of “progressivism” that had some validity a century ago, but is not what the word means now.]

by: Swami

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 04:35:24 +0000

Don’t forget the impact that music had on the generation coming up in the 60’s. I used to play my air guitar to Steppenwolf’s— Born to be wild. Music shaped our attitudes toward the establishment. Kids today don’t even know what it’s like to feel groovy.

I wouldn’t want to be a young one starting out in todays economy. I see it as much more difficult to get a piece of the pie, my last vehicle cost more money than my first house.

by: stevesh

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 04:12:26 +0000

Maha,

McNamara stating (pardon the paraphrase), “We got bad intel because Tailgunner gutted State,” sounds alot like something, ahem, very contemporary. Or contemplameorary, if you will.

Also, there’s a gap/gloss here that doesn’t mention that little JFK/Lodge/Diem dustup.

Re: Dixiecrats. Republicans brought the Civil Rights Act over the line. Granted some did so to stick it in the Democrats’ eye, but others (Dirkson, in particular) were with the angels.

Just throwing that out there. History has many voices, and yours is a POV that ought to be, as I’ve heard someone say today, part of the conversation.