As always, thank you for your insightful look at the (deliberately-maintained) “generation divide” in America. ‘Divide and Conquer’ has always been a successful strategy of America’s ruling class. Republican vs. Democrat is not the only way in which we have been turned into “chopped liver” here. Only when we recognize that these divisions hurt us will we begin to fight back successfully.
I think university education has added to conformism rather than radicalism. I live in a university city where if you haven't been in higher education then you are regarded as some sort of knuckle dragging dimwit. Everything learnt at uni is accepted as a religious text
yeah, one way i knew there was something wrong with this university picture was as a teenager, typing students' papers for them, and discovering that between all these students and the college dropout typing their papers, only one of us was capable of making any sense. it's better at the ivy league schools, tho. there the kids are smart. after doing hundreds of gigs at colleges across the country, this was my conclusion.
I remember feeling that the rise of "new age" mentality was part of ruling class efforts to neutralize the youth movement. "Why don't you be more positive brother?", "You know you create your own reality brother" etc. I found all that to be infuriating and widespread. The main thing which seemed to decisively take people away from movements was the reality of caring for children. A few continued with children in tow, despite much criticism from extended family. Many went to work in our corporate dominated economy and slowly shifted consciousness to accept compromises they had to make.
I remember eagerly waiting to see, or read in newspapers, coverage after attending anti-war demonstration around 1970.
Also on July 4, 1970 there was the first draft lottery. I was on the was to DC for like a Yippie smoke-in. I got a high number and knew right then that I would not likely be drafted. I was 18 and didn’t go to college so I was vulnerable. That was a problem I no longer had to personally worry about.
-- A boomer living on $475 a month SS and a lot of art modeling in NYC.
No doubt the FBI psyops across the US and their jailing and murder of leading radicals from 1916-present) created a drama that appeared as “outrage” but that self-censored and whose activist leaders actively prevented all effective organizing in subsequent protests. I’d say the dream and hope died.
Interesting article. As far as why the momentum went out of the movement in the 70s, I think its fair to say that the end of the draft played a big role. Strategy changed around 1970 in response to popular dismay at the high casualty numbers, and the war after then was largely waged from the air, especially on the US side. Im sure they were still pushing plenty of Vietnamese soldiers in front of bullets. But as the likelihood declined of a US kid actually being drafted and put in harm's way, there was no doubt the sense of urgency in my generation as a whole did too. Not that the govts sophisticated anti-left activities didn't also contribute a lot. And that's also when the anti-union/pro corporate strategy began to be employed by the bosses, and I agree that nothing compares to the end of union influence in our communities as a long term cause of American benightedness.
I enjoy hearing your descriptions of what it's like in other places where people are still in control of their lives to some degree. They are important and uplifting examples of how we could stop fighting among ourselves and unite against those in power
As always, thank you for your insightful look at the (deliberately-maintained) “generation divide” in America. ‘Divide and Conquer’ has always been a successful strategy of America’s ruling class. Republican vs. Democrat is not the only way in which we have been turned into “chopped liver” here. Only when we recognize that these divisions hurt us will we begin to fight back successfully.
I think university education has added to conformism rather than radicalism. I live in a university city where if you haven't been in higher education then you are regarded as some sort of knuckle dragging dimwit. Everything learnt at uni is accepted as a religious text
yeah, one way i knew there was something wrong with this university picture was as a teenager, typing students' papers for them, and discovering that between all these students and the college dropout typing their papers, only one of us was capable of making any sense. it's better at the ivy league schools, tho. there the kids are smart. after doing hundreds of gigs at colleges across the country, this was my conclusion.
Spot on.
I remember feeling that the rise of "new age" mentality was part of ruling class efforts to neutralize the youth movement. "Why don't you be more positive brother?", "You know you create your own reality brother" etc. I found all that to be infuriating and widespread. The main thing which seemed to decisively take people away from movements was the reality of caring for children. A few continued with children in tow, despite much criticism from extended family. Many went to work in our corporate dominated economy and slowly shifted consciousness to accept compromises they had to make.
I remember eagerly waiting to see, or read in newspapers, coverage after attending anti-war demonstration around 1970.
Also on July 4, 1970 there was the first draft lottery. I was on the was to DC for like a Yippie smoke-in. I got a high number and knew right then that I would not likely be drafted. I was 18 and didn’t go to college so I was vulnerable. That was a problem I no longer had to personally worry about.
-- A boomer living on $475 a month SS and a lot of art modeling in NYC.
No doubt the FBI psyops across the US and their jailing and murder of leading radicals from 1916-present) created a drama that appeared as “outrage” but that self-censored and whose activist leaders actively prevented all effective organizing in subsequent protests. I’d say the dream and hope died.
Interesting article. As far as why the momentum went out of the movement in the 70s, I think its fair to say that the end of the draft played a big role. Strategy changed around 1970 in response to popular dismay at the high casualty numbers, and the war after then was largely waged from the air, especially on the US side. Im sure they were still pushing plenty of Vietnamese soldiers in front of bullets. But as the likelihood declined of a US kid actually being drafted and put in harm's way, there was no doubt the sense of urgency in my generation as a whole did too. Not that the govts sophisticated anti-left activities didn't also contribute a lot. And that's also when the anti-union/pro corporate strategy began to be employed by the bosses, and I agree that nothing compares to the end of union influence in our communities as a long term cause of American benightedness.
I enjoy hearing your descriptions of what it's like in other places where people are still in control of their lives to some degree. They are important and uplifting examples of how we could stop fighting among ourselves and unite against those in power