Good thorough review and analysis of the social and resistance movements of the previous 100 years, David.
One of the things that motivated the revolutions at the end of WW I was the senseless slaughter of millions of draftee soldiers. In the 1960's the US black Civil Rights movement - very much a singing movement - led directly into the student anti-war movement where comfortable middle class kids disillusioned with the racist regime and fearing being drafted into a war they didn't support rebelled, forming a counterculture.
This counterculture inherited the black gospel and blues music from the Civil Rights movement and mixed it with Rock 'n Roll to create a sense of identity counterposed to their parents post WW II working class suburban "American Dream".
The Vietnam war was the first significant war to be televised and the daily newscasts of carnage and atrocities, however censored, played a large part in creating resistance around the world.
The ruling class learned from the large scale '60's rebellion and censored the TV much more heavily while replacing the unwilling draftee army with a full time volunteer professional army. They have also kept troops on the ground to a minimum and relied much more heavily on ruthless and relentless air power to 'win' subsequent wars. No US/UK/EU casualties to speak of means little resistance as their wars are only opposed on moral grounds. "If it doesn't affect me personally, I don't care how many (pick a nationality, race, ethnic or religious group) are killed" is the average American's motto.
Absent a personal threat of being drafted and sent off to the front, it is difficult to organize an antiwar movement among a population brought up in a "look out for #1" society. But we have to keep trying. Thanks for doing your part so well, David.
Good thorough review and analysis of the social and resistance movements of the previous 100 years, David.
One of the things that motivated the revolutions at the end of WW I was the senseless slaughter of millions of draftee soldiers. In the 1960's the US black Civil Rights movement - very much a singing movement - led directly into the student anti-war movement where comfortable middle class kids disillusioned with the racist regime and fearing being drafted into a war they didn't support rebelled, forming a counterculture.
This counterculture inherited the black gospel and blues music from the Civil Rights movement and mixed it with Rock 'n Roll to create a sense of identity counterposed to their parents post WW II working class suburban "American Dream".
The Vietnam war was the first significant war to be televised and the daily newscasts of carnage and atrocities, however censored, played a large part in creating resistance around the world.
The ruling class learned from the large scale '60's rebellion and censored the TV much more heavily while replacing the unwilling draftee army with a full time volunteer professional army. They have also kept troops on the ground to a minimum and relied much more heavily on ruthless and relentless air power to 'win' subsequent wars. No US/UK/EU casualties to speak of means little resistance as their wars are only opposed on moral grounds. "If it doesn't affect me personally, I don't care how many (pick a nationality, race, ethnic or religious group) are killed" is the average American's motto.
Absent a personal threat of being drafted and sent off to the front, it is difficult to organize an antiwar movement among a population brought up in a "look out for #1" society. But we have to keep trying. Thanks for doing your part so well, David.
you're making a whole lot of sense as usual, terry.
Excellent synopsis! The ability of the down pressers to target individual organizers has had a huge negative impact on political resistance.
yes! what renee diresta calls the collision of the propaganda machine with the rumor mill.