The recent happenings at Berkeley got me to thinking. A comment I made about the current riots (roughly) “That was nothing. In the 60s there were 10s of thousands in the streets. They are getting thousands. At most.” got me thinking more.
In the 60s I was on scene for a lot of it. I describe a little of that here. And just in case you want to really get into the zeitgeist of that era here are a couple of songs from the sound track.
So here is what I think is going on. The current generation wishes it had been there for the 60s. There were big issues that needed correcting. Jim Crow in the South, ‘Nam, the draft, the War On Long Hairs, The War On Gays. The silencing of dissent by the right wing UC Berkeley Administration (that is what Mario Savio was all about). A lot of very ugly stuff. UnAmerican even. At least as we think of ourselves today.
And for the most part – all of that is gone. The problems have been resolved. The left is left with relatively trivial issues. Or completely insane ones. If they had any sense or any sense of history they would recall that era and what all those demonstrations got them. Nixon. Wage and Price controls Nixon. Nixon also solved Viet Nam. The Congress fixed the draft. The War On Long Hairs is not quite over. But long hair is no longer the revolutionary act it once was. Being gay is no longer against the law. Heck. A gay guy is leading a segment of the Republican Party. And he is a Brit. Take that John Lennon.
So they won on their issues and lost politically.
The current generation wishes it could have been there. We had better music. Better issues. And bigger riots. Because all that remains to do these days is for the most part odds and ends. And they know it. That explains why the demonstrations are not well attended. There is very little moral force behind them.
I expect Trump will keep throwing issues at them until they get tired. I’m betting that once they start getting tired he will keep one of his campaign promises and with that mental/political jujitsu completely wreck their point of view. That will not stop the hardcore. Or the paid. But a continued lack of energy will thin their ranks further.
And 2018? A Republican landslide. And 2020? A Republican landslide. As long as we can keep Republican politicians from doing something stupid. My hope is that Trump will prevent any big move in the stupid direction. He seems to be doing that well so far.
Comments
19 responses to “It Is Not A Real Fight – It Is 60s Nostalgia”
Time to start bashing heads. The definitive way to stop riots is to make rioting hurt.
do you even know what mario savio and the free speech movement was even about?
do you even know what these rioters want? If you do please explain it to me.
I doubt the shitheads burning the Berkeley campus over Milo Yiannopolis can even spell “free speech”.
The romance of “Revolution!”.
For Leftist, political agitation is supposed to be part of their college experience. And you are right, nostalgia for the 60’s is, and has been, part of the student Left’s dreams since the 60’s.
Leftism poisons the mind.
Thought experiment: If Trump had run on exactly the same platform as a Democrat would these idiots still be rioting?
They don’t know what they want, but they are willing to bang their cup on their high chair and scream until they get it.
Nostalgia for 1848 and the Paris Commune.
‘As long as we can keep Republican politicians from doing something stupid.’
Fat chance of that.
I watched Mario speak. Sproul Plaza.
Did you?
the democratic party is in the streets it is mostly unorganized for now ;but soon it will be! non violence is a tactic not a goal. much of america is still in shock and is slowly coming around. as malcolm X said “by any means necessary.” the corporate establishment democrats are in fear for their own political careers as they have been discredited. many are afraid they will be primaries as gerrymandering actually hurts establishment democrats in many heavily democrat districts. the base is angry and wants revenge!
I was too young for Super Mario. Ancient history, yet one more leftist firebrand from 50 years ago. One with the dust of ages. I don’t effing care.
Ya’ll got your free speech, Jim Crow is dead meat on a stick, the KKK is a couple of dozen inbred toothless crackers. Pat yourselves on the back.
If you want to match leftist credential size, I shook hands with Pete Seeger. My mother was BFF with Eleanor Burlingame, and her son Bo spoke at my high school about the wonders of SDS and the Weather Underground. I can remember when Ron Radosh was still a communist, we had WBAI playing in the house 24/7. I’ve heard it all, and I can’t stand it.
As for free speech, I’m a 1st amendment absolutist. I believe the constitution means exactly what it says. Virtually any speech short of violence is allowed. If you don’t like it ignore it.(Also the 2nd through 10th, ditto). Which part of “peaceably to assemble” is hard to understand? A riot is not a demonstration. Especially with something like the freakshow at Berkeley, nothing but destructive nihilism. The correct response to a riot is something like that of the Korean shop keepers during the Rodney King riots. Guns, lots of guns. As per usual, the police were either useless jobsworths or colluding with the rioters. And why do they always trash Starbucks? The CEO is on their side. I mean, Starbucks coffee is overpriced slop, but nobody is forcing you to drink it. Try Peets next time you’re in Berkeley.
The left has historically only been interested in free speech when it applies to them. For the modern leftoids and rightosaurs free speech means either anything goes as long as it’s pornography, or anything goes as long as it isn’t pornography. Screw both sides sideways with an iron stick.
Meanwhile, I recommend “Destructive Generation” by Peter and David Horowitz.
Those were the days.
Perhaps I should call the above the “SJW’s Lament”
“Is that lonely woman really me?”
Yes.
Man Mountain Molehill,
I was a hardcore leftist back then too. Communist even (A Trot – generally). Odd how experience changes you, eh?
Odd how experience changes you, eh?
Ain’t that the truth, Simon. I was raised in a moderate Democrat home, the son of devout Southern Baptists. Now I’m an atheist and vote center-right. Go figure.
MMM-
Loved Horowitz’ biography. He’s had quite the journey, more so than most.
oops, that should be Peter Collier,
I inadvertently left out his last name.
I was at a speech by David Horowitz at Berkeley sometime around 2001 or 2002. The protesters weren’t quite as organized back then, he did speak, the riot didn’t start until after he was done. Lucky for me I sensed the seething violence and snuck out early.
I was never a much of a hardcore leftist, something inoculated me against it. Probably some combination of Robert Heinlein, seeing the innate incoherence of the left up close and personal, and Gilbert Shelton for some reason. Probably because he was too much of a Texan to be a full-on leftist.
Trots always made more sense than other communists.
molehill the middle is where we all evolve to except those who go from one extreme to the other. both socialism and capitalism have good and bad points. we would not be better off without social security and medicare. even ayn rand had to go on medicare when the good capitalist insurance companies rejected her for pre existing conditions.
molehill we all evolve to the middle except those who go from one extreme to the other we would not be better off without social security and medicare. even your god ayn rand had to get on medicare when the good capitalist insurance companies rejected her for preexisting conditions.
IIRC, I saw Mario Savio as a clerk at Cody’s Books on Telegraph circa 1970. Does that ring a bell, Simon?