During Vietnam the Cons told one lie after another. People soon began

[ConsAreLiars]

to see through the lies, as, over time, one after the other was proven to be a lie by the bloody reality of the war itself. They ran through a whole gamut of justifications, eventually teaching a good many people that when they used words like freedom and democracy they really meant the expansion of corporate capitalism's control over the population and resources of the planet, by any means necessary.

This contradiction between the reality and the official rhetoric gave rise to wide and deep social movements for peace and justice and human rights -- movements that went far beyond the range of political choices represented by the two parties. Some good, some bad, some wise, some naive, some failed, some successful. But in all cases they were a part of a period of social awareness and enlightenment that marked a great advance for humanity.

Sure, the same dark forces continue to rule, and they have again re-asserted themselves in their most vile and desperate form. But today people with half a heart and half a head take for granted some simple principles of human decency and common self-interest that were only beginning to be understood and fought for during the 60's and 70's. There were, of course, earlier fights and victories and stepping stones in the progressive movement, but this was also a period where "we the people" took some great strides forward.

I guess my question is whether we are now seeing another period of enlightenment and social progress emerging, and whether the utterly amoral and inhuman acts of today's corporatist rulers are again provoking a resurgence of a sense of righteousness and communality and the revival of the human spirit that we saw in that earlier period.

I see it in my own kids, but they've been pretty cool all along, and I see it in the young and old ones who have marched along side me in the streets, but I don't know if we are seeing that kind of broad movement appearing today. What have your experiences been? Will we see something comparable? Is it happening now? Will it spread through all areas of society as it did then?

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Growing up during Vietnam taught me to watch out for government

bullshit. It was a valuable lesson, I have yet to be fooled by any of the lies since.

[knowbody0]

2. comrade,

i do believe we will again change the world. what we don't have this time around is the draft, but the shock of 911 is wearing off, people are becoming more enlightened.

[ConsAreLiars]

3. We made great advances.

(And we're still pushing forward.) We, as a people, are far ahead of where we once were, despite the continued concentration of power at the top and impoverishment for the rest of us, but I am wondering if the kind of social revolution we saw then will again be seen. And if it will mark another, hopefully decisive (by and large) defeat for the powers that be. It seems like it is a simple matter of survival.