Is Bush creating a new wave of hippies?

[More Than A Feeling]

Given an immoral war to be against and the attack of repressive sexual politics, will the generation coming of age politically right now be farther to the left than recent ones and/or have a hippie mentality?

(I was born in the mid-eighties, so what I know about hippies I have just soaked up from the general culture. This is why I am hoping that those who actually experienced the sixties can give me some informative responses)

[Autumn Colors]

1. maybe not the styles

but the spirit. Who knows?

I think a major shift is coming - not just from this event and its immediate aftermath, but once all of the economic fallout hits (and it affects people's day-to-day lives).

[Melodybe]

22. Yes, except we like hygene.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

29. Give me a break!

Ever hear of Dr. Bronners?
Two showers a day since as long as I can remember. Immaculate commune then, immaculate house now. can you say the same? Dirty Hippies was a Nixon talking point. We were cleaner than the average American household.

[Melodybe]

30. It was just a joke, I was playing on the RW sterotype

Sorry if anyone was offened.

[Autumn Colors]

43. Exactly....

I think they somehow must've thought "long hair" = "dirty hair" or something.

[FrozeUp]

2. I'm not from that generation, but I think its going to be different.

AIDS is putting a damper on the free love, and a sense that the 60s did good things but failed to deal with these guys in a final way is also there. The movement forming now will be different, IMHO. It will be of these times in the sense that the hippies were OF the 60s.

[Erika]

3. You don't know what you are talking about.

Sexual freedom had little to do with the movement when it came to equality and lifting up the people.

That was a splinter group about sex.

[Warren DeMontague]

6. Frankly, I think people claiming their bodies for themselves

and not as the property of the government or the church or what-have-you, is CENTRAL to "lifting up the people".

And we've still got a long way to go, judging by how obsessed some folks still are with controlling other people's personal lives.

[FrozeUp]

37. Get the feeling you missed something in the 60? :)

That was a splinter group about sex.

ha!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_revolution

[girl gone mad]

18. I don't think AIDS ever...

put a damper on free love.

Not where I come from, anyhow.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

19. As an official "old Hippie", I agree

this is a different time and calls for different action. The big difference is that now, there is no draft (yet). The other major difference is communication. We had no internet. We had to get out in the street and distribute fliers, the Berkley Barb, The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, etc. Protest demonstrations were organized by word of mouth, not from the comfort of your laptop

This attempt at subverting Democracy requires new strategies to fight. I am not sure where this will lead but it will not be a repeat of the 60's. I don't see the young people involved yet. Even my grandchildren, who refer to me as "Comrade Bud" because I am always on their ass to pay attention and get involved, would rather watch MTV than the coverage of Catrina. I don't understand why they think this doesn't affect them directly but I am pretty sure that if there was a draft, they would suddenly respond.

I, however, find myself getting more militant by the day. I find a great conflict between my 60's pacifism and my current ideology about defending my country from Fascism.

I have seen how ruthless the Bush-bots are and I know now that nothing less than armed resistance will stop them from their quest to turn us into a Feudal Theocracy.

[RagingInMiami]

34. I think the internet has kept the angry democrats at bay

We rant and rave in cyberspace but we don't hit the streets

[FrozeUp]

38. Interesting.

I have seen how ruthless the Bush-bots are and I know now that nothing less than armed resistance will stop them from their quest to turn us into a Feudal Theocracy.

Or their own incompetance, or a combination thereof.

There is something about the tyrant personality that yearns to be destroyed. Endlessly trying to project their strength, like in Iraq, and endlessly failing, yet endlessly being egotistical nevertheless.

One thing if for sure, SOMETHING is going to come of all this!

[garybeck]

4. I hope so but

it seems that a lot of the young people are more "punk" then they are hippy. The "generation X" crowd, with all the body piercing, shaved heads tatoos, black clothing, etc... doesn't seem to be so into peace and love like the hippies were in the 60s.

Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against people who dress like that. I'm just saying they're not hippies.

[Erika]

5. Look at the word "antiestablishmentarism"

that was the political movement in the 60's. People got sick of the racism and economic disparities.

Wake up.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

20. Erika, you need to do a little more homework

No offense intended, but the word means " against the disestablishment of a church or other religious organization."
Sorry, I learned that in the 6th grade, about 40 years ago.

[Warren DeMontague]

7. I dunno. It was pretty much Reagan who turned me into a hippie.

And I'm still there.

So go figure.

[Qibing Zero]

8. Oh it won't be the same,

but it will happen.

Actually I worry along the same lines as these people claim they do about 'morality'. They blame 'obscenity', I blame them for trying to shelter everyone like we're incapable or something. The people are really hurting because of repression of sexuality in general, preaching abstinance instead of educating, and having a lot of kids growing up learning about sexuality through shallow pop-culture means. Parents aren't taking enough of an initiative, yes, but our education system is just so horrible right now. It's hurting rather than helping. I think you need not look farther than some of the art (especially film and animation) to come out of Japan to see what happens when people are repressed like that. Twisted.

Mind you all of this is coming from a guy in his early 20s. ;)

[Erika]

10. There was a hidden sexual oppression

that was released. However, the big thing was equality and acceptance.

Bush has turned us into almost a caste theocracy.

[Warren DeMontague]

11. When I think about kids not being educated in terms of morality

I think about the kids who don't give a damn about anyone but themselves.

I think about the kids who kill each other over a pair of shoes, or a perceived "dis".

I think about the kids who drive monsterously oversized pickup trucks with- those ridiculous, giant tires- like flaming assholes, screaming "Fuck Yea! Bush!" at anti-war protesters twice their age, when THEY are the ones who will face a draft.

"Morality", to me, has pretty much diddly squat to do with sex, so long as everyone involved is consenting and able to consent.

(Edit: I added "the", above, to make it clear that it's not ALL members of the younger generation who do these things. There are plenty of committed, aware people of all ages! :thumbsup:)

[Qibing Zero]

17. See I shun that stuff so much that I almost forget it exists

But you're absolutely right. That stuff is why I hardly ever watch TV these days. It's upsetting.

That post was just my little tirade against 'obscenity' and repression. And when I talk about sexual repression, the main problems in the results I see are due to gender inequality. Not enough information gets to kids through their education and their parents, and they 'learn' about sex through other means. There's no denying that a lot of pornography and such is degrading to both sexes, and if degrading yourself is your thing: go for it. I just don't think it's the best way to introduce relationships to children is all.

About women being lowered to objects... I know this has been going on forever, but I'd like to believe that we've moved far beyond that in many ways. I'm a guy. I have guy friends. Hell, they're really mild compared to some, but the things they say sometimes (sober at that) just really bug me. Also I worry about women feeling like they have obligations to men for any reason. I feel that relationships should completely equal on both sides, and if they're not, there's a problem.

But hey, like I said, if you're into submissive stuff in the bedroom, that's none of my business. ;)

[OffWithTheirHeads]

25. You are gonna be fine!

I too, have always thought of women as equal and rejected chicks who played subservient. I don't need a puppie dog, I need an intellectual challenge. Have been with my wife for almost 20 years, and I don't suggest that you fuck with her. She is definitely her own person and that's why I love her.

[RagingInMiami]

9. He is creating a new generation of liberals

I read an article where high school kids who were going to start voting next year said they realized the need for government programs after Katrina.

This next generation is going to be very liberal because of this regime.

And it will look up to the hippie generation of the sixties but it won't imitate them.

[Erika]

13. A story to share

I attended a poor urban grade school where there were milk breaks and free lunches for all of us. We were poor black and white and we loved each other.

A few years later, I moved to an affluent suburb. The few "poor" children served us lunches to pay for their lunches and remained in the classrooms when they could not afford the 25 cents for the bus for a field trip. They were poorly dressed and behind academically.

My heart broke for them. My political views were formed from that experience. I damn W.

[shraby]

12. The difference is there is no draft

and there was back then. When the young'uns have to face the draft, they will start to protest big time. They (not all) are pretty much used to having what they want when they want and if the draft jumps up and bites them, they'll yell. Trust me.

[wmills551]

14. That is so true!

[Erika]

15. Having no opportunities for the young

is the same as a draft.

[wmills551]

35. No it is not!

Hippies = rich white kids who's parents could pay for college and allow them to avoid/delay the draft.

[Autumn Colors]

44. You mean our chickenhawk politicians were hippies? (n/t)

[Marr]

16. He's creating a generation of Chomskyites.

Even if they've never heard of the guy. I talk to teens and young college students fairly regularly in my line of work, and when politics comes up, I'm always surprised at the level of cynicism. The thing is- it's accurate, healthy cycnicism. Alot of these kids see exactly what's going on. It's pretty impressive.

I don't think it's the sort of atmosphere that would birth free love and hippy concerts, though. There's something much more cynical- or even nihilistic about it. I think it's the sort of atmosphere in which riots or even revolutions are born in, to be quite honest with you. People are very angry, and more and more are becoming disillusioned. If we're hit with some long stretch of severe economic hardship... who knows.

[girl gone mad]

21. People are on the razor's edge here.

Drawn into politics by the media, increasingly disillusioned with institutions and power, disconnected from communities and families, feeling powerless to change anything.

We have a generation that doesn't seem willing to let go of power and generations that resent being marginalized and are unhappy with the status quo.

Someone with ideas for sweeping reform could revolutionize the younger generations. My only fear is that this person will be another neo-con.

[IndianapolisDem]

23. Sir, I believe it has more to do with awareness of foreign policy.

While I was not yet born for the original wave of hippies, I find that sexual politics and similar domestic policy issues are taking a back seat to the fundamental issues of democratic representation in the domestic arena (i.e. perceived electoral/representative integrity) and the specifics of imperialistic policy in the foreign arena. I believe from what I am seeing that the populace, both left and right, is largely isolationist in foreign policy, and would object strenuously if made aware of what the US' foreign policies actually were. These would be on moral grounds, as even the Christian Right (as I see it) is opposed to compromising democratic processes of foreign countries or intervening militarily for the sake of business or economic interests. Humanitarian intervention of a non-combative nature is much more heavily favored, and this is reflected in the support for interventions in Somalia and similar where the military aspect of the intervention is downplayed and the humanitarian aspect is trumped up. One sees this in action likewise in the emphasis on Saddam Hussein's human rights violations despite the violation of Iraqi sovereignty, defiance of UN security council rulings, and lack of weapons of mass destruction.

If anything, I expect a cultural and political "backlash" akin to the hippie movement of 40 years ago, but with its own unique character which would not be recognizable to or satisfying to those who participated in the hippie movement of the past times in/around the Vietnam war. I would say that this is largely due to the evolution of popular culture as opposed to differences in political beliefs.

To clarify my own position, I am very much a centrist, and believe in strictly secular government, gender-neutral marriage policy (i.e. gay marriage), and similarly liberal domestic policies as well as worker-favorable labor policies and affirmative action.

[The Magistrate]

26. Well Said, Sir

Welcome to the forum.

[anarchy1999]

24. Yep, a "new wave of hippies". Damn that is us. All we ever wanted in

this world was to relive it again. Yep, that's us, all of us that were not there, we were maybe just a little too young and all we've been waiting for was just another opportunity?!

Truly you are out on a limb and then some! "Heaven and Earth" my @$##@.

Thank you ever so much and then not!

Please forgive my anger.

[More Than A Feeling]

41. whoa, totally not what I meant

I come to praise hippies, not bury them.

[WilliamPitt]

27. No

1. LSD was loosed upon the populace in the early-mid 60s. No such chemical catalyst is present.

2. Music was still largely free and independent, and was a seedcorn for a lot of what happened. Today, music is 99% owned by the same corporations that own the media.

3. There was no internet. The hippies came before that.

4. We hadn't lost Vietnam yet. The hippies came before that dissolution.

5. Nixon hadn't been impeached yet. The hippies came before that dissolution.

Something is happening. But it won't be 'hippies.' It'll be something else. You, perhaps. 'Hippies' are now what pharmeceutical companies use to sell cholesterol drugs to Boomers. It'll be something else.

[Hardrada]

31. I liked having a number of "hippie" countercultural people around

We in the student radical groups (mainly SDS in my own experience) could use them for our antiwar and antiEstablishment rallies. If they weren't too stoned we could get a good portion of them out on the streets or in front of various sinister buildings.

[Qibing Zero]

32. Ah, good point about the music

I had almost forgotten the roots of the problem as to why I haven't liked the vast majority of the music played on the radio since the mid 90s.

I have to say some decent stuff has come out of the UK though. Saw Muse live last year and it really felt huge - by far the best show I've seen. Reminded me of the type of groundbreaking concert my parents always talked about attending in their youth (The Who, Zeppelin, etc.).

[Peter Frank]

28. "Is Bush creating a new wave of hippies?"

...I certainly hope so.

Gridlock has given way to lockstep. Hopefully, there will be enough grassroot reaction to undo this patently un-American momentum.

[xchrom]

33. that would be a good thing.

check these places out  http://directory.ic.org/iclist/ 

[eridani]

36. The hippies and the SDS-type politicals were two different subcultures

Hippies were more into freeing the individual mind and partying, and the politicals were more into organizing and sobersides political theorizing. There was a lot of overlap between the two, of course.

One floor comment from a particularly contentious meeting of the Midpeninsula Free University--"I think that the Artsy-Craftsies, the Touchie-Feelies and the Rabble-Rousies all need to learn to get along better."

[B Calm]

39. I had the Volkswagon Micro Bus and all.. If Bush has any

accomplishments at all it will be #1. Pushing people farther to the left & #2. National do not call list...

[mzteris]

40. stop, hey, what's that sound

There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware

I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind

I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side

It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away

We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

[tavalon]

42. Hmmmm

I have a multipartner family (actually two, but we're actively working to get all of us in the same city) and I've been a practicing Wiccan since about 1990. Both the polyamorous and pagan "lifestyles" are burgeoning though much more quietly than the hippy movement.

I always wondered what it would have been like to be a hippy. It's occurred to me that I live that lifestyle now. However, I do know urban camouflage. To look at me picking up the kiddo from after school care, you might just think I was a soccer mom but you'd be wrong. The neighbors think I'm the roommate.

I hope and pray that this generation will be farther to the left of me. But not much further because frankly, there isn't much to the left of me.