A Real Social Change

What's stopping us from starting another movement such as the one seen in San Francisco in the late 60's? Probably apathy. There are a lot of "hippies" out there that do the drugs, talk about love and nature, but do not understand the current political climate in the least - mostly due to willful ignorance.

What happened to anarchist groups like the Diggers who would feed the hungry, open free stores, and help run free medical clinics? What's stopping us from turning on, tuning in, and dropping out all over again?

All we really need is a central location, and a lot of balls.

 

Totally agree with Insane Jester. There is a certain level of cynicism that seems to have developed over the past 10 years or so (IMHO). Most people cringe at 60s music, 60s ideology etc nowadays. Our society has changed too much.

 

well I have reason to disagree, as far as numbers go, the last revolution type march on Washington from this generation and including members of past generations were larger in size, just didn't get the level media coverage, and were over-all publically played down.

and geographicly we're more spread out, not everyone's in downtown San Fran anymore, it's too expensive, that's what happen to all of the hippy friendly ubran areas, all of those hippies were forced to migrate to smaller towns and villages, mostly low key places up north and throughout the West.

They are just working to disconnect the movement by keeping us all believing that there's nothing going on, but really there is. There are so many sources of information that it's hard to grasp the big picture for all of the noise in between, so their working to keep the movement acknowledgement minimal.

This generation we've got to work on building the community within our regions, coming together while operating independently to help even those involved realize the importance of each contribution each of us makes to the greater good.

 

I am one of those that adamently belives that i was born too late. I wish, for all the world, that I could change places with my father...but that's another story.

I have spent many a night pondering these same questions. I have no answers, only that the conclusions that I have drawn about this society as we know it today is that everyone is on the " ME" trip. No one wants to do anything for anyone unless they have something coming for them. We are as Jester said....too comfortable. And with everything going on today, you wouldnt think that we should be.

History works in a cyclical nature...history does repeat itself. The 60s wasn't the first time of its kind. And I do belive that it will happen again. I speak to people that wouldnt by any means consider themselves a "hippie", but like myself, feel that some sort of a revolution (not a violent one, but one of a more social nature) is indeed nedded. We don't need a central location...we need a central IDEA. As the old adage goes, you only need a spark to start a fire. Down on the depths of this society, everyone knows what needs to be done....we just gotta get the ball rolling!!!

Avapixa, you speak of the so called "hippies"...they are only a hippie for the image. For lack of a better term, they are posers. Yes, I like my drugs, (dont we all) but unlike most people, I dont do drugs to get fucked up....I try to get something out of every experience. )I personally think that this generation is too screwed up off of alcohol.)

Let the immortal words of Robert Nesta Marley give you comfort:
"Truth is the light, so never give up the fight"

 

I agree with Jester. Kids are off getting stoned and watching south park and trippin just to get fucked up. They have no motivation, to change the world anymore, and in all honesty, to change really anything that is outside their own bubble. And that has to do with comfort and lazyness. The real hippies are the ones who are out educating themselves and getting active in politics, or social work or anything. Stepping out of their moms basement and trying to change the world for the better in any way they can. Unfortunatly I see more Patchwork and Pot "Hippies" then the true revolutionaries. (not that drugs aren't a part of hippie ideology)

 

That's me on the left:



So i guess all we can do is get active in our own communities until think of a better idea?

Damnit, everyone needs to just shut their TV's off, go down by a river, and trip some acid. It's hard not to think how silly war, TV, and all that other cultural bullshit is.

 

As a high school student, it's true that most teens are unmotivated. I talk politics with my friends alot and when the war comes up and I ask them how they cannot care about how wrong it is, they only answer because "We're focusing on our own problems." There is no central mind uniting everything. We need a Leary or Kesey or any of the musicians who brought the people together. I think that something is happening with the folk revivalization within the "Indie" music scene and the major event bringing everyone together could happen within the next few years. Until then, very few people my age are even giving a shit about the world around them

 

There are alot of apathetic people....but just take a look at this forum...there are a lot more who care!! This gives me hope. I totally agree with shutting off the TV's!!! I think that would be a huge step towards the right direction. A TV Lobotomy!!!
Those people who would like to be stuck in their own little world are the ones that will be left behind when things do happen...and we could be the forerunners of positive change.

 

Avapxia....what school do you attend?

 

Singling out "young people" is stupid. Whenever young people try to change society they are described as trouble makers. When the rest of society feels that a change is needed, instead of getting of their own fat arses, they [baby boomers] blame young people for society’s problems, describing them as "apathetic".

The fact is that the baby boomer generation who protested during the 60s are responsibly for the way society is today. Baby boomers are in high positions within the political system, baby boomers run the corporations, baby boomers brought up todays "young people". If I had one word to describe baby boomers it would be "selfish".

It's not that young people are apathetic; it's just that we do things differently. Let’s face it, the 60s were a failure. No real changes were made (except by the feminists). Why would we choose to use the failed methods of the 60s?

Instead, today’s "young people" are changing the world largely through social movements driven by technology (the only place where the baby boomers do not hold the balance of power). Don't worry, we haven't ignored politics. We are simply waiting for all you boomers to die.

 

I find it moderately hilarious that nobody finds fault when someone calls an entire generation lazy, but if I said all black people were lazy it would be an outrage.

Socially acceptable prejudices make me laugh.

 

Just because some people have power over a corporation, doesn't mean we don't have the power inside our democracy. Fister, you also forgot the CIVIL RIGHTS movement too, as another monumental thing accomplished in the sixties. You call the sixties a failure, but the civil rights, feminist movement, as well as colleges and young people everywhere putting pressure on the leaders to pullout of Nam to me is a democracy in action.
Sure It wasn't perfect, but will social change ever be??

 

double post sorry

 

At the end of the day, most of the 60s "radicals" and "hippies", had kids and went to work for big brother. In the end, they were no more radical than their parents.

Sure, I forgot to give credit to the civil rights movement, but that's not the point (and in many ways, the civil rights movement was not part of the broader 60s "movement" since it began before the 60s and continues to this day). The point is that the boomer generation (not *everyone*, but I am talking about the majority), gave up, perpetuated the nuclear family, and went to work for big corporations. 60s radicalism is a bit of a myth. Things did change, but did they really change for the better? Or did all the important things stay the same? The US, for example, is still waging wars for ideological reasons, killing mostly civillians. The US still has a high amount of poverty for a so called "developed" country, and despite the civil rights movement, racism and discrimination run rampant.

I'm not saying the current generation will do any better, but it seems hypocritical for the generation in power (the boomers) to blame "young people" for societies problems when it was the boomers who made the world what it is today.

 

The world, no. Canada, yes.

I've been involved in every federal and provincial campaign since I was 14 - on the last federal election, I worked Voter Contact. Within the next 2 elections, I'll be managing campaigns. I'm fairly heavily involved in the fight against open-net fish farms.

 

I'll agree with a lot of that man. However I still think that we don't have to sit around and just wait for the boomers to die. Because in all honesty, I think the majority of our generation isn't much different from them.

 

Not all boomers grew more and more conservate as they got older. My boomer parents are fairly liberal as they have always been and taught me to think for myself. Just as in every generation, there are people who want change and those who just ignore everything around them because it doesn't hurt them personally. We have people who could care less in our generation and they will probably turn out to be the ones who blame the young people for problems and never change anything for the better, just as some baby boomers are doing now.

 

This is an oxymoron.

 

I am one of those that adamently belives that i was born too late. I wish, for all the world, that I could change places with my father...but that's another story.

I'm with you on that one.


I think that young people today need something to happen to them directly before they consider becoming involved in anything. I never cared about girls who had abortions until I had one, and now, I will do anything in my power to keep abortions legal, and also, to help support other girls who have gone through the same thing. I am pro-choice, not pro-abortion, but I think that every girl who gets pregnant needs to have that right.

Just an example.

I think that everyone is waiting for someone else to act first. Whether it's laziness or fear of not being heard or taken seriously, everyone wants to be a follower, not a leader. My boyfriend and I were talking about society and politics while sitting on the roof of my car, tripping on acid, and we discussed the 60's, and the things we would have done back then, but the fact that it's not really possible to pull things off in the same way now. It wouldn't have the same effect, because it's not as radical. People have the right to assemble, the right to protest, the right to free speech. No one is going to get arrested for peacefully stating their mind.

And, I agree with Lonewolf that there ARE people out there who are fighting for their causes, but they're not made as public, so not as many people are aware of the situations.

I think, as a whole, society is not as connected amoung it's members as it may have been at one time. I wasn't alive in the 60's, so I can't speak from personal experiance, but I think that people were out on the streets doing more because there was no other way for them to get their opinions out there. They didn't have the Internet. They didn't start their own radio stations. There were not as many recourses available to them, so they did whatever they could. They held sit-ins, marches, etc., whereas now, people connect over the Internet, and rarely in person.

There are a lot of negative people in society, right now, I believe, because the world is a different, more dangerous place. People don't trust and love one another, and I have seen that with my own two eyes. Some of my closest friends don't think that another person is worth acting out for, because their main priority is to take care of themselves.

So, is it laziness? Selfishness? Fear? Or are we still acting out, but in a different way? Whatever it is, if you're replying to this thread, if you're thinking about making a change, YOU NEED TO BE THE PERSON WHO DOES SOMETHING. Everyone on this thread can go out there and do ONE thing to make a difference in society, even if it's just their school, or town, or community. By taking a stand, you can motivate others to do the same ... and we may get the revolution we're hoping for, and that we need, and have always needed.

You don't get anything by wishing. You have to DO it.

Like Ghandi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

 

I think this applies to people in general and not just today’s “young people”. For example: in the 60s people protested about the Vietnam War because of conscription. That affected the lives of young people in the 60s pretty directly. Despite conscriptions direct impact, mass protest didn’t start until the late 60s. It also has to be remembered that even though protests against Vietnam were large, the majority of people in the 60s did not protest. People are no more apathetic today than they were in the 60s.