Good Sixties versus Bad Sixties: The use and abuse of a decade

[Cetacea]

"If you look back on the sixties and, on balance, you think there was more good than harm in it, you're probably a Democrat, and if you think there was more harm than good, you're probably a Republican."

Bill Clinton (2004)


"In case you missed it, a few days ago Senator Clinton tried to spend one million dollars on the Woodstock concert museum," said Senator John McCain, referring to Hillary Clinton at a 2007 Republican presidential debate. "Now, my friends, I wasn't there," McCain said. "I'm sure it was a cultural and pharmaceutical event. I was tied up at the time." McCain's next words were drowned out by loud cheers and a sustained standing ovation from the partisan audience. McCain was alluding to the fact that, as a navy pilot, he was captured after being shot down by the North Vietnamese in 1967, leading to more than five years' captivity as a prisoner of war. his line about being "tied up" became the centerpiece of a campaign ad a few days later that juxtaposed shots of hippies at Woodstock with an image of McCain strapped to a prison bed in Hanoi.

Nor did McCain stop there. Another campaign ad mocked Barack Obama's campaign theme of "hope" by painting the Illinois senator, who was only six years old in 1967, as having been in sync with the values of the counterculture. "It was a time of uncertainty, hope, and change, the Summer of Love," the voice over narrates. "half a world away, another kind of love, of country: John McCain, shot down, bayoneted, tortured..."


"...Bush's hostility to the 1960s led him all the way to the White House in 2000 and to reelection in 2004. Aping Reagan, he explicitly campaigned on a platform of restoring what the country had supposedly lost under the regrettable influence of liberals. John Kerry was the perfect opponent against whom to test the appeal of an anti-1960s message; the memory of "the sixties," especially of the Vietnam War and the antiwar movement, heavily influenced the 2004 presidential campaign."

excerpted from the book, "Framing the Sixties: The Use and Abuse of a Decade from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush" by Bernard von Bothmer

http://www.writtenvoices.com/excerpt_display.php?isbn13=9781558497320

[lunatica]

1. The first time I heard Obama say, "... the abuses of the 60s" while

using those words to praise Reagan's actions it was a slap in the face and woke me up to where he was coming from. It wasn't an accusation on my part. It just made me realize that elections in this country are never ending fairy tales made up of lies and empty promises because the beast was such that it needed to be that way. It isn't the fault of the individual politicians as much as it's the fault of the system.

[Cetacea]

2. +1

Those words had a similar effect upon me.

[LWolf]

24. The first time I heard him say it cemented my previous evaluation of him

as a neoliberal right-wing dino who didn't deserve my support.

[dmosh42]

3. When I think back to those days, it was a case where the media,....

meaning newspapers, radio and TV, really showed what a responsible republic should look like. I was on active duty for four of those years(volunteer, 60-64), and really accepted all the bullshit about the communist menace in SE Asia, at the beginning. But because we had the draft, the population really became involved, and the media responded with much coverage on the opposition to that useless war. Of course McCain became a hero, being the son of a well known WW2 Admiral, but not a lot was said for those guys who did their duty in actively executing the war at the front lines or in the air. But those were the best days for this country, as we can see in these times, how we have become like Britain, being ruled by the rich and powerful, with the media following their script as they are instructed.

[luckyleftyme2]

5. strange how they keep using Reagan

The best role he ever played was president of the usa. For those to young to remember he became president in 1981 and was until 1989! he inherited a strong economy which he wrecked in 4 years. we went from the richest nation on earth to the biggest debtor !!!
You might say he invented the credit card of america! His theory was spend now let your grandchildren pay later. The repukes still follow that message! both Bush sr and Bush jr. followed and enhanced our debt!(remember Bush sr. was a professional mis-information cia man)
The fact is before the right re-wrote Reagan's past he was known for breaking california when he was governor and wasting our future as president for his depleting of our wealth!
Can't say much more for the Bush's!

[Arkansas Granny]

10. It used to just amaze me that people would talk about how charismatic he was.

They couldn't see that he was actor playing the biggest role in his life. You just wanted to scream at people to try to get them to come to their senses.

[iemitsu]

23. reagan was promoted as "the great communicator"

and i swear he never even made any sense when he spoke.
his administration marks the turning point in many aspects of our society and economy.
most of which were not good for working individuals and families.
before reagan, middle class families could achieve the american dream on one income.
trickle-down fixed that.

[Recursion]

18. You call the economy in 1980 "strong"? 8% unemployment and 8% inflation? (nt)

[luckyleftyme2]

26. if u ck

I said reagan inherited a booming economy which he soon ruined! It took until the mid 80's to hurt new england!
what you must also know is that the rules for unemployment were changed to use the partially employed to keep the true unemployment figures low. similar to the changing of what you can call increased cost of living! you know eliminating fuel ,certain foods etc. both of these are right wing ploys to clip more from the tax pool!

[Cetacea]

6. "Best days for this country..."

The middle class at the peak of it's powers?

[luckyleftyme2]

7. actually the 70's

IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS FROM 1968-1982 THERE WERE MORE JOB OFFERS THAN PEOPLE TO FILL THEM!
THAT'S NEW ENGLAND AREA!
NOW THERE IS HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE RIGHTY IS KILLING THE RECOVERY!
THE 70,000 JOBS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE! AND IT SEEMS THE MEDIA ARE THEIR LAP DOGS!

[Cetacea]

13. For me the sixties ended when Reagan was elected

and Lennon was killed.

[MadHound]

4. Starting with Reagan, there has been an ongoing effort to belittle the sixties,

And everybody involved in them. This is because the sixties, despite the long hair and drug use, shows us what a group of people, working together and displaying solidarity, can accomplish. Civil rights, gay rights, women's rights, an end to a war, a social revolution, all this an more was accomplished by a group of people, organized and working together.

This is what the powers that be fear the most, and thus we've seen the ongoing demonization of the sixties, ever since Reagan. Hippies are dirty, ending the Vietnam war was wrong, liberal politics are mob politics, etc. etc.

That is why the right wants to go way back, back to their sanitized and sterilized version of the Fifties.

[OHdem10]

9. The Code there is: LBJ's War on Poverty which they have made

it appear--redistribution from white to black.
Integration. Until this day even our Media contributes
to this. The Image out there is only blacks are
poor. Give me a break there are many poor Whites
and since the beginning of this Great Recession
many Whites have fallen into povery. Watch every
story about Poverty. It is a difficult subject
and I do not for one minute believe the Media
has anything but the best of intentions.

However there is a downside to singling out one
group, it has given the larger society an out
over the years.

How many times have you heard some governor, when
asked about his states grade on education? The
answer is something like, it is our Blacks.
When it can lumped into one place, not much
has been done to change things. I suppose the
rest of the kids are doing ok. Has anyone checked
out the Poor Whites??? no, as long as it is
only one group--do not have to raise taxes.

When we were doing HCR how often how often
did we hear "it is the blacks who do not have
health care". ON EVERY CHANNEL. I do not
have to draw a picture here I hope.

Come on, Poor Whites do not have insurance
and in rural areas health care iself is
limited.

It is this underbelly that makes 60s a ball
to be bounced aground.

[DURHAM D]

11. +1000

I first read Obama's quote about the "excesses of the 60s" in January of 2007. I knew then that he was not a democrat.

[Cetacea]

12. Interesting.

Code.

[raccoon]

16. You should start a thread with this. nt

[Arkansas Granny]

8. It's really hard to explain how the 60's "felt" to someone who wasn't there.

So much happened to make people, especially young people, more aware of social issues, the environment and politics. People were becoming actively involved in civil rights, women's rights, protesting the war and protecting the planet like never before. The changes were happening so quickly and in so many areas that it was really hard to keep up with everything.

[luckyleftyme2]

27. the sixties

this was a time of change;i was in the military(drafted) How well I remember the difference in people. those who joined the national guard to avoid the draft,those that ran to canada,and those who simply went hippy! the morals changed,people dropped out of society,but it was far from a prosperous scene.when I got out of the military jobs were low paying,benefits were just beginning to come out of the dark ages.by the mid sixties everyone was offering free blue cross and a weeks vacation after a year!$2 an hour was avg. wage! I was making $3 !
the interstate projects were just getting started they peaked in the 70's. wages in the seventies climbed rapidly! I WAS MAKING $200 A WEEK =$10,000 A YEAR TIMES WERE GOOD AND WAGES ROSE TILL THE 80'S!
YA I WAS THERE THEN REAGAN GOT IN! OFF THE SCALE LONG TERM DISASTER!

[Bandit]

14. To me the sixties represented a breakdown of Authoritarian Rule in America

It was about breaking the rules. Growing your hair however long you wanted and wearing pants if you were a gal and jeans if you were a guy. It was about Civil Rights and Woman's Rights and Student's Rights and complete opposition to the extreme Authoritarian attitude that ruled America in the day. It was about exposing the hypocrisy of our leaders of the day. "Never Trust anyone over 30" "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" "Up Against the Wall Motherfucker" Just using the word Fuck was liberating.....There is no doubt Republicans that live and breathe Authority hated that period of our History..

[raccoon]

17. +1000.

this deserves its own thread.

[Recursion]

21. Of course, it was also a time of rising crime, riots, political violence...

I'm still reading the piece and I like it so far.

[iemitsu]

25. the social and political climate of the 60's

are at least partly due to the GI Bill. the newly enfranchised "middle class" sent their children to college too and this second generation of educated "rabble" demanded changes that threatened the status-quo.
to counter this, the uber-class has bought the media and infiltrated university campuses, etc.
now K-`12 education must be privatized so that the message can be completely controlled.

[nomb]

15. Sha Na Na played top-bill at Woodstock. Sixties are often more myth than reality.

The big overarching truths? Yes, they exist.

It was a groundbreaking, revolutionary time. But the truth is that the dominant strain was libertarianism.

Liberalism was just a runner-up that often overlapped or co-existed with libertarinism.


Vestiges of the 60's live on in politics, or if you want the closest experience go to a Rainbow Gathering. You'll see the reality of people who still live the dream, and all the encumbrances that come with it in the form of imperfect human beings.


The next gathering is early July, but the location won't be known until just before. Maybe I'll see you there.

[Bluenorthwest]

19. Sha Na Na played, but they were very much not Top Bill

they were very new. They had a nice slot. Libertarian? That is hilarious. Just hilarious.

[nomb]

22. The Who and Arlo Guthrie occupied the same slot on the 1st & 2nd night, Sha Na Na had w/Hendrix on

The Who and Arlo Guthrie occupied the same slot on the 1st & 2nd night, Sha Na Na had w/Hendrix on the closing night.

Significant. As was the fact that Tommy James and the Shondells declined... as did Joni Mitchell - who chose instead to go on TV for a guest appearance on ABC's The Dick Cavett Show.


There's a big difference between History with a big "H" and the way people live their lives.

[Generic Other]

20. Oh John! I made you a VIDEO so you wouldn't feel left out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mezKogJE5kw