I spent the years 1963-89 in Berkeley and saw much of the civil rights, anti-Vietnam and free speech action there. I also got very used to seeing certain people target the press and assume 'leadership' postures in what were essentially consensus activities.Our culture and power structure are antithetical to real democracy, which is by definition messy. Opportunists and parasites are quick to co-opt whenever they can and dilute serious efforts. I imagine you know the ones I'm talking about: when movements were in they came in late to get some action, and fifteen years later you found them standing around talking real estate. The Democratic Party loved them.It was inevitable that OEN would pull back from real issues and join in with the Corporate party's efforts to manipulate opinion and diffuse dissent. Safety valves are very helpful to the power structure...in other words you can have all the free speech you want as long as it is not effective speech. Once you have an impact, all bets are off.It is definitely time for me to move on.
Now it's time to get back to rabble rousing!
My God
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful comment.
As an aside there is a WONDERFUL book about just what you are talking about.
It is called Ringolevio, A Life Played For Keeps by Emmett Grogan. Grogan was a co-founder of the Diggers and was active in the Digger movement.
I have called that book my bible for the past (dear God) 35 years. My favorite line.
That "many of those hippies and their leaders were having an adventure in poverty, playing in their love ghettoes." That they would "eventually climb out over the walls, go back to the burbs and become accountants and developers."
Never was there more true words spoken.
Ladyums- your opening "Bad Show" and your closing (so far) "Horse You Rode In On" were well-put and simply fine!
ReplyDeleteBeing in Beserkly in'63 gives you even more rad-creds than I have... and I'm a VERY OLD MAN... charter member of SDS yadda yadda bla. You nailed it... TWICE!
"... you can have all the free speech you want as long as it is not effective speech." Bingo- spot on! I believe "elections" are provided to let us jerk on levers that are not connected to anything... "Maggie Simpson's steering wheel."
Outstanding!
I had a copy of that Diggers Book once....tho generally the 60s was a "had to be there" kind of time and I've been disappointed in most everything written about it. Of course there were so many simultaneous realities who's to say whose was real? -g-
ReplyDeleteI'm a pretty old broad too- 63- and figure no need to suffer fools gladly and all that. The choreographed charade known as elections/politics drives me purely up the wall. I've been chided by my email group for being so hard on Obama...but I don't stop. Glad to be in such good company here!
Claudia
YES! I'm not going anywhere
ReplyDeletePut it down to age, experience and wisdom...but mostly age -g-
ReplyDeleteA group of fairly like-minded people is a whole different experience that the big wide web. Let's enjoy it. But let's also figure out how to reach out effectively so we're not just preaching to the choir!
Link goes to "file not found"
ReplyDeleteRady
ReplyDeleteI really want to see this. can you re post it?
don't know what to tell you - the link works for me and the graph is posted on the front page.
ReplyDelete