OK...Lets see if we can do this. They say that the key to good communication is brevity. Because of that yardstick, I've never considered myself a good communicator. But I'll try...
First of all, you would have to have some understanding of the different 'mindsets' between then (the 60s) and now. As volatile as the world and national events were back then, there was a much firmer and more stable foundation to our lives. The prime rate remained on a very short tether to 4%... seemingly forever. It was because we hadn't moved to the fiat system of 'promissory' notes for money. We were still on the silver standard. But that would soon end.
Plastics were not yet the favorite packaging material. If you wanted 11¢ worth of nails, you put them loosly in a small paper bag and you paid 11¢. Today they come in a plastic snap case the size of a pack of cigarettes which is vacuum sealed to a piece of cardboard the size of a steno pad so they can hang on the wall and cost $2.19.
The air and water were relatively clean. You didn't worry about getting a mouthful of water when swimming in the lake or ocean. Hell, we used to drink from the lake all the time when exploring as kids.
You didn't have to lock your car....even at the mall. And malls were an outing. They weren't on every other block, as they are today.
Kids were kids and adults were adults. You respected your elders. Very few people felt the need to fence their yards. Neighbors knew each other and socialised.
If you burned yourself spitting a mouthful of lighter fluid on a fire, your parents would have been too embarrassed to think of suing the lighter fluid manufacturer. And if you spilled your McDonalds coffee on your lap, you were clumsy. Plain and simple. You were expected to have some common sense. We were more free, as a society, back then. And 'outside' was a good place to be.
Now to the issues....I believe the assassination of JFK set in motion a changing mindset. We had had our cherry popped. Our innocense was gone. The debaucle of what the investigation brought forward created an aire of suspicion. Truth be told, it threw open the gates that were holding back the voices of suspicion. College professors began exploring the politics of the assassination and the thought stream flowed toward a "new mindset". Before long, the government was challenged on its claim to our blind faith. And those challenges were only enhanced by the evasive tendencies of the government. It was a quake that quickly seperated generations. As the Viet Nam war escolated, so did leaks of corruption, deceit, and complicity. Before long there were good and legal reasons to defy being sent to die in Viet Nam. Blind patriotism and informed dissidence divided an otherwise wonderful era. The chaos continued to feed itself on secondary issues like civil rights and women's rights.
The greatest party this world has ever known was trying to happen right in the middle of all this. Understand, that the "hippies " were very sincere in their politics of peace. Sure, there were plenty of pretenders, but thats true of any group. I am truly disappointed that so many so willingly turned their backs on our culture. And I'm not refering to drug use. I'm talking about the 'feeling' that allowed us to have Woodstock in all its glory. The sequels have proven that the young today are incapable of that. And thats a shame...
Comparisons? The dynamic has shifted. The people are more materialistic and self centered. But all in all, any time a group challenges the government on something of this scale, the lines are drawn and the fight is the same. Its just that this time there are no great social statements being made.
