Apr 05 2007
A Different Ex-Hippie
Confession: I am an ex-Hippie. My freak flag was long and I wore a pony tail for years. I play in bands and I am a devout rock-n-roller. The hey-day of my 70’s was replaced by the treasure of raising a family through the 80’s, 90’s and now into the new century. I am beyond the age of Aquarius – yet I am one of the few liviing it.
But while I cannot stand to listen to Santanna mouth off politically, I can play him forever music-wise. So I understand the idea that the Democrats are driven by a desperation to salvage their Hippie days. They were a blast. An unresponsible, unserious, mythical blast. The Hippie ideal of peace and love and harmony is a great fantasy. As is the Lord of The Rings or Star Trek or Star Wars. There are ideals and concepts from that time of immense value if mankind if we can embrace them. But as long as al Qaeda exists and mankind has it’s demons, this wonderfully idyllic vision is still generations away. And it is not the fault of Conservatives that this the case. It is the fault of the terrorists. So while I understand why ex-Hippies grasp onto the visions of their youth – it still doesn’t make those visions reality or the blame they place on Bush correct. I play guitar like Santanna – I don’t think like him. Even ex-Hippies exist across the political spectrum. Only the liberals ones are still grasping to the distant past.
It is that old baby boomer curse.
AJ, I’m right there with you.
The truth is…the “hippie” movement and all it’s ideals of universal peace and love…died in 1969. By 1970..most people understood that for every “woodstock” there was a MESS to clean up after…for somebody that is…a cost to pay. For every good time…there was something left after that somebody had to clean up, pay for..etc. If you think about it…that in and of itself is a universal principal…that even “they” didn’t understand at the time. Some people just call it responsiblity.
It was Altamont that sealed the fate of the “me” generation. It was over then…for all practical purposes. The 70s only saw it grow increasingly self-absorbed and, in the early days, increasily violent.
That’s the “roots” of the nut-roots. That, and good dose of communistic theory and propeganda. Mix well, and serve well baked.
btw….hippies…were more a product of the 60s…not the 70s. And they were more the domain of West coast (particularly Nancy Pelosi’s current representative area). We were “freaks” (long hairs). That was more a 70s thing by far.
The democrats, birthed by Andrew Jackson; one of our finest presidents. And, a man of the people. Who broke the aristocrats hold on politics; actually started the party.
You’d think with a start like that, they’d be tops. But, that hasn’t proven true, at all.
In 1860? The democraps benefitted, I suppose, by the collapse of the WHIGS. But they were radicals then. And, it turned most people OFF.
While the Southerners, used to their perks. And, their odd behaviors of “walking off the job” did something that only later we’d see unions capable of doing. That’s what happens, I suppose, when you live and breathe “idealism.” And, you can live a freer life than your grandparents.
I think it’s true that life is a swinging pendulum.
What makes our form of government marvelous. Is that it stretches to fit the types of people who go into politics … Sort of the way whorehouses set standards of “beauty.” Trust me there’s no beauty in the business of whores. But for some? It’s an easier way to make a buck than hard labor.
As to picking on Santana, I don’t know why? The same is true with Richard Wagner. And, other geniuses who were also anti-Semites. Why would someone deny the musical component to genius? Doesn’t happen all that often, that talent comes along. And, lots of talented people are creeps. (Because they “got” the gift. They didn’t have to “work for it.” And what they spout? This becomes important?) Nah.
FDR was elected to 16 years. 4 terms. People who were kids in school, grew up to vote for him. And, the GOP? Well he walked into a Depression that was so bad, it took a lot of charisma, and faith, to give people hope.
While in europe? Hitler could have been stopped, early. But that’s now how europeans behave. EVER.
When FDR died, people went into shock.
When JFK was killed, I remember crying. And, I remember the pictures on TV, showing people were crying, everywhere.
Just like when FDR died, when people heard Kennedy was killed, it left a memory trace so that to this day, people remember where they were, when they first heard.
Meanwhile, politics, for the insiders, is a way of life. They learn early how to manipulate the sytem to stay ahead. So getting a man like FDR, who could win four terms, is NOT the standard!
To the contrary. Truman? He really was a one-termer.
Eisenhower? He really wasn’t a GOP type. He just wanted to win. Both parties offered him their nomination. And, he purposely chose running as a republican BECAUSE he thought the democraps would try to manipulate him, too much. And, he wanted to be his own man. (He had enough manipulations throughout WW2. Being the “peace-keeper” among brilliant men with independent egos. Whatever.
It seems everyone brings their own talents to the job.
This Bush? I am now concerned that he is a fakir. He’s not committed to the stuff he pledged himself to. And, instead? He’s running conservatism into the ground. (Just as pelosi is damaging the democrapic vehicle. She has a heavy foot on the gas pedal. And, no idea how to apply the brakes, at all.
Meanwhile? Going back to Eisenhower. He wanted to stay popular. Which meant he wanted to pass what he could. WIthout running into the senate as if it was the enemy camp.
So every Friday, throughout his presidency, Ike sat down to lunch with LBJ. And, LBJ told him what would pass. And, what he could forget about. (Civil Rights? Forget about it.)
Ike listened. And, we hobbled along.
Women, who had joined the work force in the millions during WW2, went home. But a lot of women didn’t like the isolation. And, with the “modern conveniences” in the new home; a lot of them preferred earning money. Instead of having to ask their husbands for everything.
By the time the Pill came alone (1972?) … women discovered the real freedom of not getting pregnant AND not begging their husbands to use condoms! (Which really meant for the first time a woman could choose. And, from the shrinking sizes of families that you see today; you can see that lots of women chose a whole new lifestyle.) Not just Santana! It was out there.
Just like any technology, it changes lives. Sometimes making the changes every twenty years. So that today you can carry a phone that rings in your pocket. When I was a kid? The phones were connected to the walls. And, to talk for a long time, and find a comfortable position, you needed a phone cord that was long enough to stretch to the next block. Then, when you’d hang up, the cord would curl into a bunch. And, your parents would tell you to get off the phone, ‘because they were expecting an important phone call.”
In today’s world? Most kids became adept at using the new technology FIRST. But us old-timers found the toys worth owning. And, here, too, we keep upgrading. Doing things faster now, than ever before.
While the donks? I think their fortunes have changed. They look at politics as “everything is local.” Their ambitions for the White House? Probably not strong. Which is why, since Nixon, the congress-critters have gone out of their way to “take” Constitutional powers away from the President.
Bush appalls me. I didn’t see it right away. Because he seemed to cooperate with Arik Sharon (who’ve I’ve adored). And, he went along with the gaza pullout; as if he was a friend of Israel’s. NOTHING IS FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH, HERE! Dubya just wanted more. He didn’t want Israel to stop “pulling out.” And, yes. He’s looking for ways to change what he had promised Israel … That first there would be a cessation of terror, before the road map would continue to palestinian statehood. And, that’s not what he wants now! He wants to hand territory to the House of Saud. He even went into Iraq, thinking the Iraqis would swallow the sunni’s as their leaders. Again, he’s miscalculating.
Brazen. But can he carry it off?
Because the conservatives put Bush IN office. Yes, they did!
It’s what had happened to politics! Where the “smoke filled rooms” of picking candidates gave way to primaries. And, the early primary states had more influence on everybody. For the longest time. Kiss it goodbye.
When the WHIGS felll, it was Lincoln’s genius that saw the opportunities of getting nominated as the GOP nominee. The donks? They put up Douglas. The “compromiser.” And, a very dishonest chap. Didn’t do them a bit of good! Douglas, I think, in 1860, got 12 electoral college votes. (The People PICKED Lincoln.)
But as I said, the usual way to get nominated was to have a big machine behind you. And, this is probably still true.
The democraps? They’ve lost the majority. Something FDR had, and then handed to Truman.
Becuase we’re a free country we can see that in every decade something else played well. And, Kennedy was the first to use TV. Today? TV might not matter all that much? And, the Internet is still untested. All you know is that you can bypass the “regular news” by connecting to blogs and reading what you want.
But Bush? HE STOLE WHAT HE TOOK! That’s why he can’t give speeches. You’d be appalled if he put the truth into words.
Does it matter? Dunno. But what if the answer is that it’s too late for Bush, now? It’s just a matter of time before he leaves office.
Conservatives had connective tissue, where issues were important to them; and they could pick candidates! Because they had marvelous success with Reagan. Alas, Reagan was not a man of DC. And, the Bush’s were! So James Baker feasted.
Politics, even in democracies, has only a few people who “star.” Lots of people who “work.” And, everyone else who chooses to participate by voting.
But the Boys on the Bus? Nope. No longer matters. Those wonderful books that started with the Kennedy’s? And, went all the way through 1972, with Nixon? Where Fear and Loathing took hold? We don’t read those drug driven texts, anymore. Times change.
And, ya gotta pay attention. Tony Blair doesn’t like Bush. Merkel, it seems, has leadership qualities, but no one to talk to. Yet.
And, Bush? Well he might try to pull KOH out of a hat, if a chair up on the supremes comes free. Doesn’t mean you haven’t found ways Bush could fail ya, ahead. What’s missing? The voices of disappointment that can increase to a loud chorus. Because? That’s just the kind of guy Bush is.
Ya know? The same thing happened to Jimmy Carter. He started out popular.
Carol,
the donks and the “hippies, etc…will never have what it takes to run this nation. They simply don’t have the time, nor patience, nor support to do it. There are many people..who think because all their friends and “everybody they know” thinks like they do…that the rest of the country should just go along with it because they are the “majority”.
There’s some historical precident there as well..that invovles musketry.
I have been known to call myself a Republican Flowerchild, although I’m more libertarian than republican. I sometimes
miss those times for the free spirit aspects, but the sixties were no picnic with assassinations, race riots, and the deterioration of sex, drugs and folk music and rock’n’roll into violene, fatal overdoses, and eardrm shattering screaming and whiny guitars. The seventies was a time when the mainstream tried to imitate those of the sixties only without any core value restraint. The wannabe hippies of today have turned love ins into hate ins. They are driven by hate and victimhood and politically correct speech, which limits discussion and debate.
Carol_F forget your reality pills today?
Dc was there. proof– knowing the difference between hippies and freaks and never the twain shall meet. i wouldn’t be surprised if we found that the fault lines between liberals and libertarians morphed along the same lines over these last 40 years.
just for the record freaks were part of the 60’s–the early rock and roll crowd. the untrained eye couldn’t tell the difference. one clue, freaks washed their clothes more and their leather patches were “early designer”.
AJ, Me too…thus the screen name, but I am a hendrix fan. I used to dig CCR until Fogerty started making his politics known. I now consider myself a Crunchy Con.
Have you heard the guitar work of Henry G. the frontman for the Los Lonely boys? His Style is a blend of Stevie Ray and your boy Carlos. Awesome strat. player.
Did you ever have a chance to see local boy Roy Buchannon play?
Funny thing – nobody would call boomer pres George Bush a “hippie” – just a coke head and an alcoholic – and – speaking of al-Qaeda, recently released DoD docs confirm Bush pre-war lies:
Joe Buzz,
I have Los Lonely Boys CDs because of his mix with Santanna. I am actually a mix of Santanna and Gilmore (try and rap your head around that one!). I grew up on Floyd, Genesis, Santanna, etc. Never saw Roy.
Oh, DC, if you knew your history, you’d know there have been trying times when the democraps were NOT in the majority!
Yes, IN the Majority, behind ANDREW JACKSON! Good start.
Lincoln, however, HAD the majority TWICE. In 1860. And, 1864.
The democraps? In 1860, their candidate, Douglas, got 12 electoral votes. (You’d hardly call that a majority showing.)
When McGovern LOST, in 1972, he didn’t even carry his own state.
Ditto, for algore. Did NOT carry Tennessee.
You want to be afraid of democraps? Why?
Pelosi wasn’t the only one on stage with the arabs.
Tony Baloney Blair again tried to screw Bush. (His best hit? WMD’s, included for NO REASON, except that George Tenet said it was a “slam dunk,” coming out of Bush’s mouth. In the well of the House; when he gave his 2002, State of the Union address.)
Everybody knows Bush has speech writers.
Everybody knows Bush can’t give a decent speech to save his life.
And, by now lots of people know Bush got ROLLED. By professionals.
Those professionals are NOT in the majority! They do, however, fear for the livelihoods. So, it’s worth considering that all the blather in the world isn’t hurting you very much at all.
And, Bush is NOT running in 2008.
He probably won’t even be invited to “halp” others electioneer.
Does it matter?
Jimmy Carter isn’t called on, all that much. To add his weight.
But if you watched Boston, when Kerry got nominated; did you see what that stage looked like? Jimmy running after Teddy. And, Teddy avoiding the handshake?
While I was at home, wishing the stage could become unmoored. And, take a trip into Boston Harbor. Alas, no. There was NO comic relief.
Sometimes, you’are on your own when it comes to ways of inventing a bit of comic relief.
Funny indeed Soothie. Seems to me we are making progress in getting you guys caught up. At least you are now admitting that there was in fact “contact” between Saddam’s regime and AlQueda. Just give it time 🙂
Carol,
My family has been in the southeast since 1690s. If I want a history lesson…I’ll just read the family bible….thanks all the same.