Interesting peace (pun intended). Enjoyed reading it. I love much of the music of Woodstock although I was too young to attend. Born in the early 60s, I guess I’m not that kind of 60s product.
Religion has been the best part of my life and I think it’s the biggest thing our world is missing today. At least that’s what I think about mine, having never been a believer of another one. I acknowledge there are many religions, large and small that don’t teach respect for others.
I subscribe to monogamy, commandments, stability, thrift, saving for the future, higher power, structure, hard work, mutual respect, stable families, etc. The Woodstock generation tried to legitimize illegitimacy, but that legitimacy is no more real than Oz to me. Would we have the Woodstock music I love without the other mud? Maybe, maybe not. But I would trade the music for a god-fearing society any day. The one line I always choked on in Lennon’s Imagine was imagining no religion. It’s actually unimaginable to me, because if you reject traditional religion, that secularism and selfism becomes your religion. And that is the most destructive kind. Political parties are also some people’s religion.
And today, I’d argue the most regressive, repressive, destructive, and intolerant people are sometimes the most identified as progressive. Not always, of course. Anyway, thanks for sharing. Your writing invokes introspection, which is valuable.
Thanks for this self-revealing comment, Ted. I didn’t know that religion was so important to you, and although I have tolerance for everyone’s beliefs, I’m afraid that the one line in John Lennon‘s “Imagine“ that you have trouble with, is the one I like to imagine myself.🤠❤️
By pure coincidence, I happen to be wearing my John Lennon shirt with the "you may say I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one" quote. I was not at Woodstock but my then 12-year-old wife was, briefly, before her camp counselors decided that they were in the wrong scene for a bunch of 12-year-olds.
I was also 12 and 2 months away from the epiphany at my first Vietnam demonstration that turned me into an activist. Been one ever since! None of that work is in vain. It's a tug of war between the progressives and the regressives. And even though right now, the wrong side appears to be a head, overall, social justice and the environment are a lot more valued and a lot more influential then they were when you and I were born. Keep on keeping on!
Thanks for the fascinating recollections Eric. Id love to hear why you think BB turned out so disillusioned/reactionary/inane?
If it makes you feel any better, the truly disappointing generation are the Gen X-ers, whose pivot to Trump and Republicans over the last three elections has been the steepest. They are, as things stand, as likely to vote Trump as Baby Boomers, thus bucking the broader trend of young voters being more liberal.
Thanks for reading and replying, Liran. But you forgot to click on the heart to like the piece. Unless of course, you didn’t like it. Lol.
I think there’s a lot to like and dislike at the same time. The first is the idealism and commitment we had to changing the world. Regarding the latter: The contemporary, dissing of my generation, the loss of memory and compromise by my generation. Their thinking and feelings of having to do so. I can’t explain to you exactly why, but it has something to do with my country’s values, greed, capitalism, and end of Empire😡
One of Trules best stories. We are very fortunate to have his personal, experience based insights into the current complexities of Political Economy.
That’s quite a compliment, Ed. I appreciate it very much. And I hope this finds you well.
Interesting peace (pun intended). Enjoyed reading it. I love much of the music of Woodstock although I was too young to attend. Born in the early 60s, I guess I’m not that kind of 60s product.
Religion has been the best part of my life and I think it’s the biggest thing our world is missing today. At least that’s what I think about mine, having never been a believer of another one. I acknowledge there are many religions, large and small that don’t teach respect for others.
I subscribe to monogamy, commandments, stability, thrift, saving for the future, higher power, structure, hard work, mutual respect, stable families, etc. The Woodstock generation tried to legitimize illegitimacy, but that legitimacy is no more real than Oz to me. Would we have the Woodstock music I love without the other mud? Maybe, maybe not. But I would trade the music for a god-fearing society any day. The one line I always choked on in Lennon’s Imagine was imagining no religion. It’s actually unimaginable to me, because if you reject traditional religion, that secularism and selfism becomes your religion. And that is the most destructive kind. Political parties are also some people’s religion.
And today, I’d argue the most regressive, repressive, destructive, and intolerant people are sometimes the most identified as progressive. Not always, of course. Anyway, thanks for sharing. Your writing invokes introspection, which is valuable.
Thanks for this self-revealing comment, Ted. I didn’t know that religion was so important to you, and although I have tolerance for everyone’s beliefs, I’m afraid that the one line in John Lennon‘s “Imagine“ that you have trouble with, is the one I like to imagine myself.🤠❤️
By pure coincidence, I happen to be wearing my John Lennon shirt with the "you may say I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one" quote. I was not at Woodstock but my then 12-year-old wife was, briefly, before her camp counselors decided that they were in the wrong scene for a bunch of 12-year-olds.
I was also 12 and 2 months away from the epiphany at my first Vietnam demonstration that turned me into an activist. Been one ever since! None of that work is in vain. It's a tug of war between the progressives and the regressives. And even though right now, the wrong side appears to be a head, overall, social justice and the environment are a lot more valued and a lot more influential then they were when you and I were born. Keep on keeping on!
Can you do me a favor, Shel? Please click on the heart to like the post. Thanks, man.!
Too bad your wife and her camp friends didn’t stay and take several doses of LSD. Lol.
“Carry on!”, Shel.
Thanks for the fascinating recollections Eric. Id love to hear why you think BB turned out so disillusioned/reactionary/inane?
If it makes you feel any better, the truly disappointing generation are the Gen X-ers, whose pivot to Trump and Republicans over the last three elections has been the steepest. They are, as things stand, as likely to vote Trump as Baby Boomers, thus bucking the broader trend of young voters being more liberal.
https://cooperativeelectionstudy.shinyapps.io/VoteTrends/
Thanks for reading and replying, Liran. But you forgot to click on the heart to like the piece. Unless of course, you didn’t like it. Lol.
I think there’s a lot to like and dislike at the same time. The first is the idealism and commitment we had to changing the world. Regarding the latter: The contemporary, dissing of my generation, the loss of memory and compromise by my generation. Their thinking and feelings of having to do so. I can’t explain to you exactly why, but it has something to do with my country’s values, greed, capitalism, and end of Empire😡