A renewal of Hippie ideals.

Discussion in 'Politics' started by mcherbie, Jul 26, 2009.

  1. *coughs*

    Some of us are old enough to remember 1967, although perhaps not at the time to fully understand the upheaval caused by the Hippie movement.

    I believe it falls to each generation to pass on it's experience so that those coming next can learn what was good, and bad, about the decisions that people made.

    Surely no one can argue that the Hippie ideas of peace, love and belonging together are no longer valid? Now more than ever these ideals stand as a beacon of hope in a grim and difficult future as mankind edges towards global environmental catastrophe.

    Now is the time for young people to open their minds, put away their weapons, to challenge their so-called leaders, to put people first and material things second.

    1967 will never return but perhaps it's spirit will.

    :)
     
  2. God i hope not. I think the current generation is smarter and more politically astute than those in the 60's.
     
  3. You really have nothing to lose but your chains....


    But your atitude reminds me of a song. Ever heard Sonic Attack by Hawkwind?


    "Think only of yourself. Think only of yourself. THINK ONLY OF YOURSELF"

    :cry:
     
  4. I forget the quote I believe it is from Marijuana Inc. But the reporter says something about the hippie culture and how somehow along they way they turned it into big business.

    And the guy being interviewed said something along the lines of "Their kids turned it into a profitable business."

    Hopefully someone can correct the quotes.

    It also goes with the Harold and Kumar quote:
    Kumar: "What kind of hippie ARE you?"
    Hippie dealer: "What kind of hippie am I? I'm a business hippie!"

    I doubt people are going to disagree with the peace and love principles that movement was founded upon. But in terms of how to bring them about I think it's pretty clear the hippies didn't have that part planned out. Sitting around getting peacefully baked following the Dead around isn't a viable economic strategy.

    The children of the hippies and their children are trying to take those basic principles and morals bestowed upon them and turn them into something that works in the real world.

    In a way it's like hippies were saying "I want it to rain gumdrops." (which I'm willing to bet a hippie has said that at some point. :p) the next generation is saying "Ok, so let's figure how can we make it rain gum drops and how we can explain to people why the sky won't fall when it does."

    In any event as long as showering and grooming at near the top of the list I'm all for it. :D
     
  5. No offence, but hippies piss me off. God damn, running around doing whatever they want all peacefully and shit, and then getting all upset at people who don't like to take their drugs or start being meenies. It disgusts me.
     
  6. How am i thinking of myself? I'm not of this generation, i'm 46.
     
  7. Long ago, freeform radio pioneer (WBAI New York) Bob Fass said that there was only one real hippie: Emmet Grogan. Fass knew the counterculture scene, and all of it's major figures, and was probably right.
     
  8. LOL.. love it... :hello:
     
  9. If you remember your history, the hippies brought Nixon. More specifically, the anti-hippie backlash.

    If Nixon had lost the '68 election, we would have no controlled substances act, no DEA, and the Vietnam war would have ended 5 years earlier.

    But because of the mess in Chicago, and of course, a few well placed bullets in the heads of 2 Kennedys and M.L. King, the hippies pretty much abandoned the political process, and Nixon became the man who ruined the rest of America's future...at least until America wakes up to the fact that EVERYTHING NIXON, should be disrespected, dismantled, and disgraced.

    I know some folks who have never lost their hippie ideology, and are doing quite well for themselves. Many have solar and wind generation, and practice sustainable farming, and still make a nice living.

    San Jose, and Sausalito, and Monterrey, are practically nothing but well healed hippies...San Francisco, too. At least they are 'hippie sympathetic'.

    But it seems that commercialism has polluted the perception of what a hippie is, or was, into some cliche that can be molded and sold to you as trendy.

    Money is a great way to ruin anything that ever was cool, when that's all a society cares about in the end.

    But I still shop at the hemp store, and the co-op grocery, and the little guitar shop owned by the Deadheads...because that's one way to be supportive, without an actual commune getting into the mix.
     
  10. The legacy of the Hippie movement is political correctness, cultural relativism, new age occultism, alternative (read: bogus) therapies and (not at all) medicine. It was all rather naive and for a while, until the real world caught up with them, idealistic.

    Now it is just hollow and detrimental. And still naive.

    That said, I do admire their willingness to stand up to the powers that was. For certain their ideals did help end the Vietnam war and not least bring the modern marijuana culture into being. Not to mention great music and other cultural expressions.

    Having the Hippie movement at a distance, I think we can distill the good of it from the bad. For certain we need to roll back the more insane ideals, political correctness and cultural relativism being the first on the chopping block. And keep the good of it, like ideals of equality between individuals and working to keep good with nature. And ofcourse, still work to make weed legal :)
     
  11. The older i get the more i change...
    In my twenties i was a suit totally career focused.. Spent my time and money on fashion fine dining, flash cars and property...
    Now in my late 30's i could not give a rats ass bout clothes, cars etc.. I dress like a bum now.. Sandals n shorts n flowery shirts..
    Live in a run down old house n have become way more laid back in my politics and i how i view life in general..
    I actually care bout the enviroment and worry bout my fellow man now something i would have sneered at when younger..
    My friends from my twenties have not changed and still have the same ambition and drive..
    I have not become lazy but now try to spend my energies on charity work, "gardening" , fishing etc...
    Fuck i have become a bloody hippie..

    Have never drawn welfare and never will..
    Live off my savings n odd jobs before ye start bitchin...
     
  12. Smokin I take my hat off to you. I was beginning to lose faith in 'mainstream' america but because of the example you give my cynicism is lifting.

    Perhaps there is a new dawn on the horizon? There had better be or we are all fuck*d.....

    :wave:
     
  13. All extremes are bad--and that applies to some of the hippie ideals.

    Did the hippies bring something to the table, and have some interesting ideas...good to bring? Absolutely. But were they this perfectly functioning culture and way of life...get out of here, not a chance.

    But like someone mentioned, when you try to overthrow society to the extent that hippies generally did, you are going to get some serious backlash. And well, we are still dealing with that to this day. In a sense hippies helped hasten society to do exactly what they were out against--and that is bigger government, commercialism, materialism, selfishness, etc etc.

    I think moderation is the key to any successful lifestyle, and some hippie like ideals are certainly applicable to doing so--but a full blown hippie like movement all over again? Do you know how fucked we'd be? The powers that be would throw the hammer down 10x worse than Nixon or Bush ever did.

    There are better ways to further society in positive directions without shoving it down everyone's throat/being so brazen about it. But I can't blame you for being reminiscent of that time period.
     
  14. I've been seeing hippie culture gaining popularity around here. If it's gonna start somewhere, I hope it's Canada.

    Imagine the e-hippie culture.
     
  15. I didn't know peace, love, and belonging together were ever a part of the hippie manifesto; waving flags of the Viet Cong, spitting on soldiers, supporting black nationalist movements, justifying the crimes of Mao Zedong and Che Guevara, etc. didn't strike me at all as being good things.
     
  16. I'd love for certain hippie ideals to be reclaimed again; working towards peace, having respect for one's fellow man and the concepts of individuality and choice, yeah...

    As long as people don't interpret those ideals as meaning: drop out of all productive activity and get high all day :rolleyes:
     
  17. I would love to see a true grassroots movement towards hippie ideals, I mean how could humanity go wrong? The danger is the new greening age, and the false idea of sustainable development, all of these things have been planned long ago and funded by the big foundations and we are meant as a people and culture to fall for them, the carbon scam, gw scam, we don't have to fall for this stuff, just our own ideals will set us free. But we should never give up weapons, that is for the last resort, of course.
     
  18. It doesn't sound like hippie ideals are for you...
     
  19. Ideals yes .

    But being an actual "hippie", naw ..

    From what I've seen the movement ended because obviously authority and gov't was going to end sooner or later but a lot people lost ideals .

    It ended with people straight od'ing in broad daylight on streets .

    Another movement would be awesome, I'd love to experience one in my lifetime but people lose themsleves all too often .
     
  20. In what way, because I see whats down the pike, and I don't think post-democratic America is a fun place to live in? Don't question my ideals because I know the lies of global warming and the carbon tax scam.
     

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