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Forum Post: Why this IS NOT the 60's..A veterans perspective.

Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 14, 2011, 11:19 p.m. EST by Abe (5)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

Ok, I am going on fifty nine years old. I am a veteran marine, dishonorably discharged from the Vietnam days. I went AWOL and joined the civil rights and anti war revolution. I will be honest, doing this sort of thing is new to me.

In my day, when we revolted across the nation, we had artists behind us, helping to unite us. I am not talking about the fad driven, in one second and out the next pop bands of today. No, we did not have the internet back then so we depended on the 2-B's, revolutionary bands and books.

Where are the artists? What has happened to art in America? Art, cultural art, is a statement, like a prayer, accept given to the world.

At first this displeased me about your generations revolution. I know it is still just getting off the ground, but I thought to myself repeatedly "where are the writers like we had in my day?"

My little brother is a part of what is going on here in the NW, and will be joining them soon in Seattle I think. He told me about a book that recently came out that he had read and felt strongly about. I thought, what the hell. He told me he first began hearing about it in comments all over youtube. In fact it was while searching for those comments that I came across this site. Which is awesome by the way. Then I began seeing the name in these forums as well. So it is making the rounds, which is exciting.

I have spent the last few hours reading through it, hell it was only 4 bucks or something anyways, which is not too much worse than what the books in our revolution cost. Compared to the other inflation's in my life since those days, it is nothing. I digress.

I really think this could be one of your movements writers. I figured I would share it with people. It was obviously written by someone in the grassroots arena. It is not published by a corporate publishing house, it is real, gritty. It speaks for the movement in a pretty refreshing way I think, and it has been a while for me since I have read anything like it in the social literature world.

Anyways enough of that, here is the link... http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94223

Please, if anyone else has links to movement writers, poets, movie makers, bands, whatever, that are capturing who you are, why you are doing what you are doing, and what you want, share them!

Peace

24 Comments

24 Comments


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[-] 2 points by stevemiller (1062) 13 years ago

All the writers are watching the Kardashians. America has become a country of stooges who are self destructive. They have all been put into a trance who are completely manipulated. They are too arrogant to admit they are hypocrites and stooges. They would rather be destroyed.

America is a bottomless pit of ignorance. No matter how many ridiculous lies Obama tells, he has 40,000,000 stooges that keep saying Obama hasn't had enough time yet. There's no end in the sight while the dollar is being destroyed by Bernanke, all of the Wall Street gamblers are destroying our deposits while they play derivatives.

[-] 1 points by spritzler (12) from Boston, MA 13 years ago

I am a writer. I co-authored "Thinking about Revolution." It discusses why revolution is not only possible but necessary, and it presents a vision of a new society based not on capitalism but a sharing economy and equality. It is posted at www.NewDemocracyWorld.org and I urge you to read it. I am 64 years old and was very active in the anti-Vietnam war movement, and I remember what you are referring to. Thank you.

[-] 1 points by groobiecat2 (746) from Brattleboro, VT 13 years ago

There are many many writers ranting, raving, urging, advocating--and everything in between. Only today, they're called "bloggers." You want to read 'em?

http://www.truthdig.com/chris_hedges

http://www.plutocracyfiles.com/

http://www.rudepundit.blogspot.com/

http://www.robertreich.org/post/10157767903

www.groobiecat.blogspot.com

They're also online:

http://www.adbusters.org/magazine [1]

http://www.nationofchange.org/

http://www.truth-out.org/

http://thinkprogress.org/

[1] These guys are Canadian and called the original #OWS action. And ironically, the people who own the park are Canadian too.

Thanks for the story and link. Cheers and have faith--this is a lot more like the '60s than you know: Pete Yarrow agrees with me! ;)

http://youtu.be/9mk7JUcAZs8

[-] 1 points by DArmstrong (4) 13 years ago

Art is everywhere, have you seen some of the videos? It is a new age

[-] 1 points by KingCobe (52) from Baltimore, MD 13 years ago

Public Enemy

[-] 1 points by GypsyKing (8708) 13 years ago

Read "The Broken World" by a guy named Brent Hightower.

[-] 1 points by Shazam (54) 13 years ago

Lady Gaga. I was cranky at first but my students explained what she seems to be about and why she is important to them and I softened. The millennial generation has been promised a country where they can be themselves. Will we give it to them or punish them for the previous generations mistakes?

[-] 1 points by Shazam (54) 13 years ago

Lady Gaga. I was cranky at first too but when my students explained what she was all about and why they think she is important I softened a bit. The millennial generation has been promised they can be who they want to be...We need to make good on that promise.

[-] 1 points by Abe (5) 13 years ago

Is that a band or a person? I have heard the name. I am still stuck in my glory days, the seventies lol.

[-] 1 points by Shazam (54) 13 years ago

A person. Her videos are on youtube. My students encouraged me to look her up. It took about 1/2 the video before I could understand what was going on. Kinda like Grace Slick... maybe.

[-] 1 points by TIOUAISE (2526) 13 years ago

Hey, thanks for the link and thanks for sharing your story with the rest of us.

Where are all the writers? you ask. Personally, I like Chris Hedges and Noam Chomsky, and there is a GREAT song on youTube by James McMurtry, "We Can't Make it Here" that reminds me of some of the "protest songs" of the sixties.

Here are some of the lyrics:

"The bar’s still open but man it’s slow

The tip jar’s light and the register’s low

The bartender don’t have much to say

The regular crowd gets thinner each day

Some have maxed out all their credit cards

Some are working two jobs and living in cars

Minimum wage won’t pay for a roof,

Won’t pay for a drink, if you gotta have proof

Just try it yourself Mr. C.E.O.

See how far $5.15 an hour will go

Take a part time job at one of your stores

Bet you can’t make it here anymore”

P.S. Thanks for the link. That book looks great!

[-] 1 points by Abe (5) 13 years ago

That song right off the bat reminded me of Dylan. Saw him years back in hot and sunny Phoenix. I have heard of Chomsky, but he is the old vanguard. I am talking about the artists my younger brothers age, in their thirties, late twenties maybe that are unifying the movement, the cause. I don't think Emeniem or whatever is up to the task.

[-] 1 points by stevemiller (1062) 13 years ago

It is utterly impossible to imagine the entire USA could see the pictures of thousands of steel beams that were cut and blasted in all directions from the towers and that the towers fell straight into its own basement without knowing there had to be a conspiracy to rig the explosives. The entire crime was filmed. No person in their right mind could believe that jet fuel fires could cut steel beams. Only an entire country of numb skulls could ignore the conspiracy by Bush and our government to use 9/11 to start 2 wars.

The USA is an entire country of numbskulls especially all those sitting in the park hoping to change things while they cover up the bribes that caused the problem.

[-] 1 points by Abe (5) 13 years ago

Thats what I mean, where are the writers? If something like that happened in the late sixties, there would be writers all over it and circulating the country en masse. The internet is doing a decent job I guess, but not being very effective.

[-] 1 points by GypsyKing (8708) 13 years ago

Like I said, read "The Broken World," by Brent Hightower. That's a novel that tells it like it is, and has been, in America for a long time.

[-] 1 points by stevemiller (1062) 13 years ago

You missed my point completely. Improve your reading comprehension.

The entire country is in a deep trance. 9/11 was filmed, just like the Rodney King beating. The media played Rodney King 100s of times. Go to my blog and look at the explosions. http://overthecoals.blogspot.com/

Read my posts and spread them all over the internet. Wake up all Americans. If America is going to allow 9/11 by this government, there is no hope.

[-] 1 points by soloenbarcelona (199) from Barcelona, CT 13 years ago

You conspiracy theorist!! Here is the real story and this is the way it happened. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuC_4mGTs98&feature=share

[-] 1 points by stevemiller (1062) 13 years ago

Very cute. I am now waiting for trial in Bridgeport after being arrested for harassment. Next hearing is Nov 4. The judge will set a trial date then. My arrest followed a meeting with Capt James Vaidero, Detective division when I showed him evidence that only Bush is responsible for the explosives that murdered cops and firefighters who were trying to rescue people. Please attend my trial. You will see me put evidence in the court record that will make 9/11 clear to all the witnesses (all law enforcement officials) and the court. They are stupid people with privilege and power. After the jury acquits me I will sue them for the false arrest.

Letting 9/11 go unsolved is by far the worse thing Americans are doing against their own interest. OWS is blowing the best argument it can have by ignoring the evidence I have. OWS people are in the same trance the entire country is in.

[-] 1 points by soloenbarcelona (199) from Barcelona, CT 13 years ago

Sorry cant make it. Dont really believe you eiter, but in case I wouldn´t advise you to fight your system.

Maybe contact the anonimus and see what they advise: http://www.whatis-theplan.org/forum and there are enough groups that are trying to find out what happened, but some supernatural force seems to exist.

I´m no conspiracy theorist or anything like it, but the story around the 9/11 goes beyond my imagination. The only explanation I got is you´ve got an enemy that has so much power over your country (or representatives) and you are check-mate. Atomic bom that can go of the moment you get to see the real picture for example?

Good luck anyway, I´m out to join the OWS movement today in Barcelona (we have it here for almost a year now, indignados we call it), and I realised this OWS has been planned for a long long time.

Maybe its better you keep away from the anonymus or you might be another person that never existed.

And peacefull protesting with OWS is healthy and can only be good for yourself and others!

Kind regards.

[-] 1 points by stevemiller (1062) 13 years ago

"Dont really believe you eiter, but in case I wouldn´t advise you to fight your system."

What don't you believe? What did I lie about? Do you call people liars before you know any facts? Was I asking for advice.

Kind regards? You just called me a liar. You are incoherent.

[-] 1 points by soloenbarcelona (199) from Barcelona, CT 13 years ago

Sorry, kind regards means I wish you luck, even if you would be an agent doing research on whom is whom. I have encountered so many "fake" personalities on this website I never know what peoples intentions are. And sorry for "advising" you anything without you even asking, don´t take it personal, just the way I am. Good luck.

[-] 1 points by Abe (5) 13 years ago

Perhaps I did. If no one is being brought to justice for taking down a global economic system affecting billions of people, what makes you think anyone would be brought to justice if the truth came to light about 911?

[-] 1 points by stevemiller (1062) 13 years ago

Jesus help us if the truth about 9/11 is exposed and understood but we all keep being stooges for those bastards. Are you serious? Yes, I believe you are.