Are there neo-hippies in the world today?

Question

With the war in Iraq, I am surprised at how little a response there has been from the younger generation. Despite similarities to the Vietnam War, young people don't seem to be protesting the war to the extent they did in the 60s. In fact I don't hear about their protests at all. Are there neo-hippies that are protesting the war that I simply have not heard about? And if there aren't, why not?

Answer 1

First of all, "hippies" does not equal "protesters". I like that neo-hippies term, though. Cute. You'd have liked the sixties.

Second, not much is the same now as then. In the sixties, the baby boom kids were mostly in their teens and twenties. We had the draft -- at 18. We had the vote -- at 21. We had the civil rights movement. The women's rights movement. Birth control. Free love. Viet Nam. Interstates. LSD. And more. All at once.

So it's no surprise that a lot of young people protested an undeclared war in a obscure little country on the other side of the world, where some 50,000 mostly young largely drafted Americans died while the politicians made sure that the conflict was incomprehensible and unwinnable.

Now, we have another nasty little conflict against another difficult-to-pin-down enemy (terrorists instead of VC) in another country far, far away. But all of the soldiers are volunteers. There are no teenagers there that didn't sign up to be there. That's a huge difference.

The sorts of creatures that we are hunting in Iraq and Afghanistan attacked us here. Murdered thousands of people while we watched on CNN. Is there any lack of clarity to the overall mission? Not this time. I hate that we attacked Iraq. It was a seriously ill-conceived idea. But we did, and there we are, and it is not an altogether bad thing.

Seems to me that the major protestor is Cindy Sheehan, who objects for the most fundamental, understandable reason of all: her son died.

It is very right and reasonable that, this time, it is the mothers who object.

Politicians who put war in motion should be on the front line of the first wave. They'd think harder if it was their own a***s about to be shot off.

Answer 2

You ask a very interesting question. Let me give you an answer that Baby Boomers are going to hate (but is true nevertheless).

Sure, a lot of people protested the war in Vietnam. College campuses burned, students took to the streets and rioted etc. But all of that ended quite suddenly in 1972. Why? Because the government cancelled the military draft.

Protesters may have carried on and tried to make it seem as though they were solely motivated by a principled stance against an unjust war; but if that's the case, well, the war was unjust after 1972 also; but the protests dried up anyway.

The real spark for anti-war protests was the draft. The real reason people protested was because they wanted to live their lives and do what they wanted to do, and they were afraid of getting shot at. But of course, you can't come right out and say that, because it makes you look both selfish and a wimp. So you have to dress it up in a lot of high-sounding rhetoric -- which is exactly what they did.

The US has been involved in numerous other military actions after Vietnam, but as you point out, they haven't really generated the widespread protests. And of course they never will. Oh certainly, you'll always have a few people out there who will protest anything; but widespread, organized protests? Forget it. Not unless they bring back the draft and actually make people pay a price for being a citizen.

Answer 3

Yes, there are "neo-hippies". Yes, there are protests.

One difference between today and the 60s is that the media today don't focus on things like protests. The media are interested in keeping people in line, not giving them reasons to rock the boat.

Another difference is that, in the 60s, the draft was on. After the government ended the draft, the huge protests ended, too--even though the war hadn't ended yet.

Most people care more about their own asses than what's right in the world.

Answer 4

The sad answer is this: there is no draft.

It's a matter of self-interest.

Conscience alone might make people disagree with a war, but it will rarely get them to go out and do anything about it.

But if you started drafting kids tomorrow, there would be demonstrators filling the streets the very next day.

( By the way, not all anti-war protesters were "hippies", and not all "hippies" were anti-war protesters. )

Answer 5

You ask an rather exciting question. enable me provide you an answer that toddler Boomers are going to hate (yet is authentic even with the reality that). specific, multiple human beings protested the conflict in Vietnam. college campuses burned, pupils took to the streets and rioted and so on. yet all of that ended rather all promptly in 1972. Why? because of the fact the government cancelled the protection rigidity draft. Protesters could have carried on and tried to make it look as though they have been totally inspired via a principled stance against an unjust conflict; yet while it quite is the case, properly, the conflict exchange into unjust after 1972 additionally; however the protests dried up besides. the real spark for anti-conflict protests exchange into the draft. the real reason human beings protested exchange into because of the fact they had to stay their lives and do what they had to do, and that they have been petrified of having shot at. yet of path, you may no longer come good out and say that, because of the fact it makes you look the two selfish and a wimp. so which you will dress it up in distinctive extreme-sounding rhetoric -- it quite is precisely what they did. the U. S. has been in contact in distinctive different protection rigidity movements after Vietnam, yet as you factor out, they have not quite generated the well-known protests. and of path they never will. Oh rather, you will continually have some human beings accessible who will protest something; yet well-known, prepared protests? overlook it. no longer till they convey decrease back the draft and surely make human beings pay a cost for being a citizen.

Answer 6

I live in San Francisco. We don't need neo-hippies here. We still have plenty of the original ones living in Haight Ashbury and Berkeley. ;-)

And yes, they protest the war. Regularly. So do the stock brokers in the financial district, the drag queens in the Castro, the grandmothers who bring their knitting and sit on Market Street with their anti-war signs, the techies from Silicon Valley who drive up to protests in their SUV's, and the buddhists who sit in temple and meditate for peace. Everyone with a conscience is protesting the war in some way here.

You must just live in a very conservative area?

Answer 7

Sorry Soccerman, my answer is for Panacea

I sigh in sorrow for your narrow view, stereotyping and judging groups of individual humans. You sound scared, angry and defiant.

Understandable, given what has occurred lately.

The type of intolerance you are showing is what causes anger and violence. The emotions may have been caused by acts of terrorism. Living in Canada, I can empathize, yet not relate.

It is hard feeling helpless, not knowing what culture may attack next. Yet, it may be your 'white' neighbour. (not Canada, eh ;^)

Please, take a silent moment, a deep breath, and BELIEVE in the majority of human goodness.

I have felt rocked to my soul, too, lately. Wars, wars, frickin everywhere. History is filled with death; over land, power, money, races.

Search inside, below the hate, fear and pain, and find hope. One day, our earth will live as one. In Peace.

Do not substitute anger and distraction for solution.

Answer 8

My generation is far smarter than your generation. We don't believe your communist propaganda and we aren't so weak minded as to commit treason simply because it seems the cool thing to do at the time. We know what is going on is necessary and we know who the enemy is. Sadly, that includes people like you. You liberals have been aiding various sick regimes to commit genocide for decades now. The blood is so think on your hands, do you really think we don't notice it? Do you think we don't know what you did and why? Do you think we are ignorant of what you want to bring here to my friends and family? Do you really think we will let you do that? My generation rejects you and your evil ways, lock stock and barrel. We bear witness to the millions of people killed in the genocides you people helped bring about with your phony peace movements. We bear witness to the dead in Vietnam killed by your allies the communists.....the dead in Cuba, North Korea, Russia, China, and many other places less well known. We know you want that to happen in the middle east. We saw you rejoicing after 9/11 and see your direct attempts to try and make that a common event. You want to bring that HERE. We bar the way from you doing that. You are monsters. And we see you for what you are.

Answer 9

I'm a past-time hippie. Do I count?

Note to answerers: You people really need to learn about pragraphing.

Answer 10

the youth of today is used to being told what to do.