Political compass for the21st century

[Marypoza]

(02-19-2019, 04:47 PM)Eric the Green Wrote:

(02-19-2019, 03:49 PM)David Horn Wrote:

(02-19-2019, 03:10 PM)Eric the Green Wrote: I'm sure. I won't deny there was a general trend of desires for more freedom in lifestyles. But the self-actualization concept and the human potential movements were not self-defeating self-absorption. My points still stand, I think. I would not agree that the hippies were self-absorbed or hyper-individualists; they were about "come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try to love one another right now." Hyper individualism that contributed to social disintegration is primarily the responsibility of the neo-liberals, a totally different philosophy and much more political. Of course these neo-liberal tycoons turn everything into a commercial profit-making meme, so some of that occurred with the counter-culture's mainstreamed influence, as well as anything else people might find attractive.

And I still think most of the desire for more freedom in lifestyle was a good thing; it just needs to be more responsible than it was then.

Hippies made a total mosh out of the commune idea, at least all the ones I ran into in my youth.  It was mostly oblivious behavior, but it was still toxic.  All the meditation and drugs tended to create inward focus.  It's hard to be communal under those circumstances.

I don't think so. Meditation and drugs (if rightly used, a big if) open you to life and to others. You can't have a full relationship with life or other people if you are scattered and unfocused within and possessed by reactive fears and social programming, which most of us are most of the time. The biggest fault in our society is our lack of spirituality. The counter-culture was a step, along with aspects of our previous (but mostly forgotten) awakenings, toward reclaiming and updating this within traditional America. Since it is being ignored and denied again, and indeed so strenuously opposed at the time, the next awakening may well have to start from scratch again, and if so, may well be reviled again, and the cycle of nowheresville, spirit-dead, fear-possessed, uninspired and lonely America will just continue. Our streets will still be too dead for dreamin'

I'm not an expert on how good the communes were, but I think only those people who oppose them think they were "toxic." I imagine they were not all they were hoped for, though, since the commune culture didn't last. What lasted longer were events like the rainbow gatherings and the dead-head concert gatherings. Some of these may still be happening. Music festivals still had, and may still occasionally have, some of the original love-in spirit for decades afterward, inspiring many new hippies and awakened folks. These are not all that we need for a spiritual society, of course, but meditation has become much more mainstream, and so have other growth techniques. So the awakening may continue for some people; that's something to hope for.

'- some communes still exist- The Farm in TN 4 1. There's 1 in AZ, my friend's Mom visits it from time 2 time

The Dead are still touring, but without Jerry it just ain't the ssme