The Sixties: The Years that Shaped a Generation

PBS ^ | 9/29/2005 | PBS

[operation clinton cleanup]

"It was the age of selfishness. It was the age of self-indulgence. It was the age of anti-authority. It was an age in which people did all kinds of wrong things."

- Ed Meese III, U.S. Attorney General, Reagan Administration

"It was absolutely exhilarating. It was the greatest time to be alive ever, for sure."

- Charles Kaiser, Author/Historian

[BikerTrash]

The good thing about the sixties? One word...MUSCLECARS!

OK, maybe that's two words, I dunno.

Give me the eighties with Big Ron in charge.

[operation clinton cleanup]

the housing bubble....

We will have to leave THAT one in the undecided column for now....

[Cogadh na Sith]

But, there were several days where I was literally sick with apprehension.

Well, "A coward dies a thousand deaths...."

After reading 'The Red Badge of Courage' in high school, I knew I could never live like that--in fear.

Fortunately, some poor bastard went in your stead. I hope he made it. I wonder what his name was, don't you?

I can't believe people admit things like that....

I think the 60's made it fashionable to run from duty and danger--now we cannot even fight true evil because of this fashion.

[boo-boo kitty]

"...most of us didn't even know that it was going on! Those who attended were mainly college students and kids who were upper middle class and up enough to afford the travel to an obscure little town in New York.
Most of my generation didn't attend Woodstock, and though many tried to emulate those who did, most of my generation weren't hippies and never pretended to be. It was the media that portrayed a whole generation as the tune in, turn on, drop out type."

Yep! I was 20 years old, living in New York City and had NO idea. It had to have been the colleges. That must have been how they spread the word. Once it was over it was just a passing blurb in the paper as far as I can remember.

[Cinnamon Girl]

The Sixties: The Years that Shaped a Generation

And inspired future generations of dirty hippies.

[Cogadh na Sith]

And inspired future generations of dirty hippies.

Hahahaha!

Hammerhead: meet nail--pow!

[operation clinton cleanup]

What's amazing about all this nostalgia for "the 60's" is that the event everyone thinks epitiomized the whole generation only involved about 1/3 to 1/2 million people at the most.

If Chris Mathews has his way, last weekend will be the same thing!

[operation clinton cleanup]

One word...MUSCLECARS!

Proves the kids had better things to do than whine about their oppression... it was about the compression!

[Texican]

Child:
I was on Guadalcanal in 1945, helped clean up the island,(did not fire a shot though) then went to Bouginville, and later to Guam. Some call my generation the "Greatest" generation, but I take exceptation to this term. The young people of today, those in all branches of the service are doing, and have done as much as did we in the "40's" I am in awe of the exploits that these young people do. Yes, it is great to look back at the "Greatest" generation, but lets look at the "Super Generation" of today too. Well I have droned on far to long, so I will say

Good evening and the very best to you and yours.

Semper Fi
Tommie

[wingman1]

"After reading 'The Red Badge of Courage' in high school, I knew I could never live like that--in fear."

I have read the book several times. Whenever I browse used book sales I always buy copies to give away.

You say you read the book. Have you ever "seen the elephant"?

[operation clinton cleanup]

"...most of us didn't even know that it was going on! Those who attended were mainly college students and kids who were upper middle class and up enough to afford the travel to an obscure little town in New York.

So Woodstock was not a multicultural love fest, but a big, huge kegger! I suspected as much... Woodstock 1994 proved it.

[BikerTrash]

...it was about the compression!

Exactly. 10.5 to 1 and up with no ping on 35 cent 101 octane.

Looking at it that way, it seems like 200 years ago instead of 35.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Have you ever "seen the elephant"?

Yeah, couple of times. Not all in the military....

No, I'm not going to elaborate.

Moments of acute fear are exhilarating. Living in fear is soul-killing.

[horse_doc]

The 60's generation will be remembered as the Worst Generation Ever. And I'm sorry for those of your who did the right thing at the time, and had decent, constructive lives.

I'm more sorry that my generation has had to spend every day of our adulthood culturally cleaning up the trash that the Woodstock dopers left behind. That includes my older siblings, BTW.

I love them to death, but the country will be better off once the entire generation shuffles off this mortal coil.

[ChildOfThe60s]

What's your problem?

You can't believe I admitted being afraid of going to Nam? No normal person could watch the carnage year in and year out and not be.

By 1970, when I got out of HS, it was such a sordid, stinking mess, it was beyond redemption. By that time, you had to be deluded to think in terms of idealism about Nam. Duty? How about the duty of the civilians in Washingtion to the men that they sent to slaughter? Didn't they have a duty to let them win the war?

Sorry pal, there was a hundred year gulf between 1962 and 1970 regarding Viet Nam. Your slurs are cheap and inaccurate.

[Chode]

yeah, i prolly could since there's still 68 bodies around but "I" could never build that engine... it was a used Penske Trans/Am race engine! it was worth more than the car even back then.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Some call my generation the "Greatest" generation, but I take exceptation to this term. The young people of today, those in all branches of the service are doing, and have done as much as did we in the "40's" I am in awe of the exploits that these young people do.

I agree, but a soldiers life expectancy was much shorter. On the other hand, today's soldiers have no uniformed enemy to attack. Battles are won, but no certain victory can be declared when you are fighting a frame of mind rather than a country.

[operation clinton cleanup]

"I" could never build that engine... it was a used Penske Trans/Am race engine!

sweet...

[Tim Long]

with all the babes in the 60's

Girls who don't bathe or shave under their arms. How are those babes, dude?

[operation clinton cleanup]

Moments of acute fear are exhilarating. Living in fear is soul-killing.

Now that is a quotable quote... can we credit that to you?