There Is Silence in the Streets; Where Have All the Protesters Gone? [nyt barf alert]

new york times ^ | 8/31/06 | ANDREW ROSENTHAL

[Michael.SF.]

Back in the 70's I remember going to see the Giants play the Dodgers in LA. Willie Mays was still with the Giants at the time. He struck out three times and made two errors, one of which cost the Giants the game. He was booed extensively. Even though I could not stand the Giants it was a sad and pathetic sight watching a former great embarrass himself like that.

Neil Young was not the musical equivalent of Willie Mays, but he (and Crosby) sure are reminding me of that dismal performance that Mays had that night.

[the invisib1e hand]

barf-o-rama.

sigh. I really enjoyed listening to "dark star" the other day...and I had come to like Neil Young more and more...but can't separte these idiots from their music anymore...

[edzo4]

I know, I was just making light of the NY Times revisionist history. I am sure they would say that Johnson started the war, he did not. That's all.

[mgist]

I think they were/are protesting any kind of authority figures. Later generations are a little less innocent. We probably have much more to rebel against, in terms of our parents, but are too practical to blindly follow silly "movements". The practicality became a necessity out of neglegent/absent 60's generation parents.

[Gingersnap]

The noisy, annoying, unsubtle leaders of the protest lent courage to the rest of us to cut school and march in a few rallies.

Gee, somehow I found the courage to cut classes all by myself. I must have been really, super brave.

[TexasCajun]

[Let's Roll]

Yep, they know they made a big mistake by believing in the 60s comm-symps. Fool me twice etc.

The enemy we fight now really does want to kill us and we realize that this time.

Rush was talking about Russia and China being against leaning on Iran. Just to tweak us - but it won't just be us of course. Hello, Russia/China, you can NOT deal with religious fanatics. They don't stay bought or reasoned with - they are literally nuts and live on hate and you will be be next.

[SirJohnBarleycorn]

And the campuses were silent.

Why? Because there is no draft, and no deferment for college students.

In the 1960s, the college deferment created a powerful psychological effect in students leading them to rationalize the fact that others had to go fight the war in Viet Nam in their place.

While a few students felt somehow guilty for their deferment and grateful for those who went in their place, most students on the other hand invented a narrative about how the war was immoral and therefore the students enjoying their deferments and not serving were actually morally SUPERIOR to those who went and served.

Because this invented psychological rationalization goes to the very essence of their self-worth as human beings, the Big Lie has continued to be relentlessly pushed by the former 60s students, even in the face of contrary historical evidence, such as the millions murdered in Southeast Asia when the communists at last won the war and seized power (in fact, there were more deaths in the communist "peace" than there were people who died on BOTH sides in the 13 years of anti-communist war), demonstrating that they were completely wrong about the morality of resisting the communists.

[Onelifetogive]

The pressure to be silent is great. This week, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld compared critics of Mr. Bush’s Iraq policy to those who appeased Adolf Hitler...

All the college kids I know are incredibly sensitive to peer pressure from Donald Rumsfeld.....

[Niteranger68]

It's the 31st......government check day!

[Sicon]

I've worked a lot in New York, and there are a lot of ignorant, stupid people in that town. Most of them think everyone is liberal in the US and can't fathom that anyone would disagree with them.

Ever been to San Francisco? Or Berkeley? They make NYC look like the audience at one of Sean Hannity's Freedom Concerts.

[Grampa Dave]

ANDREW ROSENTHAL is probably a poster girly boy for my tagline.

Who gives a tinkers damn about any pap written by this self hating JINO?

[fatnotlazy]

I happen to still be a fan of Mr. Young...he still has talent on the guitar...but even separating the message from the Living With War cd and just considering from an artistic standpoint -- that CD stinks big time. Not one of his greatest efforts. Supposedly it was recorded in only a few days. And it sounds like it too.

[fatnotlazy]

"But if there is a college movement against the war, it’s hiding pretty well..."

****

Actually, I'm glad they aren't protesting. They had a few marches last year and early this year in my neck of the woods...all they did was tie up traffic and make a lot of noise. As far as I'm concerned, they don't need to resume the protests anytime soon.

[GOP Poet]

I think people are paying to go to a rock concert and not a political concert...and they are wanting what they paid for.

Exactly! I took my husband to see CSN&Y a month ago in the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Although he wanted to see them to hear some of their music when he was younger and expected some of the usual liberal chip blowing, we were so upset at one point we actually folded up early.

Some one during the concert mentioned because Young had just written an album, they were really promoting his protest crap trap junk (my thoughts :-).

They weren't even that good. It is sad. In Los Angeles one would expect a huge response to these insane liberal rants and yes their was some cheering, but not what one would think and certainly with little vigor.

Whether this was Young's overcontribution to the event or a selfish ploy for tickets sales and attention, It failed horribly with the CSN&Y crew because it was so over the top and completely unattached to any real truth about what we are all experiencing beneath. Which is getting blown up by a bunch of Islamic terrorists at any point, anywhere.

I haven't even mentioned his flying of the Mexican and Canadian flags media show--clearly we know who and what this band supports, but we paid for good entertainment, which this was not. It was offensive.

Others show attendees in the bus going back to our cars that was stocked full long before the concert was over, were also expressing their disgust at this indulgence by the band--LOUDLY!

"I came to watch a concert with good music", said one man. "I could care less about their damn political beliefs." After that comment there was nearly a chant of agreement and then their was silence. I felt hope.

[LC HOGHEAD]

All we have to do is compromise with the Muslims. After all they are peace-loving just like us. All we have to do is give in on a few points and we would have peace. NO BIG DEAL !
First, since muslims believe homosexuality is a crime, all we have to do is agree with them and make homosexuality a crime, punishable by death. NO BIG DEAL,right? Secondly, muslims believe and insist that women are third class citizens, who should be subjugated and treated as chattel. So we just do as they say, don't let women vote anymore, don't let them go to school, kill them if they are not virgins before marriage, promote female clitoral castration to reduce the sex drive, and deny them divorce and property rights. Its what Allah commands. NO BIG DEAL, RIGHT?. Thirdly, let them annihilate the jews. Its only a tiny country anyways, and then we would have peace. ITS NO BIG DEAL, Right????? So all you Jews, Gays and Females, think about it. Its your reward, and its NO BIG DEAL !!!!!

[Grampa Dave]

Since the Fonda/Kerry and the hate America scum who started this bs in the late 1960s and early 1970's.

[Grampa Dave]

[potlatch]

LOL, Grampa Dave! You're pulling them all out.

[swmobuffalo]

"I'll be glad when all the 60's generation is dead."

Hey, hey, qualify that please! Not all of the 60's generation were beatnik, anti-war hippies.