I wonder if Brian Doherty was even around in 1972.
I was 19 in that year, and can attest that the kooky left of those days can’t hold a candle to the hair-on-fire, foaming at the mouth, rabid mouth breathing, psychotically deranged left of today.
Heck, this country even had conservative, patriotic Democrats back in that time.
Hard core liberals, such as are commonplace today, were few, and most definitely on the fringes of society.
They were only just beginning to gain a real foothold in academia - at least above the radar.
Sure, the so-called ‘counter culture’ was still around from the sixties, but their heyday had come and gone. Vietnam was winding down, and the whole country was tired of fighting.
I could go on and on -— it was just a far different (and better) time than where we’re at today.
I do remember 1972. That was my junior/senior year in high school. I was watching some of the TV coverage of the Democratic National Convention, and said “Those are a bunch of Commies!” I was just 17, and not old enough to vote then. McGovern was the so-called “youth candidate”, but he did not represent my views at the time. I identified more as a Henry Jackson Democrat then. And the Democratic Party left me.
The weekend hippies ( suburban kids who came into NYC on the weekends to pretend to be "baaaaaaaaaad" ) weren't too bad in the '60s, by 72, they were BAD!
The SDSers, Weathermen, the for REAL BLACK PANTHERS, and yes, the Manson crowd, were worse than the Antifa, BLMers, and assorted others of today.
Ah...then the 80’s.
With Counter-Counter Culture hard, grindy, crunchy metal.
Still love me some Megadeth.
According to his bio, doherty was 4 yo in 1972.
I graduated HS in 1972 and can attest that today is much more chaotic, and dangerous for that matter, with progressive leftists now dominating academia, media and entertainment industries. They have progressed from fringe to mainstream in 40 years.
God help us.