...according to Alan Wolfe. This article, which can’t be confused with real cultural analysis, does make some good points. The Sixties gave us cultural liberalism and political conservatism--two forms of anti-authoritarianism or anti-elitism or anti-establishmentarianism. The Sixties also set the stage for genuine counterculturalism--such as the anti-bourgeois home-schooling movement and the anti-technological crunchy cons. Because of the gains for justice, Wolfe adds, we have to conclude that the Sixties were more good than not. Apparently Wolfe yearns for the party establishments of the early Sixties--the Kennedys, Harriman, Rockefeller, and so forth. Neither real liberals nor real conservatives today would admit that they were, on balance, better than what followed them. Goldwater and Reagan, for example, were, each in his own way, men of the Sixties. So was Nixon, who can’t be reduced to either good or evil.
Yes, there is some very interesting work along these lines that I mentioned in the last thread about the anti-bureaucratic/anti-authority movement on the right and left which seems to provide an excellent lens by which to understand the Sixties. The legacy of the institutions which the respective sides (and the American people) do not trust has left us in an authority vacuum decades later. The Cold War consensus and trust in institutions broke down and now the polls show that few trust government, military, media, organized labor, etc.
This is off thread.
But Peter, there is a possible VP pick from Pennsylvania, who isn't Ridge, nor Santorum, and he's former Lt. Governor MARK SCHWEIKER, {sp?}. You might remember him from a mining disaster. He was enormously popular, and he would have handily won re-election against Rendell, had he chosen to run, but he decided to spend more time with the family. I don't know if he's pro-life. But he's somebody to consider, if you're determined to wrest Pennsylvania from the Democrats. With Obama's bizarre utterances, Pennsylvania is already in play, and a guy like Schweiker would put Pennsylvania front and center come early November, 2008.
Dan, that is the best PA idea I've heard so far. But I don't remember enough about S. to say more.
I think Tom Wolfe could have told us more. Or already has.