Was the country more divided during the Vietnam, or presently? Would love any feedback. Thanks.
Honest question for those who lived through Vietnam
- Thread starter michaeluk26
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Great question. Honestly, I had forgotten how split the USA was during this time. National Guardsmen killing our own citizens at Kent State. Funny how the passage of time pushes this back in our memories.
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In the decade of the 60s there was more change in America than all other decades combined. 1960 America looked nothing at all like 1970 America.
War protests, assassinations, civil rights movement, women's liberation movement, the sexual revolution and the pill, the generation gap, increase in drug use, rock and roll music.
The country was torn apart and put back together.
War protests, assassinations, civil rights movement, women's liberation movement, the sexual revolution and the pill, the generation gap, increase in drug use, rock and roll music.
The country was torn apart and put back together.
^ Sorry Tannerdad, can’t agree with that. In addition to what the earlier posted stated, you had the ‘68 Democratic convention protests/riots, Kent St, Weathermen, Black Panthers and a host of other groups.
Vietnam, civil rights issues and riots, Freedom Riders bus fire, multiple assassinations - definitely a more divided, tragic and violent period. Luckily, the country came out better in the 70’s IMO.
Vietnam, civil rights issues and riots, Freedom Riders bus fire, multiple assassinations - definitely a more divided, tragic and violent period. Luckily, the country came out better in the 70’s IMO.
Politically, now. Most of the division in the sixties was over the war ( not really a war, it was a police action). LBJ was the absolute worst POTUS of my lifetime and I am 69.
Political leaders, agenda driven media, and buffoons with twitter accounts are really divided these days, but when I go about living life and interacting with actual humans everything seems fine. We just live in a world where you need a hot take and a flashy headline for attention.
This is what happens when Democrats run things. They sow division and promote hatred.
You recognize that you opened with a divisive statement which some might say is sowing division right? Do you feel like Republicans have been trying to unite the public?
agree ... wasn't in... split over the issue back th over politics now.
think it's more media driven perceptions dividing folks today... OMO
The classes of people who tend to be/feel discriminated against have more inclusion and freedoms now than they ever have and yet complain just as loudly as ever.
Interesting you would ask this question today. Per the LHL online newspaper, today is the 50th anniversary (1970) of Nixon announcing he was sending troops into Cambodia, and the 45th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.
That guy fights back. When he is attacked, he attacks back. that is called defending yourself. Huge difference in that and forcing hundreds of thousands of boys age 19 to go die in a police action. At the same time, if you want to get there, Bush did the same thing with Afganistan. Only difference being, military now is all volunteer, the sixties, you had no choice, you were forced.Really?
How about this guy?
There were a lot of divides -- many of them were more subtle.
As mentioned above, most originated in what was called "The Generation Gap" and separately, the War in Vietnam.
1) Rock and roll was noticeably different from most previous pop music. "Rhythm and Blues" became much more mainstream in the 1960's.
By the late 1950's and early 1960's much of America's pop music was recorded by "girl groups" and "teen idols" (Frankie Avalon, Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, Bobby Vee, et al). The 4 Seasons and the Beach Boys bridged the musical gap until the British Invasion in 1964.
The Baby Boomers dressed more casually (and most grew their hair longer) than The Greatest Generation. Those who were adults during WW II dressed up just to go shopping.
JFK was the first President to be born in the 20th century and was much younger than his predecessors. (Unlike before, JFK never wore a hat.)
2) As the Baby Boomers grew up, the big fear was the Vietnam War. Teenagers were drafted. Many were killed or crippled in a useless war.
Politicians feared the stigma of being the first Americans to lose a war. So they continued to elevate our involvement "to stop the spread of Communism."
Well, we didn't.
Additionally many younger Americans felt that rich kids could avoid the war.
While I attended UK one of the draft lotteries was held. I was a freshman at Haggin Hall. The general feeling was that if you got drafted you would be killed or crippled in Vietnam.
When the first numbers were called, we heard a few students scream (before they got really drunk). They felt they would end up like Bubba Gump or Lieutenant Dan.
There were a few moderate campus marches.
As mentioned above, most originated in what was called "The Generation Gap" and separately, the War in Vietnam.
1) Rock and roll was noticeably different from most previous pop music. "Rhythm and Blues" became much more mainstream in the 1960's.
By the late 1950's and early 1960's much of America's pop music was recorded by "girl groups" and "teen idols" (Frankie Avalon, Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, Bobby Vee, et al). The 4 Seasons and the Beach Boys bridged the musical gap until the British Invasion in 1964.
The Baby Boomers dressed more casually (and most grew their hair longer) than The Greatest Generation. Those who were adults during WW II dressed up just to go shopping.
JFK was the first President to be born in the 20th century and was much younger than his predecessors. (Unlike before, JFK never wore a hat.)
2) As the Baby Boomers grew up, the big fear was the Vietnam War. Teenagers were drafted. Many were killed or crippled in a useless war.
Politicians feared the stigma of being the first Americans to lose a war. So they continued to elevate our involvement "to stop the spread of Communism."
Well, we didn't.
Additionally many younger Americans felt that rich kids could avoid the war.
While I attended UK one of the draft lotteries was held. I was a freshman at Haggin Hall. The general feeling was that if you got drafted you would be killed or crippled in Vietnam.
When the first numbers were called, we heard a few students scream (before they got really drunk). They felt they would end up like Bubba Gump or Lieutenant Dan.
There were a few moderate campus marches.
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After thinking about this. I think the news media is the biggest divider in the country today, they create false narratives to get viewers. They promote civil disorder, and love a good riot, they promote racial divide.Really?
How about this guy?
He fights back when his delicate psyche is offended.
He can't answer questions from a Free Press, so he "attacks" people who are doing their respective jobs.
Do you want me to show examples?
Was only a kid during the 60s, but have read a lot of history.
There was a hell of a lot more going on than the Vietnam War, although that occupied center stage. The Freedom Riders, Voting Rights act, MLK marches, all arising out of the Civil Rights movement. Riots in Watts and in Detroit, among other major cities. Free love and drug use increased exponentially, which was a huge source of division between the generations. Womens rights movement really got going in the 60s. Curt Flood filed the ultimately successful reserve clause lawsuit which led to free agency. Basketball and football were largely segregated in 1960, and were largely integrated by 1970 (I think even the New York Yankees integrated in the 1960s, last team to do so, although I could be wrong about that).
Read a book called "1968", the year of the Tet Offensive, MLK and RFK assassination, Chicago Democratic convention. In short, it was a hell of a year.
There was a hell of a lot more going on than the Vietnam War, although that occupied center stage. The Freedom Riders, Voting Rights act, MLK marches, all arising out of the Civil Rights movement. Riots in Watts and in Detroit, among other major cities. Free love and drug use increased exponentially, which was a huge source of division between the generations. Womens rights movement really got going in the 60s. Curt Flood filed the ultimately successful reserve clause lawsuit which led to free agency. Basketball and football were largely segregated in 1960, and were largely integrated by 1970 (I think even the New York Yankees integrated in the 1960s, last team to do so, although I could be wrong about that).
Read a book called "1968", the year of the Tet Offensive, MLK and RFK assassination, Chicago Democratic convention. In short, it was a hell of a year.
This shaped a lot of the current divide moving forward as well. Still a lot of division about how much war and military we want, how we view sexuality, and I still think we are trying to move past the Civil War as far as race relations go.
The 60s were a split between generations. I had friends in the war and a couple died. And while I hated the war and what it stood for, I despised the radicals that spit in the face of our soldiers. The riots, assassins, leaders murdered, etc.. It was an amazing time. Things were changing daily. Including me and my political leanings.
Now it’s a total split between Americans of all ages.
Slanted(both ways)media that rarely rely on truth, radical liberalism, social media, and partisan politicians. Hell even the stalwart entities we used to have great faith and respect for like the FBI, have turned into a partisan political pawn.
I still think we haven’t been this divided since the 60s. And I mean the 1860s.
Now it’s a total split between Americans of all ages.
Slanted(both ways)media that rarely rely on truth, radical liberalism, social media, and partisan politicians. Hell even the stalwart entities we used to have great faith and respect for like the FBI, have turned into a partisan political pawn.
I still think we haven’t been this divided since the 60s. And I mean the 1860s.
Anyone not living then can get a very good idea what the times were like then can watch the Ken Burns documentary on PBS, The Vietnam War (it's on Netflix). I turned 18 in 1961 and lived through it all as an adult. The series is accurate and unbiased. And very depressing.
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If you refuse to see it, nothing I can say will change your mind. The man has been lied about, attacked, impeached over because he won an election.
Not trying to hijack this thread but agree with those who talk about the media being divisive. Made much worse in the ‘90s when news divisions / organizations became profit centers instead of cost centers. No more Cronkite, Huntley / Brinkley et al (thread).
72 years old and can blame much on so called social media. For all the good that can come from the Internet, it has made a part of this society stupid. It has made rock stars out of losers.
This is why I always find it funny when someone says "back when I was growing up....." then go on a rant how bad things are today, how bad kids are, etc. Things have always been effed up, maybe in a different way, but they always have been. Social media has accelerated this ten fold.
I think in the 60s (in my mid 30s, not first person perspective here) we had REAL issues and the country was polarized in every manner possible.
I think today weve got all this social media and 24 hr news perpetuating misinformation, stupidity, hot takes, uninformed reporting, psuedo experts, and people having access to the internet giving them so much more info easily they consider themselves experts.
As a teenager, I thought the 60s were awesome and would have been amazing. Now that Im older and have more seasoning and have done a lot of reading and such, I look back at the decade and wonder just what the **** is wrong with y'all [laughing]
I think the sweet spot for this country was the post war - pre JFK time period. Seems like that was probably when we really had things rolling.
I think today weve got all this social media and 24 hr news perpetuating misinformation, stupidity, hot takes, uninformed reporting, psuedo experts, and people having access to the internet giving them so much more info easily they consider themselves experts.
As a teenager, I thought the 60s were awesome and would have been amazing. Now that Im older and have more seasoning and have done a lot of reading and such, I look back at the decade and wonder just what the **** is wrong with y'all [laughing]
I think the sweet spot for this country was the post war - pre JFK time period. Seems like that was probably when we really had things rolling.
Only for those that were white, christian and male.
Well, yung'un, climb up on my knee and I'll tell you about the 1970's.
When we chat about the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's, we are dividing these decades arbitrarily.
It is not like December 31, 1999 when Y2K changed the world overnight.
I will tell you one thing. The 1970's were the tackiest of all decades.
Would you wear this Tom Seaver suit? (such a bargain)
...here is Frank Sinatra hosting The 5th Dimension:
I would say now. Back then, it was pretty clear what the sides were that people were on, but now everyone is all over the place.
I think we all can agree that music improved exponentially from 1-1-1960 to 12-31-1969.
Although until the day he died, I think my Dad blamed much of what he perceived to be society's ills on "those damn long haired Beatles" [laughing]
P.S. And he REALLY hated the Rolling Stones
Although until the day he died, I think my Dad blamed much of what he perceived to be society's ills on "those damn long haired Beatles" [laughing]
P.S. And he REALLY hated the Rolling Stones
You know after mr trump loses in November he will likely start his own news network.