GOLD.

During the turbulent days of the 1960s hippies frequently utilized the term 'establishment' when referring to the government and 'unelected ruling authorities'. It was a matter of the government, the media and powerful corporations being in cahoots which was creating a threat to the whole of American society.

While we don't hear the term being used much anymore, it should be. After all, the youth of today seem unaware the connotations and therefore have less appreciation of the danger. Of course, it could be due to widespread apathy. A sizeable portion of last 2-3 generations seem to demonstrate they no longer care. For them, it seems, America is beyond repair.

On the other hand, the large turnout of young voters during the primaries of 2008 seems to indicate a renewed interest in political affairs. However, since there's always the danger they'll later abandon their youthful idealism, as typically occurs, perhaps knowing the attitude of the 60s generation (then and now) would help them hang on to their egalitarian beliefs. One might also glean something from comparing the old bones-of-contention with the new. Another good step to is understand freedom itself... how we view the concept today compared to yesteryear. The true (ancient) perspective has emboldening qualities which should help preserve our individual freedoms. Empowerment, after all, relies heavily on perspectives.

Since the political realities are virtually the same today as during the 60s, perhaps those under 30 will find lessons to be learned. Perhaps trying to make sense of the altered attitudes over the course of the last 50 years will yield something. Some mindset changes undergone by the 60s generation were minor, some drastic (but of no particular bearing), and some were downright traitorous. The mighty question is... what causes youthful idealism to be abandoned? While it's usually helpful if everyone is on the same page, perhaps it's not true in this case. After all, if the younger generations are still on the same page (as the old) means society won't progress... and we haven't. The truth is, the establishment has gotten worse... only its veneer looks better, more polished, but inside it's a greater mess. Deeper than ever is pretence and hypocrisy and put under closer guard are the backroom shenanigans.

So, how can it be reconciled that most of today's 'unelected ruling authorities' are of the 60s generation? Weren't many of them hippies... the same ones who once fought the establishment? Unfortunately, yes... but obviously many of them weren't true hippies or had that particular mindset. Or else they lost it. The unelected ruling authorities today can only be a mixture of old 'nerds', phonies and undisciplined souls. It's virtually impossible for truly cool people to become traitors... that is, as long as they remain 'cool'. True coolness is a demeanor with honorable attributes.

Attacking the establishment
Being a very unique decade which could be considered an 'era', the 1960s was a time of social upheaval best known for both the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. However, the protests and demonstrations which the 60’s are known wasn’t just limited to civil rights or the war... the establishment was also under attack, big time. There was a significant number of people, hippies mainly, who were openly protesting the establishment... therefore being 'anti-establishment'. It was primarily a justice issue over the fact the establishment had an unauthorized grip on society… controlling us unconstitutionally (in effect). The establishment, as the hippies portrayed it, were those insiders who, by virtue of their position, are able to influence government decisions and thus were yielding extraordinary (extraneous) power. The hippie’s focus was primarily on the media for their untruthfulness, large corporations over their exploitative practices, and the federal government for most every judicially sterile reason. It was also a matter of these institutions, this triad, being in cahoots with each other.

I was in my twenties during the 60s and while I wasn’t an active participant in the protests, I was sympathetic to most all the ongoing causes. Even though I wasn’t a hippie (per se), I could relate to and admired them... but I wasn’t a redneck either so I guess I was somewhere in-between. So, it's really more about having a idealistic mindset than being a hippie. Keeping this frame-of-mind all the way through adulthood is another matter however.

Being a 'happening' extremely rare, the pervasiveness of this mindset during the 60s could be consider a social phenomenon. It was magnificent, magical... but by the mid 70s the magic of idealism was all but gone. Rarely to be seen anymore, the grim-reapers of the 80s announced it effectively dead.

Conversations about the establishment were commonplace; hardly a day passed when one didn’t hear someone voice their opinion... invariably 'anti-establishment' in nature. Those conversations rarely exist today it seems, I hardly hear anyone bad-mouthing the establishment openly anymore. It no longer seems a 'trendy' conversation piece. That's what makes me wonder if the younger generations even contemplate the establishment anymore. Only seldom have I picked-up on their disgust. Either they don’t talk about it like we once did, it's apathy or perhaps they keep their opinions to themselves. Like us, maybe they’re somewhat hesitant discussing it with someone older like me, figuring I'm part of the conspiracy. After all, I'm over thirty.

i'm not gonna' post the whole article but if you want to read on visit: http://www.matrixbookstore.biz/establishment.htm

it really got me thinking though, is it not a trendy conversational topic anymore and has "the establishment has gotten worse... only its veneer looks better, more polished, but inside it's a greater mess. Deeper than ever is pretence and hypocrisy and put under closer guard are the backroom shenanigans."
are we just ignoring the obvious and emercing ourselves in our own selfish lives? are we quick enough to moan but concerned enough to do anything about it? are we even educated enough about it, is it even important anymore?
why is it such a pushed aside subject?