Is it time for another Woodstock?

[mtnsnake]

Did any of you go to Woodstock?

Man, that was really amazing. I was just a kid and I only went for an afternoon spontaneously with an older friend, and it took a lot of luck, perserverance, and some hiking to get in. It was my first experience seeing so much hair.

What a great showing of humanity. I wonder if the timing is ripe for it to be repeated.

[Mr_Spock]

1. I'll go

:D

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Beam me up

[Dr.Phool]

3. No, we need another revolution first

The next Woodstock will be a celebration!!!

[indigobusiness]

4. If Woodstock happened today

it'd be a massacre.

[babylonsister]

5. I sort of agree because

people are angry, weed et al. is illegal, but people, responsible people are now not only angry but responsible. It might work. I don't agree about a massaacre.

[indigobusiness]

6. It was illegal then.

But nothing I'd rather see than the spirit of Woodstock in contemporary America. Can't see it happening. The 60s was a unique, magic time.

Imagine the chaos, the mud, the bad acid of Woodstock in today's world??? The horror...Oh, the humanity!

[babylonsister]

9. Are you sure "weed" was illegal?

I'm not. That's not the point, I know, but I have my doubts about the illegality of any drug in the 60s, because no one knew the ramifications.

[indigobusiness]

Absolutely.

It had been illegal for decades. Acid, and other psychadelics were legal for a brief period...but were illegal by the time Woodstock rolled around.

[babylonsister]

17. Wrong from what I have heard.

At least as far as I know-80's and later for pot. I know several guys in the military who smoked it regularly in the 70s and it was legal til the powers that be realized it might change their heads around, and all this after Woodstock. But it DID happen openly and legally.

[napi21]

12. Yes it was illegal in the 60's.

The legal hammer hadn't hit as hard as it does now, but it was illegal.

[fishwax]

21. Weed was criminalized in the 30s

It was part of a reaction against Mexican immigrants and migrant workers during the depression. Historically, one of the ways the powers that be crack down on immigrant populations is by outlawing their drug of choice. It isn't mere coincidence that prohibition took place during a massive influx of italian and irish immigrants in the first decades of the 20th century. The attacks on marijuana from the 30s through the 50s are loaded with racist propaganda.

The guy leading the charge was HJ Anslinger, who was head of the bureau of narcotics for about 30 years. And it was in these early days of criminalization that marijuana was wrongly classified as a narcotic.

[Sparkly]

39. Yup -- Remember "Reefer Madness?" n/t

[datasuspect]

28. if woodstock happened today

it'd be called CingularStock or something like that.

[TahitiNut]

7. While my peers were at Woodstock, I was in 'Nam.

I tried to go, but they wouldn't give me R&R in New York State. I'd go in a nanosecond.

[newdealer]

8. It was a different time and it really didn't change anything

Instead of Woodstock, we should look back at the riots outside the Democratic Convention of 68, SDS, Weatherman. I'm a musician, but music is completely coperatized, and there is no subculture in music-- other than Rap, and that's up for grabs. It's time for masive demonstations. Manifestos, taking chances like the Freedom Riders did in the early 60's. If woodstock told us anything it was that all we need is not love, but action. Excpect to be beaten (physically) by the authorities, and get back and keep at them. I need a Dean sream here.

[babylonsister]

10. I disagree.

Violence will prove nothing. Perhaps a big full vocal manic united anguished questioning voice will.

[newdealer]

19. Violence

I'm not endorsing violent acts, but we should organize and be prepared to suffer the consequences. Look at the Civil rights movement. Those folks took a hell of physical abuse from the authorities,but because of strong leadership, and documents, tactics, and strategies, which were agreed to by the leadership they made it work.

Look, I lived through Reagan/Bush for 12 years, and unless you were living then, you can't imagine the daily a constant threat of nuclear Holocaust happening at any minute. This W. guy, small potatoes.

[babylonsister]

26. Yes, LOOK at the

civil rights movement. MLKing was all about non-violence, which is one of his outstanding legacies. Hey, I lived through Reagan/Bush as well. Come to think of it, I was around during VietNam, and was about 7 when JFK got killed. Violence is violence, and as MLK preached, there's a better way, and I think non-violence makes more of an impact.

[indigobusiness]

13. It changed plenty. It kept the Nazis at bay for decades.

Look what happens when idealism dies.

Eastern Europeans credit the music of the 60s for the fall of the wall.

[newdealer]

16. It changed plenty

Maybe in Europe, but not in the US. Woodstockhas been idealized by subsequent generations, as the first spontanious demonstration, or however you want to characterize it. But remeber, it started out as a purely capitalistic endevour. The organizers and producers were expecting to make a lot of money with this event. It just became to big, people forcing through the fencing, so the producers diecidedthat it would become a "Free Concert"

Maybe it was the first time that the average American realized the extent of dissatifation among young folks. But I was 11 and handing out Common Cause flyers for my parents.
Which, with many other social advocate groups in the long run did more to end the war in Viet Nam.

[indigobusiness]

20. It kept the Nazis at bay IN AMERICA!!!

Without the idealism and activism of the 60s, America would be fully trashed by now.

[newdealer]

23. what did we loose

Whether you care pragmatically or not, the Dem convention of 68 is when the the Democrats lost their southern voters (the Dixiecrats) and never recovered to form a coherent, clear, uncompromising agenda.

Hey I'm all for bringing back civic obligations and getting the message out about what we want to achieve. Idealism and activism needs to be reinforced and supported. I work with several groups: KWRU, Economic Human Rights Organization, and it's great.

But as Woodrow Wilson said, when trying o form the League of Nations, "Facts are stubborn things."

Peace, and lets keep the dialog going.

[St. Jarvitude]

25. "there is no subculture in music"

http://www.acuareladiscos.com
http://www.killrockstars.com
http://www.subpop.com

Have fun. I've only shown you the doorknob... there's a whole world behind the door.

[newdealer]

37. I was there

I was in bands and shared many urine-stinking backstage crash rooms with the original bands on subpop. I remember at one gig, me and one of the guys from Mudhoney had to steal a case of beer from the club because they wouldn't pay us. Remember d.Boon? If you don't look him up. The last thing anyone wanted to do was sign a major lable contract. That was almost 15 years ago, when "INDE" wasn't a style, it was just that: people like myself and fellow musicians playing, touring, sleeping on strangers' floors, and trying to make enough money to put out another
record. After 12 years of doing that can make one a little cynical I suppose, but there was a whole national network of houses in which to crash, people who would feed touring bands, and out-of-the way venues
that were open to what bands were playing, whether or not we "drew" a big crowd. But then again, we had the Reagan/Bush Giant Republican Elephant Beast to shoot at.

You know, we thought we had won

[troubleinwinter]

11. Well, now, kids....

I'm an old lady now. But I surely do remember it. Thems was the days.

But these are the days, too.

Yup, let's do our work at hand relating to the screwed election, then let's celebrate. I rekon I won't be there with my top off, but I'll rent the DVD!

Weed is illegal?!??? Since when?

[babylonsister]

14. Amen, my friend!

Not that I have any immediate experience, mind you, but I do hear things.

[indigobusiness]

15. LOL

touche'

[prairierose]

18. Wouldn't that be wonderful......

I didn't make it to the festival but I had friends who did. It was a magical time, I agree. We need to bring back some of that music & we need some real musicians (not the coopted corporate whores) to write some new great protest songs! We also need to remember/memorize again the lyrics to many of those songs. That music spoke to us.

And yes children, weed was illegal. It was demonized in the '30's by Randolph Hearst & whatisname Dupont. It seems like there was someone else involved in that but my short term memory seems to be gone.

When we win this fight we DEFINITELY should celebrate!

:toast:

[Swamp Rat]

22. As long as it has good musicians and bands like the FIRST one

I was in Brasil last year and saw a DVD of the second Woodstock. What a travesty! We need bands like Sly and the Family Stone, Otis Redding, CSN&Y, et al. Not corporate Coca-Cola/Pepsi-rock!!!

How about combining some of the surviving greats like Pink Floyd or the Neville Brothers with some younger groups that are not so well known but really good?

[Fleurs du Mal]

24. Brown acid for the freepers!

[datasuspect]

27. maybe it's time for more riots

but instead of burning the ghettoes, maybe the gated communities and suburbs ought to be sacked and looted.

[Dukkha]

29. Woodstock today would totally SUCK!

Crass commercialism

Capitalism at it's worst ($6.00 for a bottle of water)

Plagued with violent jocks & thugs

Lots of really bad music!

The original spirit of Woodstock would never be recaptured today.

:-(

[Viking12]

30. Have you already forgotten Woodstock '99???

The past cannot be re-created. Without the counter-cultural climate that spawned the original, no such event could ever happen again. In the age of corporate control of everything, an organic counter-cultural movement is extremely unlikely.

[Butterflies]

31. I immediately thought of that too

It wouldn't work in the US now. It would have to happen in Canada or Europe.

[indigobusiness]

32. That was Woodstock in name only.

Didn't remotely resemble the Woodstock phenomenon.

[kskiska]

35. For good reason.

See #30. It wouldn't work today.

[indigobusiness]

36. No....

because it couldn't HAPPEN today.

[Radical Activist]

33. Bonnaroo

music festival in Tennessee is the closest thing we have to Woodstock today. It happens every year. It's a blast.

[SpiralHawk]

34. Ye Olde Spiral Hawk was there

and has many a fond memory of Woodstock.

Rock on.

[agitprop]

38. see

this thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2813945

there are still artists out there