What did the Anti-War Movement Lead To? Gramsci and Civil Society

Yoshie Furuhashi furuhashi.1 at osu.edu
Wed May 13 13:04:07 PDT 1998


Wojtek wrote:
>I think Nathan is correct linking the steady decline of the progressive
>power with the ascent of the me-generation of the baby boomers. They
>protested mainly because they did not want to give their privileged life
>style to fight in Vietnam, not because they opposed the war. When not
>threatened by the draft, they cheered the televised Persian Gulf war from
>the privacy of their living rooms and suburan drinking holes.


>PS. From what I heard from a historian friend of mine, the only anti-war
>movement that really mattered was the opposition to the war within the
>military itself, that left the army deeply divided and demoralized.

Well, would you rather have had those 'draft-dodgers' and anti-war protesters during the Vietnam War gladly sacrifice their lives for the American Empire? What's the point of putting down those who thought that their lives were worth more than that?

Besides, is it true to say that "When not threatened by the draft, they cheered the televised Persian Gulf war from the privacy of their living rooms and suburan drinking holes" as you do above? Do you have empirical evidence for this statement?

Further, were all or even most of those who were involved in protests "privileged"?

Lastly, wasn't there a connection between the opposition inside the military and protests outside it?

Yoshie



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