Explaining the 1960s

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett present a conservative critique of the lasting social, cultural, and economic changes that emerged from the 1960s, with particular focus on how these changes continue to shape modern American society.

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HIGHLIGHTS:

Historical Significance of the 1960s

• The hosts position the 1960s as the most culturally important decade in Western history, comparable to how the 1910s (with World War I) defined 20th century politics
• They describe the cultural shift as being "on the scale of the foundation of a new religion" that has never been honestly examined

The Managerial Class and Bureaucratization

• Discussion of how bureaucracy gained sociological dominance during this period
• Analysis of how bureaucracy standardizes people, crushes ethnic differences, and stands against organic traditions and religion

Economic and Social Changes

• The prosperity of post-WWII America creating conditions for social experimentation
• The turning point of 1971 (leaving the gold standard) and subsequent economic stagnation
• How regulations led to corporate consolidation (from top companies controlling 20% of markets in the 1960s to 80% today)

Cultural Revolution and Its Consequences

• The birth control pill as a transformative technology comparable to the atom bomb
• How the 1960s counterculture became the establishment, with those who were once rebels now enforcing conformity

The Black Community and Civil Rights

• Complex analysis of how the black community changed after the 1960s
• Discussion of pre-1960s black economic advancement and family structure
• The Civil Rights Movement's success in ending Jim Crow but discussion of unintended consequences

Spirituality and Consciousness

• How psychedelics influenced modern culture and art
• Discussion of Eastern religions' influence and how they were often misinterpreted

Generational Analysis

• Critical examination of "boomerism" as a comprehensive worldview
• How the social shifts of the 1960s were primarily driven by elite university students but eventually spread throughout society
• The hypocrisy of generational values shifting based on self-interest

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