 |
1960s in the United States
In the United States, the "New Left" was the name loosely associated with liberal, sometimes radical, political movements that took place during the 1960s, primarily among college students. The origin of the movement is largely based on the original progressive movement. The term "New Left" can be traced to an open letter written in 1960 by sociologist C. Wright Mills entitled Letter to the New Left. Mills argued for a new leftist ideology, moving away from the traditional ("Old Left") focus on labor issues, towards more personalized issues such as opposing alienation, anomie, and authoritarianism. Put differently, Mills argued for a shift from traditional leftism, toward the values of the counterculture.
The New Left opposed the prevailing authority structures in society, which it termed "The Establishment", and those who rejected this authority became known as "anti-Establishment." The New Left did not seek to recruit industrial workers, but rather concentrated on a social activist approach to organization. Many in the New Left were convinced that they could be the source for a better kind of social revolution.
Most New Left thinkers in the U.S., to varying degrees, were influenced by the Vietnam War and the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Like the British New Left, they also believed that the Secret Speech drew attention to problems with the Soviet Union, but unlike the British New Left, they did not turn to Trotskyism or social democracy as a result. Some in the U.S. New Left argued that since the Soviet Union could no longer be considered the world center for proletarian revolution, new revolutionary Communist thinkers had to be substituted in its place — Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh and Fidel Castro were identified as key contributors to this new framework.
Other elements of the U.S. New Left were anarchist and looked to libertarian socialist traditions of American radicalism, and investigated the Industrial Workers of the World and previous union militancy. This group coalesced around the historical journal Radical America and in grouplets. American Autonomist Marxism was also a child of this stream the U.S. New Left, for instance in the thought of Harry Cleaver. Murray Bookchin and Noam Chomsky were also part of the anarchist stream of the New Left, as were the Yippies.
The U.S. New Left both influenced and drew inspiration from black radicalism, particularly the Black Power movement and the more explicitly left-wing Black Panther Party. The Panthers in turn influenced other similar militant groups, like the Young Lords, the Brown Berets and the American Indian Movement.
Students for a Democratic Society (1960 organization)
The organization that really came to symbolize the core of the New Left was the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). In 1962, Tom Hayden wrote its founding document, the Port Huron Statement, which issued a call for "participatory democracy" based on nonviolent civil disobedience. The SDS marshalled anti-war, pro-civil rights and free speech concerns on campuses, and managed to bring together liberals and more revolutionary leftists.
The SDS became the leading organization of the antiwar movement on college campuses during the Vietnam War, and during the course of the war became increasingly militant. As opposition to the war grew stronger, the SDS became a nationally prominent political organization, but opposing the war became an overriding concern that overshadowed many of the original issues that had inspired SDS.In 1968 and 1969, as its radicalism reached a fever pitch, the SDS began to split under the strain of internal dissension and increasing turns toward Maoism. Along with adherents known as the New Communist Movement, some extremist illegal factions also emerged, such as the Weather Underground Organization.
I was part of (SDS) movement for years. I know what kind of literature where in those back rooms of those community centers in New York City. I sat as a young man in those community centers, with teachers who suggested to us what to read; Carl Marx, Moa Zedong Tong, Lenin, Leon Trotsky. I walked around with my little red book in my torn-up blue jeans and read it every oportunity I had, before and after every sit-in or demonstrations. These "mentors" that we always looked up at with reverence, always instilled in us, that we should always have an open mind in expanding our views in our political systems.
President Obama was groomed for decades, to do what he's doing at this particular time. He never cut ties with the leaders of these organizations. He knows exactly who William Ayers, Jeremiah Wright are and their ideologies for years. He has only surrounded himself with more polished politicians that came out of those same molds and organizations, to legitimize his Presidency. This is a takeover of our country by the far left Marxists who only want to change our whole system of a government from a republic, to socialism-Marxism. It has been in the works and brewing for decades, and now finally, they have absolute power and control of the Congress, Senate and The White House. This is their opportune time for them to make the move. As we where the architects of that movement in the 60's, we know what the agenda and goals where from the very beginning. One of our mottos where, "It might take us years to accomplish our goal, but we will succeed in our struggle". Let us not forget the words of Rahm Emanuel, the most influential White House Chief Of Staff in a generation says; " You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before."
We were the foot soldiers, marching forth with their agenda in hand to fulfill their goal. They brought forth that message to young teens and collage students, who's mind were fertile ground and could easily be influenced and convinced them of that agenda. We quickly learned that this plan of attack, could never be brought forward with a revolution or marches in the streets of this country. These influential individuals, Abby Hoffman, David Horowitz, Jerry Ruben, Tom Hayden, Huey Newton, Bobby Seale ...and most of us who followed, joined the establishment, gathered money and power and now they have succeeded in putting a new face on their point man, in the ultimate seat of the free world.
The plan of attack was changed in the middle of the movement by infiltrating the system, changing that philosophy within, by using their own tactics. As these individuals, with marching orders in hand, became influential within their communities, Acorn, SEIU, Obama, William Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn
Hillary Clinton... local governments, middle schools, universities. Their message was and still is being brought forth throughout this country in all it's forms. There's no secret here. It's just a matter of fact that most of the American People are not aware of and have no understanding of the origins of this well hidden agenda, with its devastating plan to our future. Just listen very closely and carefully to this President and the men that he has chosen to surround himself with. Look at who they are and how they are trying to bring forth their plan in turning our Republic on its head.
We know Mr. President. We get it. No ambiguity here. "Power to the People"? You bet. The American People are waking up from their slumber. And you underestimated their resilience with their "new media" by their side. At the end of it all, you are going to have to take it to the streets. I guess that's why, you're so desperately pushing and wanting a "Civilian National Security Force" "More powerful" "stronger" and "well funded" than our Military on your side. That is the only reason as to why you would need something that absurd. Unless you can come up with another one of those lies, that you seem to pull out so easily from the bag of socialism that you are soooo familiar with. "WE THE PEOPLE", are going to keep asking those questions. Even though you thought, that anyone would be questioning the "saviour of the world" Barack Hussein Obama. We know how you're "planning to shape that agenda", with community organizations like Acorn, SEIU, Apollo Allience and George Soros. I know the manifesto. I read and studied it extensively. We, who where there from the beginning of it's conception, know very well what that agenda was and is for this country.
