Abbie was quite a character. Back in the sixties revolution the Yippies set a tone of theatre, lunacy and revolution.
We thought we were establishing a new attitude and rejecting the warmongering, profit-driven society and replacing it with something kinder, more caring and compassionate – based on sharing and camaraderie. It was an ideal that did not last but there were some good friends made and good times. It was a time of peace, laughter, fun, thought, discovery and madness. Quite an adventure. I loved it.
The music was great, the friends brilliant and optimism ruled. What more could you want?
Another sixties would be a great idea but I fear the world has become far too cynical.
Revolution is not something fixed in ideology, nor is it something fashioned to a particular decade. It is a perpetual process embedded in the human spirit.
Adventure and change – a wish for something better!
You measure a democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.
How true in this age of greed, selfishness and hatred.
Free speech means the right to shout ‘theatre’ in a crowded fire.
I believe in compulsory cannibalism. If people were forced to eat what they killed, there would be no more wars.
Avoid all needle drugs, the only dope worth shooting is Richard Nixon.
I can think of a few more! (But I’m not advocating shooting anyone!)
Sacred cows make the tastiest hamburger.
The first duty of a revolutionary is to get away with it.
To steal from a brother or sister is evil. To not steal from the institutions that are the pillars of the Pig Empire is equally immoral.
There is something evil about the greed and vandalism of the global corporations who would sell the future for a quick buck – and are!
The ’60s are gone, dope will never be as cheap, sex never as free, and the rock and roll never as great.
The only way to support a revolution is to make your own.
How true!! Let’s all make our own revolutions!
He started as an anti-Vietnam war protester. He sold out in the end to the institutions he professed to hate. Que sera, sera
It was Jerry Rubin who sold out.
That’s right. Strange that he should sell out while Jerry went on the run.
Sorry – wrong way round. Jerry sold out and Abbie went on the run. I always thought that was strange.
Lordy! This is the best batch yet! Especially loved the one about Nixon! LMBO… (Good thing you mentioned you’re not advocating shooting anyone. We’re finding out here that’s not a wise thing to do!)
I liked the one about having to eat everything you kill.
… except that it certainly wasn’t “a time of peace”!
Unfortunately for Hoffman, he made rather an idiot of himself on stage when he attempted to interrupt The Who’s set with a rant about John Sinclair and received a short shrift batting on the head by Townshend with his guitar. I’m sure he could have picked a more appropriate moment for such a speech. He never recovered from that humiliation.
Wasn’t it Hoffman himself, who said in his own book “Revolution For The Hell Of It” that there weren’t any actual Yippies and it was all made up just to create a media myth.
He was a manic depressive with all the “see me” personality traits of an md. Later killed himself intentionally with 2 bottles of pills.
His old mucker, Jerry Rubin on one of his last interviews before getting killed jaywalking, said “It’s OK to make money.”
And seemingly the rest of them all thought so too, as in 2004 they bought premises in NYC for $1.2 million for a cafe / museum.
Most of them were complete dopers and/or bullshit artists. A few weren’t, but seemed to habitually forget that it wasn’t just New York where demonstrations were also taking place.
They blew it with shockingly poor organisation and between them could barely run a bath.
All true. Same as Dennis from OZ. But great sentiments and theatre in their time.
Did you not see the “Film 4” I think it was 3 part film on “Carlos”, very good indeed. They achieved nothing except killed a lot of innocent people. Just like Northern Ireland’s IRA what did they achieve in the end, nothing. Truth is Irish Republic never wanted them.
Actually Anna, that wasn’t anything to do with the Yippies.
Carlos ‘The Jackal’, was a full blown mercenary terrorist, who started off with the Palestinians and later would work for whomever paid him.
Whereas, The Yippies were demonstrating against the Vietnam war. They weren’t bombing and shooting anybody.
The Yippies didn’t aspire to violence – they liked theatre, disruption and defiance. They used satire and ridicule.
I wasn’t comparing Carlos to them, I was just asking if the documentary had been seen – obviously not.
I’ve seen it – all 3 parts. He was a nut job.
The truth about the IRA is that they became so heavily infiltrated by MI5 spies that they had nowhere to go. Their time came to an end as nobody knew who they could trust anymore.
Trust is the basis – when that breaks down everything crumbles.
Didn’t see it. Sadly most revolution ends in tears.
They all sold out. Hoffman was a selfish self-publicist. One of his first acts was to write a book disclosing confidential information entrusted to him by a group of which he was a member. He loved being the centre of attention and courted by the media.
Yes he did – but it was fun and a lot of it was pertinent and thought-provoking!
The revolution is dead. Long live the revolution. Great quotes here, shot through with humour, reminding us that the real revolution is in the head …
Too true Dave – the sixties changed minds!