The Politics and Culture of the 1960s

Both readings discuss the emergence of students in the political world during the sixties, more specifically Students for a Democratic Society, or SDS. Although all took a leftist approach, their ideologies were somewhat divided. For instance, Lythe says that, “Two types of students were instrumental in the founding of both SDS and, more broadly the New Left.” First were those loyal to their parents who followed the liberalism of the New Deal. These youth favored economic equality and the containment of Communism and totalitarian governments. Also, organized labor was symbolic of reform. They also believed McCarthyism dangerous to civil liberties and freedom of thought, and were disappointed when Kennedy was elected. They also saw the Peace Corps as an exciting example of the kind of “humanitarian politics” they agreed with. (Going back to another reading; we know that Kennedy used the Peace Corps as a way to spy on Cuba during the Missile Crisis; were people aware of this at the time, would they of agreed with this had they known?) The second group of leftists were associated with, or had parents that participated in the Communist party and favored socialist and progressive politics. All of their parents had suffered from McCarthyism and hid many of their leftist views from their children.

The backgrounds of those in both of these groups would mold their New Left opinion. The opinions of these students were evident through their behavior at universities. For instance, they became less involved in Greek life, because joining a sorority or fraternity would mean they had conformed. Students simply wanted to voice their frustrations. They wanted to have a say in government actions.

The Port Horton Statement emphasized a voice for people who wanted involvement in their government. Students involved wanted a democracy that would have an outstanding voice in government decisions through the use of non-violence. The statement itself was a criticism of racism, economic policy, big businesses, and politics.

Is a non-violence foreign policy realistic? Is it practical for universities to form their own political party?