1968/2008

This article from the Chronicle of Higher Education by Maurice Isserman deals mostly with the relationship between Michael Harrington and Tom Hayden. Harrington famously lambasted Hayden following the release of the “Port Huron Statement” which was an early document of the Students for a Democratic Society. The article also deals with the unintended consequences of Hayden’s open-ended enthusiasm for morally motivated street action - suggesting that it somehow paved the way for the Weather Underground. I find myself wondering how to fairly access “responsibility” for such unintended consequences. But this is a worthwhile read in that it eals with intergenerational dynamics and how those impact the political imagination.

Here is a quote from the second-to-last paragraph:

“When young people turn to radical doctrines and movements, whether in 1952, 1962, 1968, or 2008, they are apt to bring with them a mixed collection of motives and impulses: simultaneously craving autonomy and validation, guidance and self-definition. For their radicalism to be anything more than a youthful fling, they need to find within it both a meaningful sense of personal identity and a sustainable vision of how to bring about social change. They can learn from their elders, but they also need to bring a critical scrutiny to bear on received wisdom.”

Tags:   Mark Rudd · Michael Harrington · SDS · Tom Hayden · WeathermenNo Comments