March 03, 2025

Explaining the 1960s

1 hour 35 minutes

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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By Turpentine

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