John E. Nemo wrote:A very prescient hippy said that he "saw potential for real Nazism and real violence to come out of the punks mock violence and Nazi gear."
Everyone laughed and dismissed the idea that it could happen.
However, within 10 years, there was real violence and real Nazism at every punk show I went to.
Thanks, you just named my new band, 'Prescient Hippy.' lol.
That does sound predictable. The spirit of rebellion easily turns to jingoism ala 'Sweet Home Alabama' which hit the FM airwaves with a tribute to segregationist George Wallace in 1974 when the FBI was busy murdering Black Panthers and the New Left.
Vivisection films?! Ouch. Adrenaline junkies need to up their dose. See 'Blackwater.'
I think it is fascinating that the most culturally benevalent band I can think of, The Grateful Dead, used that name and skeleton logos to invoke a kind of historical spirituality of connectedness evoking Egyptian folklore instead of the desensitization to death that the skeleton is used for by all others.
The fascist Yale fraternity, Skull and Bones, was suddenly commonly known as the shared heritage of Bush and Kerry after the 2004 (s)election season.
And, no coincidence, pop culture was then FLOODED with images of skull and bones using Disney's 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and a zillion Hollywood movies as the symbol-hijackers.
Plus there is a concerted effort since Vietnam and especially lately to desensitize Americans to death and suffering, especially kids who might react and go all sixties again.
I think one of the lessons learned by the USG media mind managers during Vietnam war protests was that there was far too great a cognitive dissonance from the safe idealized world view spooks embedded in TV and movies and the fascist system of war and poverty. So they started shifting from John Wayne and White Hats to Dirty Harry and The Godfather. And now 24 and gore galore.
Desensitization works. And blunting the idealism of youth is a national security project.
But the Grateful Dead never evoked the punk-Nazi-desensitization thang with their skeletons. Too much life-affirming countervalence attached to them.