Berkeley At War

This is not a new book. It is a must read for anyone interested in what actually happened in Berkeley during the 1960s. I bought the book as a souvenir of my experience then and there. (Used editions are available at a very low cost.) This is my second reading, as I first read the book about a decade ago.

Full disclosure: I lived in or near Berkeley from 1962 until 1979. I was a participant or witness to almost all the events described in the book. While Rorabaugh's dates sometimes seem out of whack with my memory, I give him the benefit of the doubt. (Senility has set in.) I am not mentioned in Rorabaugh's book, but I was associated with many of the characters that appear in the book.

Rorabaugh has a number of insights that stand out on second reading. I only mention some of these; otherwise, I recommend the reader get the book and find out for oneself.

First, it was absolutely true that the political process in Berkeley eventually separated almost everyone there into The Left or The Right. Early on, those who couldn't make the choice moved away. Initially, that thinned the ranks of conservatives, especially those who were sexists or racists. Later that undermined the Left.

In case ordinary Americans don't know it, the Left and Right are mortal enemies. In most instances, given the opportunity, the Right is literally willing to exterminate the Left any which way it can. The Right in America is heavily armed and supports trained militias. There are right wing bases and training camps in remote rural areas, and in the South. Most "survivalists" have right wing ideas, and are usually armed. These para-military groups, similar to the Fascist Brown Shirts of the 1920s, are tolerated by the government. When a right wing group is attacked, they are ferociously defended in the press. That was AG Janet Reno's misfortune at Waco, Texas.

The Right controls the press and most of the government. It spends billions on brainwashing all of us. This is not new. It has been going on for decades, even centuries. (I've been waiting for the order to shut down this website and, no, that is not paranoia.)

On the other hand, most Lefties don't like or own weapons, few know how to use them and even fewer are armed. Militant left wing groups, such as the Symbionese Liberation Army and the Weather Underground, are routinely hunted and murdered to the last man. It's dangerous for Lefties to surrender, as they are likely to be severely beaten, disabled or murdered by the authorities. Militant Lefties who do get arrested and survive are likely to serve long terms in jail. The press applauds that harsh treatment. Americans perceive the Left as criminally dangerous, or at least insane.

Despite the Left's peaceful image, there is no doubt, if the Left were in charge, the Right would be in jail. The Right is just too dangerous to let loose.

Berkeley was a panic for The Right. For the first time, the Left actually took over a City, despite everything they did to prevent it. As you will find out by reading about those times, people were harassed, beaten, shot and killed by the authorities. But, for a while, the Left won anyway.

Second, most radicals and conservatives (The Left and The Right) not only hated each other, but especially disdained moderates and liberals as well. That's because the Liberals were unwilling to fight for what they said they believed. Moreover, they talked a lot, but did very little.

Black people never supported the Liberals very much for a very simple reason. The Berkeley Liberals said they would integrate the schools and housing, but they did very little about it except talk. In the end, most Blacks were willing to support their own radicals, Bobby Seale, Huey Newton, Eldredge Cleaver and fmr Congressman Ron Dellums. Please consider that most of those who actually represented the desires of black people in Oakland and Berkeley ended up as dead as Malcolm X.

White people eventually learned that Liberals actually did little for them, too (other than get elected). Thus, eventually, they became radicals or conservatives.

Third, eventually most people - especially young people - were unable to cope with heavy duty politics. They were at first saved from that trouble by the Beatles and Bob Dylan, and ultimately by the Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead and others. Dope and acid simplified the transition.

Those hippies are the same folks who became today's yuppies. I met some of them locally a few years ago, transformed into home-schooling, born-again conservatives. When I said I was a Berkley Radical, they carefully explained how they came to be who they are.

***

Lesson 1: Ultimately, the Left lost the War in Berkeley. That's why the few gains that were made - for example, minority and privacy rights - are slipping away.

Lesson 2: Dope is a more powerful mollifying agent than transforming thought. Marx was right on, when he invented 'religion is the opium of the people.'

Lesson 3: The Right, conservatives, always win by default unless the people are willing to risk their lives and stand up to them. The values and lives of ordinary people are always crushed by the arrogant few. That's a result of the Law of the Jungle, which is what the Right lives by.

Lesson 4: I have always been a Berkeley Radical.

Parallel Universe: It's all happening all over again, only this time in reverse, nationally.