This is a part review of the CNN miniseries on the 60’s, part op-ed about how curiously relevant the events of this decade are today. By examining the 60’s, I think we can see some of the roots of today’s far-reaching issues, and give ourselves perspective on our nation’s political and social momentum.
First – on the miniseries that inspired this article – “The Sixties” premiered in 2014 and was produced by Tom Hanks and Playtone studios. Its aim was to provide a 10-part examination of the events and culture of the decade. Each episode examines those years through some unique socio-political lens, be it counterculture, the space race, the war in Vietnam; you get the picture. It’s a great series that achieved successful ratings. I had seen it in passing two years ago, but when I re-watched it this past week I was stunned at how relevant the events had become.
A disclaimer here: I am no historian, nor do I pretend to be one. I’m also not writing this article purely based on the information presented in The Sixties – but the show has intrigued me to write about certain connections across decades, so make of this what you will.
At the worldwide level, there are obvious comparisons to be made between U.S.-Russian relations. The Cold War was an enormously tense situation that climaxed in the final minutes of the Cuban Missile Crisis. But there was more at work between the Capitalists and the Communists than this: rising nuclear armament, proxy conflicts, the never-ending ethical questions of how to balance humanitarian responsibility with national security. The world was lucky that no superpower pressed the button then – but with relations straining today between the Russian and U.S. governments, will our luck hold out?
Simultaneously, America was undergoing a cultural upheaval that had never been seen before. The homeland had been rocked by multiple national tragedies in the Kennedy shootings and the assassinations of cultural icons. The first wave of counter-culture took hold in the youth generations, proposing radical new ideas about government on both sides of the aisle. Civil rights movements for the black and female populations found wide-reaching support and then legislation. Medicare’s founding was met with enormous controversy, the Tet Offensive made Vietnam seem hopeless, and in 1968, the nation turned sharply to conservatism by electing Richard Nixon.
The similarities are notable: the tragedies of the Orlando and Aurora shootings, the further alienation of millennial and post-millennial generations, increased social activism, the expansion of ISIS, critical assessments of Obamacare, and the rise of Donald Trump and the alt-right. It’s not a 1:1 comparison, to be sure. But what I’m more interested in is wide-reaching trends in the population. In the 60’s, America chose conservatism in the hopes it would rescue a country on the brink of collapse. Of course, there are things today that don’t apply to the past, and history doesn’t always predict the future. Ultimately, we’ll see where America chooses to go next this coming Tuesday.