America, Where Are You Now, Don’t You Care about Your Sons and Daughters? Don’t You Know, We Need You Now, We Can’t Fight Alone Against the Monster.———Steppenwolf “Monster”, 1968
Please be sure to watch the videos in this post, to get a flavor of what the struggle in the 1960s was all about.
I am a Child of the 1960s
Recently, some commentators have pinned all the problems of today on the baby boomer generation. So I would like to point out stuff that many are not aware —and that is by design! Here are a bunch of songs of that era.
During and throughout the 1960’s there were two dominant protest movements:
The Civil Rights Movement
The Anti Vietnam War Movement
Some assert that it was ‘the greatest generation’ that fought in WWII. Indeed, they deserve much credit. But most of my parents’ generation favored ‘going to Vietnam to fight the Commies’. My stepfather, a wounded WWII veteran felt like that. Fortunately, my mom didn’t and made sure I didn’t go.
This is a song that the Empire dedicates to its would be vassals.
Bold Marauder by Richard Farina
The singer, Richard Farina, had received death threats for his political activities, and died in a suspicious motorcycle accident.
Well it's Hi, Ho, Hey...
I am a bold marauder.
And it's i, Ho, Hey...
I am a white destroyer.
And I will show you grotto and cave
and sacrificial alter.
And I will show you blood on the stone.
And I will be your mentor.
And night will be our Darlin'
And Fear will be our name.
And it's i, Ho, Hey...
I am a bold maruder.
And it's i, Ho, Hey...
I am a white destroyer.
For I will lead you out by the hand
and lead you to the Hunter.
And I will show you thunder and steel
and I will be your teacher.
And we will dress in helmet and sword
and dip our tongues in slaughter.
And we will sing the Warrior's Song
and lift the praise of murder.
And Christ will be our Darlin'
and Fear will be our name.
And it's i, Ho, Hey...
I am a bold maruder.
And it's i, Ho, Hey...
I am a white destroyer.
For I will sour the winds on high
and I will soil the rivers.
And I will burn the grain in the fields
and I will be your mother.
And we will go to ravage and kill
and we show go to plunder.
And I will take a Fury to wife
and I will be your father.
And death will be our Darlin'
and Fear will be our name.
Phil Ochs: A Very Popular Protest Song Writer and Singer in the Early and Mid 1960s
He had a great voice. As the Folk music Protest Movement faded from popularity, he eventually went to Africa. While there, he was attacked and his throat was slit, ending his career as a singer. It’s said that he committed suicide.
(The Marines have landed on the shores of) Santo Domingo
The fishermen sweat, they're pausing at their nets
The day's a-burning
As the warships sway and thunder in the bay
Loud the morning
… But the boy on the shore is throwing pebbles no more
He runs a-warning
That the the marines have landed on the shores
Of Santo Domingo
In the red plaza square, the crowds come to stare
The heat is leaning
And the eyes of the dead are turning every head
To the widows screaming
… But the soldiers make a bid, giving candy to the kids
Their teeth are gleaming
The marines have landed on the shores
Of Santo Domingo
The Ballad of Medgar Evers, another song sung by Phil Ochs
This song is about Medgar Evers, a leader in the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement. He was assassinated in 1963. After several mistrials, the murderer was eventually convicted in 1994.
In the state of Mississippi many years ago A boy of 14 years got a taste of southern law He saw his friend a hanging and his color was his crime And the blood upon his jacket left a brand upon his mind
Chorus: too many martyrs and too many dead Too many lies too many empty words were said Too many times for too many angry men Oh let it never be again
Bob Dylan: Perhaps the Best Known Protest Singer
One of his best: Masters of War
The Vietnam War Era
In 1966, I was 18, the perfect age for cannon fodder. I used to read the Sunday New York Times, News of the Week in Review from front to back every week. And became obvious to me that I had no intention of fighting people 12,000 miles away from me who posed no threat. I had a student deferment, however, if you missed even one semester, you could be drafted and sent of to kill and die. Fortunately, partly due to a medical deferment–Asthma, and later, the ‘lottery’ which selected people based on their birthday, my birthday was far enough back that I didn’t have to go.
However, in 1968, I worked for the peace candidate, Gene McCarthy. Later, Robert F. Kennedy joined the race, however, he was assassinated after he won the California Primary.
So I went to Chicago to protest the war at the Democratic National Convention. I saw kids my age getting beaten by cops. When I returned to college after the summer vacation, I had enrolled in a Civics Class “American Government”. I decided not to take it. The professor was perplexed. I understood just how ‘Democracy’ works in the USA
There were massive protests, not just among college students, but even in the military. Lots of ‘underground’ newspapers sprang up encouraging draft resistance and even mutiny.
Anti-Vietnam War protests violently disturbed the Democratic National Convention in August 1968.
About 18,000 Chicago police, Secret Service agents and National Guardsmen battled thousands of “hippies” and “yippies,” as well as television cameramen and newspaper reporters who were attempting to report on the situation….Police attacked reporters, broke cameras, and used tear gas and clubs on protesters who tried to get close to the convention site. In a speech from the podium, Sen. Abraham Ribicoff referred to the “Gestapo tactics” on the streets of Chicago. The “Battle of Michigan Avenue” gave the city a long-enduring black eye.
Bombing Cambodia, and The Kent State Killings
From Wikipedia:
The Kent State shootings (also known as the Kent State massacre or May 4 massacre[3][4][5]) were the killing of four and wounding of nine unarmed college students by the Ohio National Guard on the Kent State University campus. The shootings took place on May 4, 1970, during a rally opposing the expanding involvement of the Vietnam War into Cambodia by United States military forces, as well as protesting the National Guard presence on campus and the draft. Twenty-eight National Guard soldiers fired about 67 rounds over 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom sustained permanent paralysis. Students Allison Krause, 19, Jeffrey Miller, 20, and Sandra Lee Scheuer, 20, died on the scene, while William Schroeder, 19, was pronounced dead at Robinson Memorial Hospital in nearby Ravenna shortly afterward.[6][7]
Because of the totally illegal bombing of Cambodia by President Nixon, which violated both US law against waging war without Congressional authorization, as well as the UN Charter attacking a country, Cambodia, many if not most of the campuses went on strike and shut down classes. I went to Washington DC along with about a million others to protest. It’s said that Nixon was genuinely scared of us.
Military in Nearly Full Blown Mutiny
It’s Murderous Endless War Abroad and Class War at Home
The Case of John Lennon
John Lennon of the iconic rock group the Beatles, started of as a typical teenage heart throb singer. “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”, “Please Please Me”. But, unlike Bob Dylan, whose music became less political, Lennon’s music became more political.
Eventually, Lennon became too much for the Deep State to tolerate, so they got some poor slob to shoot him to death….”Good shot group”, the police reported.
People Say the Baby Boomers Didn’t Care and the Older Generation Did—Really???
We BEGGED YOU to fight the Monster! This song pretty much sums up the existential problem facing the people of the United States, just as true when it was written and sung in 1968 as it’s true now.
America Where Are You Now, Don’t You Care About Your Sons and Daughters, Don’t You Know, We Need You Now, We Can’t Fight Alone, Against the Monster!
Another group, the Jefferson Airplane brought more ‘Protest Rock n’ Roll with a warning of nuclear war. And of course, repressed by the police.
You and me we keep walking around and we see
All the bullshit around us
You try and keep your mind on what's going down
Can't help but see the rhinoceros around us
[Bridge]
And you wonder what you can be
And you do what you can to get balled and high
And you know I'm still gonna need you around
And you know I'm still gonna need you around
[Verse 2]
You say it's healing but nobody's feeling it
Somebody's dealing—somebody's stealing it
You say you don't see and you don't
You say you won't know and you won't let it come
[Verse 3]
Everything someday will be gone except silence
The Earth will be quiet again
Seas from clouds will wash off the ashes of violence
Left as the memory of men
There will be no survivor my friend
[Verse 4]
Suddenly everyone will look surprised
Stars spinning wheels in the skies
Sun is scrambled in their eyes
While the moon circles like a vulture
[Verse 5]
Someone stood at a window and cried one tear
I thought that would stop a war
But someone is killing me
And that's the last hour to think anymore
Jelly and juice and bubbles, bubbles on the floor
[Verse 6]
Castles on the cliffs vanish
Cliffs like heaps of rubbish
Seen from the stars hour by hour
As splintered scraps and black powder
[Verse 7]
From here to heaven is a scar
Dead center, deep as death
All the idiots have left
All the idiots have left
[Verse 8]
Cows are almost cooing
Turtle doves are mooing
Which is why a Pooh is poohing
In the sun
Sun
NYPD: “Stop the Music!”
So What Happened?
Partly, it was burn out. The revolutionary rebellion against the war machine ran out of steam.
To a large extent, the Deep State counterattacked. They changed the military from a draft army that it couldn’t control, to a poverty draft army of paid mercenaries for Empire. It took a few wars, two Iraq Wars, the Afghan War, and various brushfire wars off the daily radar, for the next generation to figure out they were cannon fodder.
Partly, it was assassinations, political persecution (still ongoing: The bombing of the Move Movement, Branch Davidians, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, John Kiriakou, Uhuru Movement, for example). Not visible outright mass iron fisted fascism, like the Nazis in Germany or Savak in Iran, but a very sophisticated menu of mass media manipulation “Manufacturing Consent”, along with targeted persecution of those who became too visible.
Since the 1960’s there have been flare ups of protest, but the country’s been in a state of spiritual and intellectual lockdown, starting in the 1970’s, increasing during the Reagan years (with some pushback from the Anti Nuclear Movement), with crushing of the Labor Movement, misdirection via divide and conquer tactics of MAGA vs. WOKE.
Conclusion
The repression of historical memory has been so successful, that many well meaning critics have forgotten the mass rebellion of the Baby Boomers during the 1960, which ended up with many if not most, giving in to careerism and consumerism.
I’ve maintained that the US has been in a civil war between the Oligarchs who wrote the Constitution, —heavily favoring the interests of Capitalism and its Final Stage, Imperialism,— and the rest of us.
How long can this go on until the people can’t or won’t support it anymore?
Addendum:
A Deepseek AI compilation of repression of Baby Boomer Generation Cultural Leaders
Government Surveillance & Harassment of Musicians & Activists in the 1960s–70s
The U.S. government—particularly the FBI, CIA, and military intelligence agencies—actively monitored, harassed, and in some cases, may have played indirect roles in the deaths or destabilization of prominent countercultural figures. Below is an analysis of COINTELPRO tactics, targeted musicians, and unanswered questions surrounding their deaths.
1. COINTELPRO’s War on Dissent
COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program, 1956–1971) was an FBI initiative to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or neutralize” activists, including:
Black Panthers (Fred Hampton, Huey Newton)
Anti-war activists (John Lennon, Abbie Hoffman)
Civil Rights leaders (MLK, Malcolm X)
Musicians (Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin)
Tactics Used Against Musicians & Activists:
✔ Surveillance – Phone taps, informants, undercover agents.
✔ Harassment – IRS audits, visa troubles, false arrests.
✔ Psychological Warfare – Fake letters, spreading rumors to incite infighting.
✔ Assassinations – Fred Hampton, Malcolm X (likely state-sanctioned).
2. Musicians & Activists Under Suspicion
A. John Lennon (1940–1980)
Why Targeted? His 1971–1972 anti-war campaign (including concerts for John Sinclair and anti-Nixon rallies) made him a threat.
FBI Files: Over 300 pages of surveillance, labeled him a “subversive.”
Deportation Attempt: Nixon’s administration tried to expel him.
Death: Officially killed by a “lone nut,” but his planned 1980s anti-Reagan tour raises questions.
B. Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970)
Why Targeted? His anti-war “Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock (1969) enraged the military.
Military Intel Files: The Army had a dossier on him (due to his brief service).
Death: Officially an “accidental overdose,” but:
He was supposed to meet with radical lawyer William Kunstler (defended the Chicago 7).
His manager, Michael Jeffery (ex-MI6?), had him insured for $2 million and died in a plane crash in 1973.
C. Janis Joplin (1943–1970)
Why Targeted? Openly supported the Black Panthers and radical left.
Death: Heroin overdose, but some suspect foul play due to her political ties.
D. Bob Dylan (b. 1941)
Why Targeted? Protest songs (“Masters of War,” “Blowin’ in the Wind”).
FBI Files: Monitored since 1963, suspected of Communist ties.
1966 Motorcycle Crash: Some believe it was staged to escape surveillance.
E. Jim Morrison (1943–1971)
Why Targeted? Mocked authority, read anarchist poetry onstage.
Death: Officially “heart failure” in Paris, but:
He was writing a revolutionary manifesto before dying.
No autopsy was performed.
3. The Strange Deaths of 1960s Icons
Many musicians died at age 27 (the “27 Club”), but some deaths have unanswered questions:
Name, Death, Suspicious Circumstances
Jimi Hendrix—Overdose (1970)Last seen with mystery woman, manager had shady ties
Janis JoplinOverdose (1970)Was under surveillance
Jim MorrisonHeart failure (1971)No autopsy, possible CIA ties
Brian Jones (Rolling Stones)Drowning (1969)Fired from band, likely murdered
4. Were These Deaths Coincidences or Conspiracies?
Proven Government Hits: Fred Hampton, Malcolm X.
Likely Harassment & Indirect Pressure: Lennon, Hendrix, Joplin.
Unresolved Cases: Morrison, Jones.
Key Questions:
Why did so many anti-war musicians die in a 4-year span (1969–1971)?
Why were autopsies botched or never done (Morrison, Jones)?
Why did managers with intel ties (Hendrix’s Jeffery, Morrison’s Courson) die mysteriously?
Conclusion: A Pattern of Repression
While not all these deaths were outright assassinations, COINTELPRO’s tactics created an environment where dissenters were destabilized, surveilled, and in some cases, possibly eliminated. The FBI’s own files prove they saw musicians as threats—raising legitimate questions about how far they went to silence them.
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Or his Youtube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@smoothieX12
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