*_OH WOW. I PERSONALLY KNOW ARTHUR. HE'S THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE WOODROW WILSON NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION. I WILL HAVE TO SHARE THIS VIDEO WITH HIM._*
Mr Hoffman, your work is a treasure. Thank you. I love your personal introduction to the videos, and each such an authentic, human window into the past.
Theres are all very interesting. I was born in 93 and I'm huge into history and how the world used to be. I'm glad you've decided to use RUclips as a platform to show us how the world once was in such great detail. I cant wait to see what else you have to come! And thank you for your work sir.
This guy came from middle class and went through every cherished experiences that a college freshman could hope: *real* social activism, drugs, thinking you got life figured out only to realise you know nothing, witnessing history unfold itself in real time. What i wouldn't give to live this guy's life now that i'm a dropout now in 2020...
You don't need college. See this thing you're typing on? It contains the vast knowledge of the world for the cost of an internet connection. Study and become what you want. I dropped out right at the start of college and made my way. I didn't want to be polluted by the muddy waters of university activism and it's politics. I didn't want to be a slave to 150K of debt. I forged my own path and stayed diligent on this course. Surround yourself by older/wise/successful people that can mentor you and guide you.
I agree with the previous replies. Be conscientious. Be better every day. Get fit. Lose bad habits. Make good habits. Associate with good people. Day by day you will get better and you will be successful.
Now looking back I have to say, for me, 1989 was a simpler time.... It seems like the world of 'things' keeps increasing. We strive for "better", "new improved" and "convenience", but it ends up with even more choices, more to think about and waste. Like the old cliche goes, less is more. :-)
What a wonderful interview. Thank you, David, for having the foresight and motivation to capture these moments when you did, and for sharing them with the world today. They're an invaluable resource.
I so enjoy these interviews, Mr. Hoffman. Thank you so much! I'm one of the ones who's been out in the streets (for various causes), since the 1970s, and I'm out in the streets again lately. These historical videos help us understand our current moment so much better. Be well, Mr. Hoffman! Blessings to you and all your loved ones.
Born in the nid 11960s here- so am aware of this.... but was fascinating to hear about it. By the time i got to college in the early 80s we were a bit jaded.apathetic,into punk rock. No one thought they could change things. Generation x. That idealism needs to come back.
Man... David, I'm a 19 year old former college student who unfortunately had to drop due to the whole covid situation. Watching this video bums me out - I feel like I can still see and feel the consequences of the horrors of that decade. Seems like all of those assassinations left most of that generation feeling powerless. What he said at the end really resonated with me: "Titanic Ethic; there's a sense the U.S, or even the whole world is going down, and as long as they're being forced to ride in a doomed ship, they're going to make the voyage as luxurious as possible..." It feels like the majority of my generation still holds this sentiment in a way, though a large number are increasingly picking various causes. Sometimes I think they're misguided, maybe even trying to echo the earlier revolutionary fervor of the 60's. I think that's probably a good thing, but it seems really messy and disorganized a lot of the time, like no one can agree on anything. It can be really frightening, watching these herds form. There's a lot of hate and a lot of fear, and I think maybe that's happened before in America, but not quite like this. This seems different. Then again I suppose it always is a bit different anyhow. Anyways, thank you so much for posting this video, outstanding, invaluable content as always. Your videos always lend a fresh perspective on a world which is so confusing. It's easy to get lost right now - your videos help clear the fog and show me that maybe not everything going on right now is so unfamiliar after all. :)
Hey Hoffman. Just found your contents and am I blown away! Thank you! I hope that you have great archiving deals for all your material. This series of interviews is an American treasure and important piece of history.
the one conclusion I get from these and every other similar interview from recent history is that not only can no-one predict the future in even the broadest strokes, but even encapsulating their present and what events are pivotal eludes them.
This fellow is not your average dude. He’s Jewish, very intelligent and very connected in his culture and conscientious. Because of all these things he was able to get into a prestigious, Ivey League university (with lots of Jews, I think) and do well. He was very observant and recalls the era well. Certainly his story telling and Depth of perception also is indicative that he is not just an average guy.
Wow, this was such a fascinating interview, thank you for sharing David. As someone in their third year of college, it was really interesting to hear the perspective of someone reflecting on a similar time in their life.
I remember those college kids in the ‘60s; by that time I had long retired from teaching, but I still maintained an office on campus. What struck me about the freshmen is that most had no background at all in Greek and Latin. In my day, that was unheard of - not only for university students, but for any of the professions, the civil service, and even the army. In fact, one received rigorous instruction in those languages throughout secondary school, and could not graduate without passing the examinations, which chiefly consisted of sight translations and grammatical scholia from select classical authors.
I find it troubling that society has basically disregarded the good aspects of the 1950s, such as family values and commitment to community, but kept the negative aspects of the 1950s, such as the belief that the American dream is for everyone. If someone wants to enter a practical profession, the American dream might be possible for them, but if someone wants to pursue an artistic career, the American dream is very unlikely to materialize for them. This is as true today as it was a hundred years ago.
Also to mention the fashion, architecture choices, and especially the destruction of having jerks running the soda shops and not super sexual outfits everywhere including places of formal attire
Look around you, @BernieEinreb371. We have a sociopath in the White House, we're in the middle of a once in a century pandemic that's killing 2,500-3,000 Americans per day because so many of us refuse to mask up or social distance, income inequality is as bad as it was 130 years ago, the racial divide has only gotten worse in the last generation or so, and our government is so dysfunctional it can't pass a budget or a C-19 relief bill because the beady-eyed, bespectacled power mad leader of the upper chamber won't stop obstructing its passage because he wants to provide blanket immunity from lawsuit to the ownership class in case their workers get sick with the virus due to a lack of efficacious safety protocols in their workplace. The American way, as it exists today, is a broken machine. There's enough wrong with this country today to radicalize anyone with a halfway functioning moral compass. We're not so perfect that we couldn't learn a thing or two about education from the Finns, controlling the spread of the virus from New Zealand or Senegal, where they all wear masks and don't cry like infants about their personal liberties being infringed upon, the Germans when it comes to labor-management relations, and Australia when it comes policing, where de-escalation is the order of the day. George Carlin was right. The American Dream is a sham, and always has been. Education, hard work, and playing by the rules aren't enough anymore. You've got to be lucky, and you'd better be born in fortunate circumstances, because if you're not you ain't getting much help from anyone or anything. People are too busy just trying to survive, the business world only looks out for the management class, like it's always done, and the government either can't get the help to where it's needed because GOP politicians aren't inclined to spend money on those programs, or corruption siphons much of the money into the pockets of corrupt politicians and their corporate allies. They'd rather spend 40% of the federal budget on the military, when there's so many civilian problems that need addressing and could use some the $ earmarked for the newest high-tech fighter or warship. Individual success is still achievable, but at a cost to the collective. Our world, due to climate change, is becoming increasingly unlivable, because we're slowly poisoning it, consuming all of its resources, and quite frankly, having too many babies. We cannot sustain the kind of civilization we've built for ourselves with a population approaching 8 billion. Something's gotta give, and might come sooner rather than later the way things are going. If you see a ray of sunshine in all of that you're as delusional as the President.
The unfortunate thing is that America dream was not open or a valuable for many Americans. There were so many obstacles in the way, if you succeeded if because you have to fight for it at every step. So many people made a valiant attempt but were road blocks thrown in their way made it almost impossible. Too Sad.
At least now I better understand why I never made it through college. I was a commuter student and we had just moved house again ( for the tenth time in my case) right before I started. It was 1964 when things were starting to change from the left-over stability of the 50s to the weirdness of the 60s. I thought I had had a nervous breakdown. I can now see that what I actually had was a sensory-overload generated meltdown. I had two associate degrees. That's as far as I could get.
David could you please make more videos where you talk about lessons you have personally learnt, life advice for young people etc I always love your take on things.
Underrated channel. My first day of college was at fanshawe in London Ontario Canada. I took mould making, working fulltime daily and putting in 3 hrs a night 3 days a week in class. There were all walks of life in my classes. Boys girls, men women, young and old. As a 20 year old guy who just wanted to party it was a huge challenge working day and night but still living life as a young man. Tough but memorable times.
Well that was depressing, so many people still have the sinking ship worldview and I feel like the identity crisis he talked about has only gotten worse and is happening for people at younger ages now. I'm in my early 20s and many of the people I know who are my age or younger seem to have no "purpose", and have been searching for one since the beginning of highschool.
Garret Jacobs it’s the human condition. Learning what’s us, and our biology/personal functioning and what is an outside force causing a reaction - separating those - can hopefully reveal a better understanding and help us be kinder to ourselves as we navigate life. It’s gonna be ok 🤗 I promise - just keep putting one foot in front of the other. So many times our minds stop us.
Well, historically we're supposed to have 3 kids and be about to die from some curable disease or other by the time we're 20. So yeah, If you had been farming or mining since you were 7 or 8 you wouldn't have time or energy to do much more than work for 12 hours and sleep. You'd probably be trying to avoid thinking about the pain from your worn out body and the mind numbing toothaches.
While access to information is good it also allows young kids to see all the horrific stuff going on in the world within seconds. It’s unfortunately given rise to a lot of nihilism and teenage depression
I really treasure your content, David. You so often find people that seem to really capture a particular slice of their contemporary zeitgeist. I often wonder, were there specific criteria you looked for, or personalities you sought out when you were conducting these interviews? I'm a former photojournalist, and I know the process itself can be kind of self-selecting (you really can't force people to talk to you), but you seem to have a knack for finding particularly insightful individuals. Did you have any rules you followed for that? Thanks again for sharing
Parker. Your question is a legitimate one and deserves an answer. I don't really have the time to answer it as it should be answered. I did have a rather complex testing procedure to see if I felt each prospective interview candidate could emotionally express how they felt. In other words, each had to “know" how they felt. David Hoffman-filmmaker
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker I appreciate your response; I'm sure I'm not alone in being all the same intrigued by your process, I hope the time finds you one day to write about it! Take care.
Simple things about 1968 that are impossible in 2021: - the weather was still cold in July - talking to people in a crowd - students lording it over universities - "I waited on-line" = waiting somewhere between actual people as opposed to alone, zombie-like, with a device, mentally isolated Things that seemed revolutionary in 1968, that are meh in 2021: - wearing a lot of denim Who cares: - A guy writing on a desk. Like, not on a piece of paper. On the actual desk.
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker I think this is a misunderstanding. I found the video very interesting and I enjoyed every one of your videos I watched so far. I'm glad they are here. They also inspire me to do my own film project. The part of my comment that offended you was meant as an aside: The worlds of then and today are so different, but the part he said about the desk made me laugh because a guy high as a kite writing on a desk would be funny if it occurred then just as in 2021, and at the same time, it seems to me like such an arbitrary detail to mention. There was humour in the juxtaposition he mentioned, but maybe it's too subtle. I'm sorry it bothered you, I didn't mean to offend anyone.
As young people we had ideals and ideas but no power. By the time we became middle age adults we stated having the power, but somehow lost the drive of our former ideals and ideas.
He described it perfectly. Of course it was of course, different for people of color. Thank you for this fabulous documentary episode. I miss the pat ery hopeful (although challenging) & exciting time. I was a kid but remember the amazing feeling of the time. ☮️💟
Mr.Hoffman this is very powerful, especially towards the end. Truly heartbreaking almost like the dismantling of the human spirit and the American dram and yet we go forward, things seem dire now, but I hope that in some future things will get better, they must get better for the the human race in order to evolve past the spiritual corruptness that seems so thick right now.
This is a interesting video... Sometimes I feel as though I should have attended college, however it wasn't in the cards for me. I didn't have the money for tuition, nor did my parents, and I would have never asked my parents for monetary assistance anyway, as they were already struggling with finances of their own... I went to work after graduating high school... Being mechanically inclined, I joined the Machinist Union in 1977... Being a member of this Union, and doing this type of work for 41 years paid off... I'm now retired with a Union Pension... But still, I sometimes wonder what my life would be like now, had I attended college.
It's always amazing how one little decision that you make around 18 sets your whole life in one direction. I too never had the opportunity to go to college. It was not even really a option. My father was in construction so that kind of what I thought I had to do. Thanks for sharing your story
There are so many paths we can take in life. I think as long as you are overall happy with where you are now, you can sit easy knowing you went down a good path.
If you did not have a direction in mind, I don’t think college would have made your life better. Instead you chose a life where you learned every day and you could build on these skills. From the sounds of it you had a successful career. Congratulations!
Things have changed a lot since this video would have been filmed 40 years ago. Colleges now are radical leftist indoctrination camps and unless you're taking STEM, you'll come out dumber than when you went in. Who would have thought the left would become the ones to start censoring free speech, start burning books, banning movies etc.
Interesting discussion and you can see how close to his heart this is. Loved the content. Mr Hoffman - I went to patreon site. There are three boxes...country, state, and third one I could only see “please provide yo,” I don’t know what they are asking.
Well-spoken man. Todays kids cannot think like this or speak like this. They use catch phrases such as, right? at the end of their sentences, or 100%. Sad.
This was when everything started going to hell in colleges and schools. I remember my first day at Tyler Junior College in 1962, the first record I played in my dorm room was Ben Bernie's 1926 recording of Fallen Arches. Students outside heard it and came in and loved it! ruclips.net/video/i4r8MO5_GMA/видео.html They got used to me being the 20's music lover, always getting records in the mail from my collector friend Mr. Gottelieb (1909-1987) in Waco. One day I found a copy of Santa Claus Blues/Terrible Blues by The Red Onion Jazz Babies at The Bargain Box for ten cents, not realizing it was a 1924 recording of Louis Armstrong with jazz great Sydney Bechet who invented the soprano saxophone. Got $10 for that record from Mr. Gottlieb, it worth $1,000 today. Never had any interest in or paid any attention to social issues. A lot of that Baby Boomer stuff was self-congratulatory narcissism.
Awesome content! I feel I just watched something important. 1989 I was a junior in high school. There was some push to attend college but being from a struggling lower middle class family it was more important to graduate and get a job. Reagan had given the Nation hope and optimism again and Bush Sr. rode the coattails of all he accomplished. Life was good and I remember the feeling like I could go do whatever I set my mind to with a bit of hard work and sweat. I didn't believe the government or anyone else owed me anything. I remembered feeling strongly that social programs were for those who were really down and out, still do. I joined the Army at 19 and have done many jobs since. I went back to school at 40 and finished a BA degree. With years of hard work I am now living the American dream 2 story house, white picket fence, a few acres, a few cars. Put braces on 3 kids and now two are in college. Work hard, keep optimistic, and don't look for a quick trip towards success and don't play the victim. It takes good choices, good work ethic, many failures and restarts, and a dont quit attitude. Keep at it. The American dream is still out there!!
I'm ostensibly Gen X and did go through my own periods of '60s envy '(when I was 17-18) and '60s resentment' (when I was around 21-24); the latter condition being a feeling not that -as Hoffman quotes here - 'they ruined society' but they, in the Reaganomic 80s, had hypocritically betrayed their aspirations (this was, to be sure, gross misapprehension of a generation on the part of a generation). Now, as an historian, I recognize the absolute (and in many cases incomplete) social transformation of North American society during this historical period; for anyone to say it 'ruined society' is not only inaccurate but to be hypocritical in their failure to account for the aspects of their life wholly inherited from this time.
Your channel is invaluable David. I'm 27 and I love this content, so interesting to hear. Would love to know if you know of anyone who makes similar content for the UK? As that's where I'm from.
the British style for documentaries was different. More conservative. Less emotional. I don't know any UK filmmaker who did what I did. I what I still do. David Hoffman-filmmaker
Great post David. I'd like to suggest you check out a social experiment called "The Third Wave" that was tried by a middle school teacher. It won't take much of your time, and I think you would find it very interesting.
The last 30 seconds of that video were sobering. The man was right. That mindset has endured. However, maybe we are on the cusp of the next big change. _Maybe._
while I was 12, not college age, what he was saying was how I thought as well. I really thought we were going to change this country for the better of all. I wonder what happened. When MLK was killed I learned how different people were treated esp. compared to my vivid memory of the JFK assassination. I haven't thought of Susie Cream Cheese in decades! Frank Zappa, Mothers of Invention was the 1st album I heard that stunned me from what I had heard up until that time.
Thank you for your comment James but I do not believe that the title including the words cultural revolution would mean much to many of my subscribers and others.
I thought Arkansas was bad enough with segregation, saw it first hand. My family was also dumb struck during the 60's with the John & Robert Kennedy assassination not to mention Martin Luther King, also a great man. I had high hopes for America especially when Von Braun influenced JFK to shoot for the moon! Then came the peace movement (Kent State) and the flower power movement, boy do I remember those days. Then the riots in Newark broke out where I lived in 1966-70 which forced the National Guard to man every street corner. At that time my siblings and I lived at 415 15th Avenue and we witnessed the chaos and inferno from city block to city block. Too put icing on the cake, the nightly news broadcasted the Vietnam body counts, this is when I started protesting in NYC along with my long haired friends. The 60's and early 70's is not what people think, It was a see-saw of events that rocked my core foundation. Today with the latest coup against President Trump, I still don't know where in tarnation is America headed. Keep the peace.
Nice video, interesting story. Too bad for the ending, that cringy last minute. It goes to show that he merely is a stereotypical babyboomer; without being asked he out of nowhere starts with judging, belittling and vilifying a view of life that is different from his own. With an unconcealed sense of moral superiority he - completely full of himself - explains he has derived the entire sets of principles and values of, and the meaning of life to, a whole generation. All from just 3 statements.
*_OH WOW. I PERSONALLY KNOW ARTHUR. HE'S THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE WOODROW WILSON NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION. I WILL HAVE TO SHARE THIS VIDEO WITH HIM._*
please do. I did not know how to reach him today.
David Hoffman-filmmaker
Please let us know how it goes!!!
Please please please let us know how it goes
What happened?
Yeah maybe a current interview!
I like a lot of your videos and and this one is no exception. I find it "beautiful" how relatable his story is, given im a just teenager in Botswana.
I get a kick out of the way he tips his hat ever so slightly ,like a western movie in which the cowboy tips his hat lol!
"You go to college and your life is better" oh how I wish more than anything this were true today.
Foreal
These are very thoughtful and eloquent comments by Arthur Levine.
Mr Hoffman, your work is a treasure. Thank you.
I love your personal introduction to the videos, and each such an authentic, human window into the past.
I couldn't help but notice how his tone changed and deepened around 3:30 when he began to tell his story.
Thankyou for your work mr. Hoffman. Greatly appreciated.
Theres are all very interesting. I was born in 93 and I'm huge into history and how the world used to be. I'm glad you've decided to use RUclips as a platform to show us how the world once was in such great detail. I cant wait to see what else you have to come! And thank you for your work sir.
This guy came from middle class and went through every cherished experiences that a college freshman could hope: *real* social activism, drugs, thinking you got life figured out only to realise you know nothing, witnessing history unfold itself in real time. What i wouldn't give to live this guy's life now that i'm a dropout now in 2020...
You don't need college. See this thing you're typing on? It contains the vast knowledge of the world for the cost of an internet connection. Study and become what you want. I dropped out right at the start of college and made my way. I didn't want to be polluted by the muddy waters of university activism and it's politics. I didn't want to be a slave to 150K of debt. I forged my own path and stayed diligent on this course. Surround yourself by older/wise/successful people that can mentor you and guide you.
I agree with the previous replies. Be conscientious. Be better every day. Get fit. Lose bad habits. Make good habits. Associate with good people. Day by day you will get better and you will be successful.
Now looking back I have to say, for me, 1989 was a simpler time....
It seems like the world of 'things' keeps increasing. We strive for "better", "new improved" and "convenience", but it ends up with even more choices, more to think about and waste.
Like the old cliche goes, less is more. :-)
So true
Sweet guy! You can see the innocence in his eyes!
the 1960's and '70's were incredible times. We will never see anything like it again.
What a wonderful interview. Thank you, David, for having the foresight and motivation to capture these moments when you did, and for sharing them with the world today. They're an invaluable resource.
Thank you Jim.
David Hoffman - filmmaker
Yes! He's a just few years older but a lpt of what he says captures what was true for me and the US. Excellant video! Love this guy. Thank you
I so enjoy these interviews, Mr. Hoffman. Thank you so much! I'm one of the ones who's been out in the streets (for various causes), since the 1970s, and I'm out in the streets again lately. These historical videos help us understand our current moment so much better. Be well, Mr. Hoffman! Blessings to you and all your loved ones.
Born in the nid 11960s here- so am aware of this.... but was fascinating to hear about it.
By the time i got to college in the early 80s we were a bit jaded.apathetic,into punk rock. No one thought they could change things.
Generation x.
That idealism needs to come back.
Man... David, I'm a 19 year old former college student who unfortunately had to drop due to the whole covid situation. Watching this video bums me out - I feel like I can still see and feel the consequences of the horrors of that decade. Seems like all of those assassinations left most of that generation feeling powerless. What he said at the end really resonated with me: "Titanic Ethic; there's a sense the U.S, or even the whole world is going down, and as long as they're being forced to ride in a doomed ship, they're going to make the voyage as luxurious as possible..." It feels like the majority of my generation still holds this sentiment in a way, though a large number are increasingly picking various causes. Sometimes I think they're misguided, maybe even trying to echo the earlier revolutionary fervor of the 60's. I think that's probably a good thing, but it seems really messy and disorganized a lot of the time, like no one can agree on anything. It can be really frightening, watching these herds form. There's a lot of hate and a lot of fear, and I think maybe that's happened before in America, but not quite like this. This seems different. Then again I suppose it always is a bit different anyhow.
Anyways, thank you so much for posting this video, outstanding, invaluable content as always. Your videos always lend a fresh perspective on a world which is so confusing. It's easy to get lost right now - your videos help clear the fog and show me that maybe not everything going on right now is so unfamiliar after all. :)
Hey Hoffman. Just found your contents and am I blown away! Thank you!
I hope that you have great archiving deals for all your material. This series of interviews is an American treasure and important piece of history.
the one conclusion I get from these and every other similar interview from recent history is that not only can no-one predict the future in even the broadest strokes, but even encapsulating their present and what events are pivotal eludes them.
This fellow is not your average dude. He’s Jewish, very intelligent and very connected in his culture and conscientious. Because of all these things he was able to get into a prestigious, Ivey League university (with lots of Jews, I think) and do well. He was very observant and recalls the era well. Certainly his story telling and Depth of perception also is indicative that he is not just an average guy.
Wow, this was such a fascinating interview, thank you for sharing David. As someone in their third year of college, it was really interesting to hear the perspective of someone reflecting on a similar time in their life.
I remember those college kids in the ‘60s; by that time I had long retired from teaching, but I still maintained an office on campus. What struck me about the freshmen is that most had no background at all in Greek and Latin. In my day, that was unheard of - not only for university students, but for any of the professions, the civil service, and even the army. In fact, one received rigorous instruction in those languages throughout secondary school, and could not graduate without passing the examinations, which chiefly consisted of sight translations and grammatical scholia from select classical authors.
I find it troubling that society has basically disregarded the good aspects of the 1950s, such as family values and commitment to community, but kept the negative aspects of the 1950s, such as the belief that the American dream is for everyone. If someone wants to enter a practical profession, the American dream might be possible for them, but if someone wants to pursue an artistic career, the American dream is very unlikely to materialize for them. This is as true today as it was a hundred years ago.
George Carlin RIP the American dream is you have to be asleep to believe in it.
Also to mention the fashion, architecture choices, and especially the destruction of having jerks running the soda shops and not super sexual outfits everywhere including places of formal attire
Look around you, @BernieEinreb371. We have a sociopath in the White House, we're in the middle of a once in a century pandemic that's killing 2,500-3,000 Americans per day because so many of us refuse to mask up or social distance, income inequality is as bad as it was 130 years ago, the racial divide has only gotten worse in the last generation or so, and our government is so dysfunctional it can't pass a budget or a C-19 relief bill because the beady-eyed, bespectacled power mad leader of the upper chamber won't stop obstructing its passage because he wants to provide blanket immunity from lawsuit to the ownership class in case their workers get sick with the virus due to a lack of efficacious safety protocols in their workplace.
The American way, as it exists today, is a broken machine. There's enough wrong with this country today to radicalize anyone with a halfway functioning moral compass. We're not so perfect that we couldn't learn a thing or two about education from the Finns, controlling the spread of the virus from New Zealand or Senegal, where they all wear masks and don't cry like infants about their personal liberties being infringed upon, the Germans when it comes to labor-management relations, and Australia when it comes policing, where de-escalation is the order of the day.
George Carlin was right. The American Dream is a sham, and always has been. Education, hard work, and playing by the rules aren't enough anymore. You've got to be lucky, and you'd better be born in fortunate circumstances, because if you're not you ain't getting much help from anyone or anything. People are too busy just trying to survive, the business world only looks out for the management class, like it's always done, and the government either can't get the help to where it's needed because GOP politicians aren't inclined to spend money on those programs, or corruption siphons much of the money into the pockets of corrupt politicians and their corporate allies. They'd rather spend 40% of the federal budget on the military, when there's so many civilian problems that need addressing and could use some the $ earmarked for the newest high-tech fighter or warship.
Individual success is still achievable, but at a cost to the collective. Our world, due to climate change, is becoming increasingly unlivable, because we're slowly poisoning it, consuming all of its resources, and quite frankly, having too many babies. We cannot sustain the kind of civilization we've built for ourselves with a population approaching 8 billion.
Something's gotta give, and might come sooner rather than later the way things are going. If you see a ray of sunshine in all of that you're as delusional as the President.
The unfortunate thing is that America dream was not open or a valuable for many Americans. There were so many obstacles in the way, if you succeeded if because you have to fight for it at every step. So many people made a valiant attempt but were road blocks thrown in their way made it almost impossible. Too Sad.
At least now I better understand why I never made it through college. I was a commuter student and we had just moved house again ( for the tenth time in my case) right before I started. It was 1964 when things were starting to change from the left-over stability of the 50s to the weirdness of the 60s. I thought I had had a nervous breakdown. I can now see that what I actually had was a sensory-overload generated meltdown. I had two associate degrees. That's as far as I could get.
So much interesting information on this channel, it's truly a blessing for the internet
My first day at college 2009 I was 17 and met an Arabic man who lost his father in the World Trade Center, a kkk member, and I deaf woman
Really?
Mark yes! My introduction to Arabic class سلام I meat him, the kkk member was chanting outside, the deaf woman was my dorm neighbor
Widened your perspective on day 1!
We almost peers :) first day of college for me was in 2011
That's the modern day an Englishman , an Irishman and a Scotsman meet in a pub joke
These are gold.
David could you please make more videos where you talk about lessons you have personally learnt, life advice for young people etc I always love your take on things.
Thanks Dave you’re the man. Awesome stuff
Thanks for always uploading a banger right when I need it! I appreciate the time you take out to make your videos perfect as possible!
love this video but I am staring at his mustache hard
Thanks for posting. What an insight into the times.
Love the work- time capsules ❤
And they say the younger generations are weaker? I wish I had this guys life. I would give up anything in my life to have what he had.
I can assure you he had to work for whatever he got then, as well. Life is never easy. Just the fact that you're whining about it is weak.
@@crashvandrifter3198 all these people on the internet disrespecting boomers make me sick....
Underrated channel.
My first day of college was at fanshawe in London Ontario Canada. I took mould making, working fulltime daily and putting in 3 hrs a night 3 days a week in class. There were all walks of life in my classes. Boys girls, men women, young and old. As a 20 year old guy who just wanted to party it was a huge challenge working day and night but still living life as a young man. Tough but memorable times.
Thank you for sharing a bit of your experience.
David Hoffman - filmmaker
Nice to see your face David Hoffman. Great stuff!
Well that was depressing, so many people still have the sinking ship worldview and I feel like the identity crisis he talked about has only gotten worse and is happening for people at younger ages now. I'm in my early 20s and many of the people I know who are my age or younger seem to have no "purpose", and have been searching for one since the beginning of highschool.
Garret Jacobs it’s the human condition. Learning what’s us, and our biology/personal functioning and what is an outside force causing a reaction - separating those - can hopefully reveal a better understanding and help us be kinder to ourselves as we navigate life. It’s gonna be ok 🤗 I promise - just keep putting one foot in front of the other. So many times our minds stop us.
Carl Jung - our psyche exists outside of time and space - ruclips.net/video/grbPYM2GODE/видео.html
It hasn't gotten worse, it's different for every generation. Stop being so self centered.
Well, historically we're supposed to have 3 kids and be about to die from some curable disease or other by the time we're 20. So yeah, If you had been farming or mining since you were 7 or 8 you wouldn't have time or energy to do much more than work for 12 hours and sleep. You'd probably be trying to avoid thinking about the pain from your worn out body and the mind numbing toothaches.
While access to information is good it also allows young kids to see all the horrific stuff going on in the world within seconds. It’s unfortunately given rise to a lot of nihilism and teenage depression
Your channel is a blessing. Slice of life history always seemed more interesting to me than long articles on Wikipedia
Thank you Bilbo. I don't use Wikipedia much myself.
David Hoffman-filmmaker
I really treasure your content, David. You so often find people that seem to really capture a particular slice of their contemporary zeitgeist. I often wonder, were there specific criteria you looked for, or personalities you sought out when you were conducting these interviews? I'm a former photojournalist, and I know the process itself can be kind of self-selecting (you really can't force people to talk to you), but you seem to have a knack for finding particularly insightful individuals. Did you have any rules you followed for that?
Thanks again for sharing
Parker. Your question is a legitimate one and deserves an answer. I don't really have the time to answer it as it should be answered. I did have a rather complex testing procedure to see if I felt each prospective interview candidate could emotionally express how they felt. In other words, each had to “know" how they felt.
David Hoffman-filmmaker
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker I appreciate your response; I'm sure I'm not alone in being all the same intrigued by your process, I hope the time finds you one day to write about it! Take care.
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker What's the difference between a LOOTER and a BOOMER?........
NOTHING! HAhahaha
@@thoughtcriminal99 Did you listen to what the guy said?
@@andytaylor5476 andy taylor aka LOOTER
Wow, this is fascinating. I love it. ❤
So strange - this is the same conversation we are having now - Gen X, Baby Boomers, Millennials etc..
Tara S the irony is undeniable.
Mr.Hoffman your work is excellent!
Thank you for your comment
Thank you for preserving these moments!
Simple things about 1968 that are impossible in 2021:
- the weather was still cold in July
- talking to people in a crowd
- students lording it over universities
- "I waited on-line" = waiting somewhere between actual people as opposed to alone, zombie-like, with a device, mentally isolated
Things that seemed revolutionary in 1968, that are meh in 2021:
- wearing a lot of denim
Who cares:
- A guy writing on a desk. Like, not on a piece of paper. On the actual desk.
Who cares? Fortunately, some of my subscribers do. Obviously this isn't for you. No reason to watch then.
David Hoffman filmmaker
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker I think this is a misunderstanding. I found the video very interesting and I enjoyed every one of your videos I watched so far. I'm glad they are here. They also inspire me to do my own film project. The part of my comment that offended you was meant as an aside: The worlds of then and today are so different, but the part he said about the desk made me laugh because a guy high as a kite writing on a desk would be funny if it occurred then just as in 2021, and at the same time, it seems to me like such an arbitrary detail to mention. There was humour in the juxtaposition he mentioned, but maybe it's too subtle. I'm sorry it bothered you, I didn't mean to offend anyone.
p.s. There should be a whole series of interviews with people describing the first time they heard Zappa. :-)
As young people we had ideals and ideas but no power. By the time we became middle age adults we stated having the power, but somehow lost the drive of our former ideals and ideas.
Love your videos
He described it perfectly.
Of course it was of course, different for people of color.
Thank you for this fabulous documentary episode.
I miss the pat ery hopeful (although challenging) & exciting time.
I was a kid but remember the amazing feeling of the time. ☮️💟
Mr.Hoffman this is very powerful, especially towards the end. Truly heartbreaking almost like the dismantling of the human spirit and the American dram and yet we go forward, things seem dire now, but I hope that in some future things will get better, they must get better for the the human race in order to evolve past the spiritual corruptness that seems so thick right now.
..........god, it seems like a dream now....
I feel this comment on a deep level. Hope you are doing well.
This is a interesting video... Sometimes I feel as though I should have attended college, however it wasn't in the cards for me. I didn't have the money for tuition, nor did my parents, and I would have never asked my parents for monetary assistance anyway, as they were already struggling with finances of their own... I went to work after graduating high school... Being mechanically inclined, I joined the Machinist Union in 1977... Being a member of this Union, and doing this type of work for 41 years paid off... I'm now retired with a Union Pension... But still, I sometimes wonder what my life would be like now, had I attended college.
It's always amazing how one little decision that you make around 18 sets your whole life in one direction. I too never had the opportunity to go to college. It was not even really a option. My father was in construction so that kind of what I thought I had to do.
Thanks for sharing your story
There are so many paths we can take in life. I think as long as you are overall happy with where you are now, you can sit easy knowing you went down a good path.
Go to college now...lol
If you did not have a direction in mind, I don’t think college would have made your life better. Instead you chose a life where you learned every day and you could build on these skills. From the sounds of it you had a successful career. Congratulations!
Things have changed a lot since this video would have been filmed 40 years ago. Colleges now are radical leftist indoctrination camps and unless you're taking STEM, you'll come out dumber than when you went in. Who would have thought the left would become the ones to start censoring free speech, start burning books, banning movies etc.
You have such interest videos David. RUclips was made for you and me!
Thank you.
David Hoffman - filmmaker
Interesting discussion and you can see how close to his heart this is. Loved the content.
Mr Hoffman - I went to patreon site. There are three boxes...country, state, and third one I could only see “please provide yo,” I don’t know what they are asking.
I am not sure Mary. My direct Patreon account is www.patreon.com/allinaday.
David Hoffman - filmmaker
I don’t understand much about banking and that is a huge part of an adult life
@@bigj2637 So true .
Guy in the thumbnail looks like Post Malone before the face tats.
Great video.
great stuff as always!
Your content is always great my friend☺
Very interesting indeed 👍
Thamk you.
You are so wonderful. Now, I'm going to listen to your video. {{Hug}}
Hope you like it!
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker I absolutely did. Thank you so much.
Well-spoken man. Todays kids cannot think like this or speak like this. They use catch phrases such as, right? at the end of their sentences, or 100%. Sad.
Wish we were still existential like that.
Bloody hell that was interesting xxxxxxxx
He is essentially describing me from the years of 1991-2000..
This was when everything started going to hell in colleges and schools. I remember my first day at Tyler Junior College in 1962, the first record I played in my dorm room was Ben Bernie's 1926 recording of Fallen Arches. Students outside heard it and came in and loved it! ruclips.net/video/i4r8MO5_GMA/видео.html They got used to me being the 20's music lover, always getting records in the mail from my collector friend Mr. Gottelieb (1909-1987) in Waco. One day I found a copy of Santa Claus Blues/Terrible Blues by The Red Onion Jazz Babies at The Bargain Box for ten cents, not realizing it was a 1924 recording of Louis Armstrong with jazz great Sydney Bechet who invented the soprano saxophone. Got $10 for that record from Mr. Gottlieb, it worth $1,000 today. Never had any interest in or paid any attention to social issues. A lot of that Baby Boomer stuff was self-congratulatory narcissism.
Awesome content! I feel I just watched something important. 1989 I was a junior in high school. There was some push to attend college but being from a struggling lower middle class family it was more important to graduate and get a job. Reagan had given the Nation hope and optimism again and Bush Sr. rode the coattails of all he accomplished. Life was good and I remember the feeling like I could go do whatever I set my mind to with a bit of hard work and sweat. I didn't believe the government or anyone else owed me anything. I remembered feeling strongly that social programs were for those who were really down and out, still do. I joined the Army at 19 and have done many jobs since. I went back to school at 40 and finished a BA degree. With years of hard work I am now living the American dream 2 story house, white picket fence, a few acres, a few cars. Put braces on 3 kids and now two are in college. Work hard, keep optimistic, and don't look for a quick trip towards success and don't play the victim. It takes good choices, good work ethic, many failures and restarts, and a dont quit attitude. Keep at it. The American dream is still out there!!
He's right. About all of it.
I'm ostensibly Gen X and did go through my own periods of '60s envy '(when I was 17-18) and '60s resentment' (when I was around 21-24); the latter condition being a feeling not that -as Hoffman quotes here - 'they ruined society' but they, in the Reaganomic 80s, had hypocritically betrayed their aspirations (this was, to be sure, gross misapprehension of a generation on the part of a generation). Now, as an historian, I recognize the absolute (and in many cases incomplete) social transformation of North American society during this historical period; for anyone to say it 'ruined society' is not only inaccurate but to be hypocritical in their failure to account for the aspects of their life wholly inherited from this time.
💖
Your channel is invaluable David. I'm 27 and I love this content, so interesting to hear. Would love to know if you know of anyone who makes similar content for the UK? As that's where I'm from.
the British style for documentaries was different. More conservative. Less emotional. I don't know any UK filmmaker who did what I did.
I what I still do.
David Hoffman-filmmaker
Cool it maaaan! College is groovy! You'll have a far-out time!
Great post David. I'd like to suggest you check out a social experiment called "The Third Wave" that was tried by a middle school teacher. It won't take much of your time, and I think you would find it very interesting.
Wow @ the last 3 minutes it’s sad
The last 30 seconds of that video were sobering. The man was right. That mindset has endured. However, maybe we are on the cusp of the next big change. _Maybe._
Why does he look and sound like Phil Jackson? lol
while I was 12, not college age, what he was saying was how I thought as well. I really thought we were going to change this country for the better of all. I wonder what happened. When MLK was killed I learned how different people were treated esp. compared to my vivid memory of the JFK assassination. I haven't thought of Susie Cream Cheese in decades! Frank Zappa, Mothers of Invention was the 1st album I heard that stunned me from what I had heard up until that time.
Sounds like he lived in my dorm
The Fugs got mentioned. Far out!
☮️💟
This is really good, but the title is off topic. He's talking about a cultural revolution.
Thank you for your comment James but I do not believe that the title including the words cultural revolution would mean much to many of my subscribers and others.
So David what's the story on the wood bird
I thought Arkansas was bad enough with segregation, saw it first hand. My family was also dumb struck during the 60's with the John & Robert Kennedy assassination not to mention Martin Luther King, also a great man. I had high hopes for America especially when Von Braun influenced JFK to shoot for the moon! Then came the peace movement (Kent State) and the flower power movement, boy do I remember those days. Then the riots in Newark broke out where I lived in 1966-70 which forced the National Guard to man every street corner. At that time my siblings and I lived at 415 15th Avenue and we witnessed the chaos and inferno from city block to city block. Too put icing on the cake, the nightly news broadcasted the Vietnam body counts, this is when I started protesting in NYC along with my long haired friends. The 60's and early 70's is not what people think, It was a see-saw of events that rocked my core foundation. Today with the latest coup against President Trump, I still don't know where in tarnation is America headed. Keep the peace.
My first day of college in 2020 I did basically nothing because of Coronavirus
🧨🧨
So much for no concern with social issues. Cities burning in background. Corporate left will save us while cashing in/out at the same time.
0:50 how is any of these the same?
Nice video, interesting story. Too bad for the ending, that cringy last minute. It goes to show that he merely is a stereotypical babyboomer; without being asked he out of nowhere starts with judging, belittling and vilifying a view of life that is different from his own. With an unconcealed sense of moral superiority he - completely full of himself - explains he has derived the entire sets of principles and values of, and the meaning of life to, a whole generation. All from just 3 statements.
Randy Newman?
I'm removing this comment too. Maybe it doesn't make sense.
Read the description please. This was recorded in 1989.
I'm a Scat man !
These videos have a criminally low number of views for their value