From Hippies to Gen Z revolt

The Hippie movement of the 1960s changed the world. Young people challenged the unjust status quo and the warmongering of the powerful. The world danced to the music of the Beatles. John Lennon’s songs exposed the hegemony and double standards of Western powers. The carpet bombing in Vietnam shook the conscience of the world. The Viet Cong refused to surrender. In the US, young men were forcibly drafted into the army to fight a war with no end in sight. More than 50,000 American lives were lost. After the war ended, a monument was erected in Washington, DC, where the names of fallen soldiers were inscribed. Finally, in August 1969, about half a million people gathered at a place called Woodstock in upstate New York for a weekend festival of music and peace. It became known as part of the counterculture movement. It is widely believed that the other superpower of the time was deliberately trapped in Afghanistan in 1979, which eventually led to the collapse of the mighty Soviet Union. The powerful came to their senses, thanks to the Hippies.

Injustices never remain unnoticed by the youth. The cultural movement of the Hippies contributed to the cause of world peace. The use of force was contained to a large extent. The terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001, shook the world. Instead of demonstrating statesmanship and pursuing peace, President George Walker Bush (Bush Jr.) decided to use force. Afghanistan was attacked in October 2001 under what was called Operation Enduring Freedom. It turned into a 20-year war with an unfavourable outcome. In August 2021, the US was forced to withdraw. Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) seized control of Kabul. In October 2023, Israel decided to destroy Gaza in retaliation for an attack by Hamas militants. The slaughter of unarmed civilians continued while the world watched.

Like the Hippies of the 20th century, Gen Z decided to launch a counterculture movement in the current millennium. The revolt was worldwide. In addition to injustice, glaring economic disparities also became a major concern. Young people took to the streets in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia and India. The Prime Minister of Israel trapped President Trump into attacking Iran in pursuit of a quick regime change, but the resulting stalemate led to a serious oil crisis. Riots broke out in France as the cost of living skyrocketed. Protests spread to Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece and the United Kingdom. In recent elections in Hungary, Israel and the US, the ruling parties faced humiliating defeats.

The world is ready for change; the old ways cannot continue. While the vast majority of people continue to suffer, the powerful remain embroiled in aimless wars. Only the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the emerging superpower, has shown restraint. Populations in most former colonies continue to languish in poverty. Only the PRC has succeeded in eliminating this menace, while Pakistan and India continue to suffer. Gen Z is focused on peace and relationships rather than human exploitation and conflict. Accumulating wealth is not its top priority. It is a generation that believes in sharing rather than controlling through manipulation. It is a digital generation of the information age. Cover-ups are no longer possible; the truth comes out in the end. Technology rules the world, where lineage and false propaganda no longer count. In India and Bangladesh, students stood up for merit. While the Bangladeshi prime minister had to flee, the education minister in India had to resign. Now, the demand is for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) over flawed voter lists. The future of leaders like Trump and Netanyahu hangs in the balance because of their alleged crimes against humanity. Gen Z has decided to side with the ignored and downtrodden rather than the flamboyant and powerful. The will of the people must prevail if their suffering is to end. Nature is a great equaliser. The purity of the young has also come to the rescue of the misguided elders who control the levers of power. Iqbal rightly said, “Jawano ko piron ka ustad kar” (Let the old learn from the young). Gen Z has been tasked with saving the world from conflict and collapse. I am confident that it will not falter.