Dispatches from the Culture Wars: How the Left Lost Teen Spirit

I wasn't sure if Goldberg's subject was worth a whole book, but I quickly found his precise language and flowing passages irresistible. His basic argument is that left-wing snobs in Washington and academia have ignored youth culture instead of reaching out to it. Goldberg feels that this error has caused the Democrats many elections including the Presidential election of 2000. He spends the largest part of the book disagreeing with Tipper Gore about her campaign to label rock music, and Joe Lieberman about his attacks on Hollywood and entertainment. He points out that Bill Clinton won the youth vote in 1996 by 19 points, because Bob Dole spent so much time attacking Hollywood, but with Lieberman and Gore on the ticket in 2000, the youth vote was evenly divided between them and Bush. Just a small percentage of that vote in the Democrats direction would have turned that election around. Goldberg makes some good points about how politicians have been veering close to censorship with their hand-wringing and committee hearings, and grandstanding. As a member of the ACLU and the music industry, Goldberg fears the infringement of the first amendment. He feels that the biggest problem for progressives is a dominant leftwing snobbery that is more interested in bland academic liberalism than the raw energetic rebellion of youth culture. Goldberg's defense of the first amendment is as articulate as I've heard in the discussion, but he seems like his own worst enemy. While arguing that politicians are spending too much time attacking first amendment freedoms, he encourages politicians to attack second amendment freedoms. When Congress says that explicit material should be policed, Goldberg suggests that it's really guns that are dangerous. This is a mistake for two reasons.First, Goldberg is saying that the artistic youth music and culture speaks to a great many people, but even the most explicit calls for sex and violence do nothing to influence youngsters. On the other hand, guns attached to no call for action cause people to do horrible things. History has always shown that ideas have greater consequences than armaments. Did the German arsenal cause World War II or was it the demagoguery of Hitler? Second, by arguing to halt second amendment freedoms, Goldberg yields politicians the moral authority to halt first amendment freedoms. This is a big mistake, because the only argument you can make against censorship is a constitutional one. If the constitution can be ignored because of a popularly perceived danger, then it can be ignored anytime a crafty politician sees a ready voting block. I think this is why Goldberg argues it's in the best interests of leftists to embrace popular culture. Since he has little faith in the original intent of the constitution he can only win the heart of worried liberals by demonstrating to them an untapped voting block, the young. This way they can still tinker with the constitution in ways that he appro

Danny Goldberg's book explains why fewer and fewer young people have even bothered to vote in recent years. He takes cultural conservatives like Tipper Gore and her lame husbands and the execrable Joe Lieberman to task for banishing young liberals not just from the Democratic Party but from the entire electoral process. The book is a beautiful and entertaining read, very factual and well thought out.

Culture Wars is that rare combination of philosphy, ideology and readability. Goldberg throws down the gauntlet at the members of the left who were once so motivated, informed and nurtured by the counter culture but have since turned their back on it. The book, an entertaining read(as opposed to the usual academic screed)is a wake-up call to the self-impressed Big Chill generation types who smugly cling to their Motown, Beatles and Bruce Springsteen yet proudly and dismissively flaunt their ignorance of The White Stripes, Radiohead, Eminem, Pink and any number of equally vital(and relevant)artists. While making his case Danny treats the reader to tales of the music business' collisions and collaborations with the world of progressive politics without making it seem like a history lesson or a jumbo serving of spinach.

I'm an occasional listener to conservative talk radio. This radio community of dominant Republicans is galvanized each day by radio hosts in a belief that liberals live to hate family values, religion, George Bush (OK, many do), and flag-waving patriotism. I was raised a conservative Mormon and I continue to hold fast my upbringing. But I was also raised on the Beatles, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and San Francisco Bay Area bands. Eight kids later, I still play those records and my kids embrace most of it too. Danny Goldberg was raised a liberal Democrat, attended Woodstock, met Hendrix, worked with Zeppelin, managed Kurt Cobain and worked with and signed many of the artists whose CDs I buy. Goldberg's account of his career through the 60's to 2003 is worth alone the price of the book. However, be prepared to bristle at his characterizations of our conservative heroes as well as his positive references to his liberal pals like Barbra Streisand, Michael Moore, Arianna Huffington, and other ACLU members. But engage your mind a little. Shut off the radio for a day or so and let him talk to you one-on-one about his confrontations with the liberal elite and their placating arrogance. Let him vent his frustrations about Tipper and Al Gore and their disingenuous sincerety, or his indictment on Joe Lieberman, forever closing the door on any future political support. What you'll find is an honest voice, a man raised with consistent, righteous, social values. Goldberg's life represents learning through first-hand experience rather than second-hand dogma, a condition most of us conservatives suffer. And if you don't like his politics, then be prepared to get off your keister like he has for 30 years and do something about it.No, I'm not liberal in disguise thumping a liberal's book. I just feel a little wiser after spending some time with Goldberg's life, his career in entertainment, and how they're inextricably connected with politics. As a result, I'm tending to believe that if we strip away the anger, the personal insults, and the holy cows of partisan ballot punching, we'll find a common bond in our humanity. And then we may realize that we've been really violently agreeing with each other. "[And that] castles made of sand, melts into the sea eventually." Jimi Hendrix

Danny Goldberg, who is a big name in the music industry, has written a wonderful book that is full of insight as to how the left has lost touch with the younger generation of voters. I am a 20 year old college student and many of my friends and students my age feel as though politicans never speak to our generation and have lost touch with the pop culture that influences our lives. Goldberg's book is extremely intelligent, and is even better for a music fan. He has worked with some incredible names, and has been part of many wonderful projects that he writes about in his book. For anyone who is concerned with the future of the left, and who is concerned with the arts and freedom of speech, this book is a must read.