The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

454 THE FREEMAN Augustimportant social duty and strikea holy task.Clash of the GenerationsIn recent years the conflict doctrinehas been broadened to coveryet another area: the relations betweendifferent generations. Itthereby succeeded in pitting millionsof American youth againsttheir elders in a so-called "generationgap." Numerous studentorganizations of the "New Left"are attacking the "establishment"that represents the older generationwith arguments that aretaken without much change fromthe armory of Marx. The era ofcampus violence was ushered inby the Students for a DemocraticSociety (SDS), a quasi-Marxianclass organization. It was followedby such groups as the ProgressiveLabor Party, the Weathermen, theYoung Workers LiberationLeague, the Young Socialist Alliance,the National Peace ActionCoalition, the New AmericanMovement, and many others. Althoughthe members of such militantgroups comprise only smallminorities of students, it appearsthat many millions of young peopleagree with the radicals on theexistence of conflict.· If there iscollective conflict in our social andeconomic spheres, why shouldthere be peace and harmony betweenthe establishment and itsopposition, between the older generationand youth?Racial ConflictOne of the ugliest manifestationsof the conflict doctrine isfound in our race relations. Weare told again and again that itis our capitalistic system that imposesconditions of hardship upona minority of its citizens, and thatfinally the angriest of them havebeen driven to assault the exploitationorder. We are accused ofwicked standards' of white moralityand capitalist middle-class behaviorthat condemns the riotingand looting but lacks human concernfor millions of deprived Negroesin our midst.A .solution to the growing problemsof racial strife is sought inever-costlier government programs,in more public welfare andpublic care. While Newark wasburning, and as twenty-sevenAmericans were losing their livesthere, the Federal Governmenttried to rush through Congress 8bill to provide $20 million a yealfor two years to exterminate thErats that infest the city slums. Iiwas suggested that eradicatin~rats would ultimately help to pre·vent the racial riots, as it woul(indicate to the rioters that some,body really cares.One may agree with the militan"Civil Rights" leaders that, fo: