An interesting link made by Martin “son of Richard” Wainwright between the current Obama bandwagon and the Red Guard of the 60s:
Jo Grimond in particular enjoyed intellectual experiments and didn’t mind the excesses of youth. He sent Young Libs out all over the world to report back to him on Yugoslavian workers’ cooperatives, black power in the US and the first stirrings of free thinking behind the iron curtain.
There was also a much more significant model: John Kennedy. And that brings this period of history up to date and gives its experiences and lessons a relevance. Barack Obama appears to have captured a similar mood. His youthful volunteers are streaming out across the States at the moment, as confident as the YLs were that they can make a difference.
Article here.
After Grimond the YL “Red Guards” became very critical of the Liberal Party leadership. A few YLs were openly Marxist.
That’s true, but all big movements are heterogenous – including Obama’s. Indeed, it is that breadth that the GOP seem determined to use against him, whether it is Jeremiah Wright or the fact that people on the “far left” seem to be supporting (an email I received the other day described “communists” as believing in something that sounded like it was to the right of New Labour, but there you go).