Quote Originally Posted by SlavikSvensk View Post
Fair enough, but I still don't see how this makes raves a social revolution, which I think many people at the time genuinely thought it was. My original point was that it didn't deliver on its promise of entirely new social relations, a new politics and so on. Probably the promise itself was delusional, for those who bought into it. Well-intentioned, but naive...

That said, great music and parties.
I think it's essential to separate the lofty (mostly drug induced) lovey dovey rhetoric and look at the reality. Catchphrases and big ideas are just ideology.

Look, I came up in the DIY political punk scene in the late 80s/early 90s. Was there any measurable social change that came from that? Again, books have been written on this. No need for me to retread old ground. Well, it had a MAJOR influence on me personally, and I have continued doing my best to stay true to DIY principles where I can, and I work for a progressive nonprofit. All of that stems from punk rock, and to a certain degree, from the rave scene as well.

Am I the only one? I damn well doubt it. Is this anecdotal? Totally. But still no less true.

And the political/legal ramifications of the culture are undeniable. It changed laws. It made people have to stand up and fight.

CJB is one example. In the States, they took us apart state by state, city by city. The fight was still there, but it was a very different one, and in a lot of ways, MUCH more difficult. But it still happened. And there are people I talk to today who are still involved with groups fighting the criminalization of our culture.