Let’s see. In terms of youth subcultures, 1994 would be a little after grunge had peaked; punk would have been on its way out as a mass movement rather than a vestigial scene, but it still had some presence. Rage Against The Machine was probably the most politicized band I remember from that era, although it wasn’t linked to any particular movement so much as a generalized morass of contrarian sentiment.
Anti-globalization wouldn’t peak for another five years, but it was picking up steam. Race relations were pretty tense in the aftermath of the 1992 Rodney King riots. Tibetan independence was a popular cause. I also remember environmentalism having a lot of presence—lots of talk about deforestation, for example. I don’t remember much in the way of specific policy prescriptions, though.
Bill Clinton had just been elected, and I think he introduced his health care reform plan about that time. That one failed, but I don’t remember it showing the same generational divisions that marijuana legalization and same-sex marriage now do. ’Course, I could be wrong; I was pretty young at the time.
Let’s see. In terms of youth subcultures, 1994 would be a little after grunge had peaked; punk would have been on its way out as a mass movement rather than a vestigial scene, but it still had some presence. Rage Against The Machine was probably the most politicized band I remember from that era, although it wasn’t linked to any particular movement so much as a generalized morass of contrarian sentiment.
Anti-globalization wouldn’t peak for another five years, but it was picking up steam. Race relations were pretty tense in the aftermath of the 1992 Rodney King riots. Tibetan independence was a popular cause. I also remember environmentalism having a lot of presence—lots of talk about deforestation, for example. I don’t remember much in the way of specific policy prescriptions, though.
Bill Clinton had just been elected, and I think he introduced his health care reform plan about that time. That one failed, but I don’t remember it showing the same generational divisions that marijuana legalization and same-sex marriage now do. ’Course, I could be wrong; I was pretty young at the time.