Past, Present, Future

progress is a concept by the status quo, and it is a complex concept, and one of the most powerful concepts, and being used as a form of oppression, and being used very effectively so. if society answers to a social or youth movement that the police might be called on them if they don't stop their ways - think of hippies, black panthers, punks and such, this in the past didn't phase them much. if society voiced what they do is "morally questionable", again, not very effect. but when society voices that their ideas, their politics are outdated, a thing of the past, "of the 70s", most people in western society suddenly give in and bow down to this tool of oppression. western people are more scared to be "outdated" or to "live in the past", then they are scared of a policeman's baton. the threat of calling the national guard might not push young or old rebels to give up - but the idea that they now have to "move on", "stop living in the past", "to grow up" makes them surrender in the thousands.
while progress and the idea that certain politics could be a thing of past decades has been used as a tool of oppression and social, crowd control for a while now, in our times, with all the technological advances and changes, it has become total - or even worse so. everyone is suddenly on a hunt to be up to date, to be modern in behavior, to "grow up", to not be stuck in past things. this has created the bizarre situation that "old folks" who grumpingly reject all that "modern crap", sneer for example at smartphones and social networks, are more radical and liberatory than all the young generations together suddenly. similiar, the dumb, middle-aged beerbelly guy who listens to the same music he done 20 years ago and doesn't care or know any modern music trends, is suddenly more of a radical than all these braindead dubstep, idm, bjork etc. listeners together.
keep in mind progress, the categorization into decades and such is just a concept and idea by the status quo. there is no "progress" as such, in the way they describe it. it's just an illusion.
now, i must say, there are actally pitfalls to "living in the past" - although it's still probably better to listen only to past music than to "modern" genres, at least in the current situation, i have the feeling it might change in the future, but that would be another topic. but, in true "strawman argumentation" style, there is also something connected to it, when people say this, which is not voiced directly first, but always implied. this is, that, if you not ought to live in the past - you should live in the present. listening to present day music, present fashion, going to present day clubs, having present opinions. and this is where the shit hits the fan. for you should never live in the *now*! never live in the present. for the present has always sucked. "present society" sucked in the 60s, has sucked in the 70s, 80s, and today. yes, maybe get rid of the ghosts of the pasts, and the past music and art and politics. but never join the present, do not listen to present day music. well, this obviously doesn't include art and music that is rejected or ignored by present day society or culture, as this art is not part of the present. but i mean contemporary, current trends in music, society, politics.
the idea of having to live in a certain time, period (the current time) is a very western, capitalist, authoritarian idea. live in any time you want! in the past - yes in the present too, maybe, if you wish - in the future - one year only read 12th century novels - another year only listen 60s music - and so on, and so on. if you don't to live in the past - live in the future. live in any time, live out of time - organize 18th century parties and play only 50s rock'n'roll to them. host a pirate theme party and play only acidhouse. and so on. the choice is yours!
but don't fall in the pitfall of "progress" and "getting away from the past". fight these concepts!