In the past, countercultures have been some of the most influential groups in American history.  Hippies in the '60s broke society out of its post-war rigidity that prevailed through the '50s.  B-Boys brought hip-hop and graffiti into the mainstream, becoming a way to project then unspoken feelings in a way that grabbed the public’s attention.  But where is our counterculture?  Where are our B-Boys or hippies battling the mainstream in the eternal tug-of-war of culture?

Well, there isn’t one.  But don’t lose hope. This doesn’t mean we’ve lost to “the man” or become part of some giant corporate mainstream.  Instead, we’re all part of little countercultures, all trying to influence the world in different ways over different topics.

Take any issue, and there will be a counterculture battling its conventional wisdom until their dying breath.  Maybe you support gay rights and are strongly opposed to Amendment One?  You’re part of the counterculture that’s helping organize the Vote Against movement.  Maybe you think more attention needs to be focused on violence and genocide in central Africa?  You’re probably a part of the counterculture behind the Kony 2012 project.

Maybe you’re an atheist who believes lack of belief in God deserves just as much recognition as religion.  You’re part of the counterculture that organized the Reason Rally in D.C. last weekend.

We live in a fantastic time where fighting against old, conventional wisdom is usually met with respectful disagreement instead of violence or overly negative vitriol.  Sure, there will always be those that will use their positions as the establishment to shut down dissent using excessive means, but these people are becoming rarer and their opposition is becoming more powerful.

We can thank the older parents of our generation for this new acceptance of differing ideas.  They were the group that originally protested and most haven’t forgotten the lessons they or their peers learned in the '60s even though they’re in charge.

The Internet has also been influential in fostering sub-countercultures.  Now everyone has the technology to organize with people who share a belief regardless of location or wealth.

So the next time you get worried you might be slipping too far into the mainstream, just remember: we’re all hippies now, man.