I think Ayers reflected the time, the virulent anti-war movement, SDS/Weatherme, etc, and the cultural upheaval that was going on during the late 60s/early 70s. The closest today’ students come/came to that was the fairly pathetic “OWS” movement. US students haven’t been ‘into’ bombing for a full generation now.
I agree there was a cultural revolution in the 60s and 70s. I saw this happening after serving in WWII and resuming studies at Berkeley. However, I think Ayers and his ilk were having their own little cultural upheaval. As notorious and despicable as it was their little world was not a cultural upheaval. They just tried to make it such.