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I am reminded of my own youth in England and of a particular incident when I was but seventeen years of age which both changed my life and my political outlook.
As we know, the vast majority of young people have always been – and certainly are today – filled with idealistic notions. That is good and is part of growing up. I certainly was idealistic and, not surprisingly, had automatically wished to assert my own ideas in opposition to those of my father. I loved him greatly but he was a staunch member of the British Conservative party and so I foolishly chose – to his dismay – to join the left-wing and radically Socialist opposition Labour Party.
Now my father’s relatives being mostly working class folks were all automatically wedded to Britain’s Labour Party that claimed to be for the workers. In fact Communist ideas were front and center among so many Brits. The old Socialist song, We’ll keep the Red flag flying here was often sung along with the parading of the slogan; Workers of the World Unite.
When I was still only in my pre-teen years I remember how Dad would drive our family in his black Morris 12, to visit my uncles, aunts and cousins once a month in their relatively poor part of London. Inevitably, after a game of cards, politics would take over among the adults and Dad would inevitably be in the political minority. This was the customary turn of events and neither one of his brothers and sisters would give way during what often became heated arguments.
So back now to that incident when I was about seventeen. I was getting off a double decker bus in my home town. An elderly man was boarding the bus at the same time and he saw a lapel badge I was wearing. He asked what was written on it and I proudly and naively said, “Oh, it shows I’m a member of the Young Socialists.”
