100TWC - Day 50: Party

Damn your arrogant ass! You KNOW I'm right.
No I don't. And it's not arrogance to have a different view from you.
What's good enough for me should be good enough for you. I never questioned my father's take on it.
Well maybe you should've.
See? Arrogance and disrespect. Your grandfather would turn in his grave.
Why? I'd have thought he'd be more pleased to see me thinking for myself.
You call that thinking? All you're doing is swallowing their lies.
How do you know they're lies? Your lot have been lying to you for years.
No they haven't.
Of course they have! Look at them now. Is it the same party you grew up with? Grandad grew up with?
Well, no, but--
Exactly. They don't deserve your support. Least, not your unthinking support. I don't know why you keep voting for them. Come to think of it, I don't know why you keep voting at all. Or me, for that matter.
Don't talk like that. Folk fought and died so that we could have the vote.
That was the Suffragettes Dad. That was for women.
I'm talking about the war you dozy twerp. You know what I mean. Do you think people like us would have a say in how the country's run if we were all under Hitler?
Do you think you have a say now? When was the last time your lot did anything for you.
They're always doing stuff for us.
Yeah? Is that why I hear you yelling at the news every night? 
Hmm. Well I don't always agree with everything they do, it's true. But that's party politics. It's not about the little things. It's about a shared vision. Working together for a better future.
Right. And when are we gonna get this 'future' you speak of? I bet Grandad used to spout the same old line, and he never saw any of it did he? And you haven't. And it doesn't look like I will either. It's all bollocks.
Well that kind of thinking won't get you anywhere.
What kind of thinking.
Giving up before you've even started.
I have started! For fuck's sake, what do you think I've been doing for the last six years.
Wasting your time. And don't swear in the house. You know your mother doesn't like it.
She's not here.
No, but it's the principle. And anyway if you get used to it you'll slip up when she IS here, and I don't like it.
Another worthless principle. What does it matter what language we use. It's the message that's important, not the medium.
That's typical of you young ones these days. Chucking out all the principles. What do you actually stand for, this new lot of yours? At least we knew where we stood. What we were fighting for in my day.
Yeah but it's not your day any more is it Dad? Your day's done. Pipe and slippers time for you old man. 
Thanks.
It's true. No use denying it. This is my day. Our day. The young ones, as you call us, although most days I don't feel that young any more. But if we don't get off our arses and DO something about this bloody mess there won't BE a future. I don't want my kids growing up with the sort of shit I've had to put up with.
Nice.
I don't mean in the family. I mean the country. All their snouts in the trough, back-handers and I'm Alright Jack. We've all had enough of it. I know you agree, don't pretend you don't. I can hear you ranting at the TV even when you think I'm not listening.
Well I suppose it's good you're fired up about something, even if you are on the wrong side.
Like I said, your lot have done nothing for us. It's time to change your thinking Dad. Time to get radical.
Riots and stone-throwing never solved anything.
It's not about rioting. It's about direct action.
Well that's rioting in my book.
No it isn't. Doesn't have to be.
Well what is it then?
Oh I don't know. The Occupy movement is one idea.
Oh yes. A load of unwashed idiots in denims sitting down in bank lobbies. Lot of good that's going to do.
And then there's the Internet. Sumofus and 38degrees and all those.
You're talking gibberish now lad. Make sense will you?
They're focus groups and lobbyists Dad, but on our side. On the side of the small guy.
Focus groups? Listen to yourself! What good have they ever done? Petitions! No-one takes any notice lad.
That might have been true in your day Dad, but we've got the web now. Loads of publicity, stuff going viral, instant video whenever one of them puts a foot wrong. Don't you see? They can't cover anything up now. It's all over the world in five minutes.
Hmm. I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you. I'd be very surprised if anything really serious got out that they wanted to put a lid on. Look at that Julian Assange bloke. Stuck in that embassy. Not exactly going anywhere is he?
Maybe not, but the movement he started is. People catch on quick. He was just a catalyst. Like the Tolpuddle Martyrs if you like, but bigger. Global. That cat's out of the bag now Dad. Genii's out of the bottle. There's no going back, you'll see.