When I was first old enough to vote, I registered as a Socialist. I even got a Socialist Labor Party newspaper delivered to me. Of course, I soon realized that to maximize my power as a voter, I had to belong to one of the major parties, so I switched to Democrat. I have only rarely voted a straight ticket and try to consider the candidates and issues on their own merits, but my position usually aligns with the Liberal Democrats.
So imagine my surprise as I watched swans and seagulls compete for handouts from visitors at the Palace of Fine Arts lake this afternoon. One swan got a huge mouthful of something orange and was immediately set upon with beaks, wings and claws by an entire flock of birds who wanted his yummy. They even drew blood which leaked onto his white feathers as they tried to take it away from him.
I found myself rooting for the underdog because it was many against one, but also because that one was enterprising or lucky enough to come into a giant orange yummy. It didn't seem right that all the others should claim a piece of it when they did nothing to deserve it, even to the point of being in the right place at the right time.
And it occurred to me that I was witnessing the battle between the Capitalists and the Socialists. And what is more, God help me, I was rooting for the Capitalist.
