socfish
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1 EXT STREET 1
The scene opens at the side of a busy street in America. Two
men approach each other with steady determination. They
finally stand directly in front of each other.
SOCIALIST 1
You just beat that dead horse.
SOCIALIST 2
So what? It was dead, after all.
SOCIALIST 1
Typical of a "leader" like you. To
rationalize your perpetuation of
violence.
SOCIALIST 2
And you... You fail to mention the
fact that you beat the dead horse
yourself. This is hypocrisy;
hypocrisy pure and simple.
SOCIALIST 1
You evade the point! So what if I
beat the dead horse! Does that make
it right for you to do so? Besides,
I had good reason. You have no such
excuse.
SOCIALIST 2
Amazing! I am taken aback by your
petulance! What nerve. I beat the
dead horse in full view, and with
plenty of public notice. If anyone
wanted to stop me or argue the
point there was ample opportunity.
You, however, beat the dead horse
in secret- in the middle of the
night- with accomplices who go
unnamed to this very day!
SOCIALIST 1
How dare you! It is every members
right to free and private
association. How can you even stand
here and argue against freedom! You
prove again your moral degeneracy!
SOCIALIST 2
My moral degeneracy? You miss the
point yet again! This is getting to
be a habit with you.
Perhaps you lack the ability to
discern right from wrong, left from
right, forward from back.
SOCIALIST 1
So, you fight dirty. You
personalize the argument! It is
always personalities with you and
your kind. No wonder you people are
so flawed, so lacking in principle.
SOCIALIST 2
Do not speak to me of principles!
SOCIALIST 1
Do not interpret my principles so
as to use them against me. This is
you and your faults we are
addressing!
Socialist 2 slaps socialist 1 with a dead fish. (The fish may
symbolize either Christianity or an affront against
vegetarians; the viewer will have to decide)
Socialist 1 slaps Socialist 2 with another dead fish.
Across the street two other socialists follow a variation of
the same theme. People step around them as they pass.
No one pays them any attention. Traffic moves on steadily.
Commerce continues unabated.
2 INT RESTAURANT 2
Three socialists sit at a table, two across from each other
and a third at the side.
SOCIALIST 2
What I am saying, comrade, is that
we are having a POLITICAL
disagreement in our organization.
SOCIALIST 3
Yes, that seems reasonable.
SOCIALIST 1
Ridiculous! These are merely
personal animosities masquerading
as political issues. You take away
all the individuals and then you
will see that there are no more
political disagreements! We must
strive toward unity.
SOCIALIST 3
There is much to what you say,
comrade. If we do not have unity,
then what have we?
SOCIALIST 2
But, don't you see? The personal IS
the political and we are an
organization made up of strong
minded people. We must agree on
what we agree on and agree to
disagree on the rest.
SOCIALIST 3
This seems logical. Fair even.
SOCIALIST 1
How can it be? It is unworkable.
Unthinkable. To have agreement on
disagreement? This is anarchy! To
have agreement we must be in
agreement. On this point there
simply cannot be compromise.
SOCIALIST 3
It is true that we are a people of
strong principle.
The waiter enters with a very large banana split. He sets it
down on the table.
WAITER
Bon Appetite.
The three socialists eye the split hungrily. No one wants to
make the first move, nor the last. They eye each other. Then
the split. Then each other. At last they all lunge forth with
the spoon in their left hand- except socialist 2, who is
right handed. Socialist 1 slaps the spoon from 2's hand. No
one eats.
SOCIALIST 1
Ah Ha! So we see by your own hand
that you are a rightist! Your
actions betray you. There can be no
mistaking it!
SOCIALIST 3
I'm confused.
SOCIALIST 1
Our comrade has betrayed us. How
could we have ever trusted him?
I have been suggesting as much, but
now there can be no denials. A
rightist! My suspicions vindicated,
as I always knew they would be. The
not so subtle signs all pointed to
this inevitable event. Betrayal.
SOCIALIST 2
You make too much of this. It is
just a matter of hand. I was born
this way; I can no more be held
accountable for it than the color
of my skin.
SOCIALIST 1
You accuse me of racism!? Oh, the
depths to which the rightist sinks
when challenged.
SOCIALIST 3
Please! If we could get back to the
matter at hand.
SOCIALIST 1
At last we have seen the matter at
hand! At last we have seen.
SOCIALIST 3
The split is melting!
All three lunge spoons toward the split. Socialist 1 and 2
begin to eat while eying one another. Socialist 3 sits just
out of reach- his spoon waves in mid air each jab as he tries
to stretch his arm.
SOCIALIST 3
This is neither fair nor equitable.
SOCIALIST 2
Is there a problem comrade?
SOCIALIST 1
A problem? How disingenuous! We all
know the problem. We have ignored
it for too long. No more! Clearly
the comrade is on a hunger strike.
He shall not eat until we are rid
of all the rightist influence!
SOCIALIST 3
If one of you could just move it a
bit closer to this side...
SOCIALIST 1
See? He asks that the organization
move LEFT. To do so we will have to
have change in this organization.
Real political change.
SOCIALIST 2
You fail to take into account the
simple fact that, as we are seated,
your left is my right and my right
is your left.
SOCIALIST 1
There are none so blind as those
who refuse to see. There is only,
can only be, one left. Things must
be left or right. They cannot be
both. I know what is left- here is
left.
(raises his hand)
SOCIALIST 2
Your efforts toward domination will
not go unchallenged. Your lies.
Your cynical maneuvers. Except for
a few dupes I have faith that the
majority will see through your
actions.
SOCIALIST 3
I'll not stand for this!
Socialist three stands.
SOCIALIST 2
Dear comrade, you are standing.
Socialist 3 looks down, shocked.
SOCIALIST 3
I no longer even know myself.
SOCIALIST 1
This is what one gets when one
opens their principles to
compromise.
Socialist 3 sits.
SOCIALIST 2
Perhaps we should change places?
SOCIALIST 1
Never!
They sit in silence.
SOCIALIST 1
Perhaps we should turn the split
around?
SOCIALIST 2
180 degrees?
SOCIALIST 1
360!
SOCIALIST 3
That solves nothing.
SOCIALIST 2
More hot air. No solutions.
SOCIALIST 3
Comrades, just slide the split a
little this way.
SOCIALIST 1
You know my feelings toward
compromise!
SOCIALIST 3
This is it. I have had enough.
SOCIALIST 2
But you have had nothing.
SOCIALIST 1
He knows when he has had enough!
Now, I claim the leftovers.
SOCIALIST 3
I hereby resign all my
organizational posts. I quit this
organization. From now on I am
independent.
Socialist three lays down his spoon, still clean.
He exits. There is silence.
SOCIALIST 1
You have chased him away. Chased
him away with your rightist
tendencies.
SOCIALIST 2
Me? The whole problem could have
been averted. All we needed were
longer spoons.
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