The nonsense which the leaders of the parties that form the cartel party system speak “on the campaign trail” is mind-boggling. They concoct “issues” according to what their expensive campaign handlers think will get them votes, as if the real world and real people do not exist. This underscores once again the importance of the contribution the working people make when they speak in their own name to make sure things are turned around in their favour in the coming period.

Workers in this country advance the struggle for the rights of all and for people’s empowerment by speaking about their real living and working conditions and how they are sorting out the problems that they and society face. They contribute to developing an agenda that truly represents the people’s concerns and opens a way to have them addressed.

Day in, day out, workers across Canada stand up for the rights and well-being of all, but when an election rolls around they are cajoled to entrust their fate to the parties that form the cartel party system in a parliament which never addresses their concerns in a manner which favours them. It is indeed absurd and outmoded to think that global private interests bring prosperity or care about people, communities, societies or the natural environment. But this is what fills the airwaves day in and day out.

Successive governments in Canada, the provinces, Quebec and the territories all implement decisions which favour and are made by global private interests in every field of the economy, with detrimental results. On the campaign trail, they tell us that this is a success story and they offer slight corrections here and there. They have nothing to offer but more of the same, only “better” — more fiscally responsible, more socially responsible, more environmentally responsible, more transparent, less corrupt, genuinely consultative, and so on.

The electoral process reduces the working people, who form the majority, to spectators of electoral shenanigans. Their role, said to be a “duty,” is to “pick a side” and vote for it.

It is indeed absurd and outmoded.

The Marxist-Leninist Party calls on Canada’s working people to speak out against the anti-social, anti-worker, anti-national and pro-war decisions which are imposed and the charade maintained that the decisions are democratic because, through the election, the government receives a mandate from the people. This notion that an election campaign confers a mandate is absurd and outmoded.

The nonsense spewed by the leaders of the parties which form a cartel party system to keep the people out of power reveals the need for the working people to place themselves at the centre of political activity and discourse.

Oppose the suffocating and stultifying anti-people, irrational discourse by voting Marxist-Leninist for political renewal. Cast a vote in a manner which defends the work to discuss our concerns, the real conditions that exist and the solutions to the problems we face.