Classic Canadian social-democratic parable

The Story of Mouseland, written by Tommy Douglas (founder of Canada's New Democratic Party, nee Cooperative Commonwealth Federation) in 1944 is a parable about the need for a third party to represent working peoples' interests:

Now the white cats had put up a terrific campaign. They said: "All that's Mouseland needs is more vision." They said: "The trouble with Mouseland is those round mouse holes we got. If you put us in we'll establish square mouse holes." And they did. And the square mouse holes were twice as big as the round mouse holes, and now the cat could get both paws in. And life was tougher then ever.

And when they couldn't take that anymore, they voted the white cats out and put the black one's in again. Then they went back to the white cats. Then to the black cats. They even tried half black and half white cats. And they called that coalition. They even got one government made up of cats with spots on them: they were cats that tried to make a noise like a mouse but ate like a cat.

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(via Electrolite)