Tommy Douglas, Mouseland, And How The CCF Became the NDP ...
In a CBC Radio News Special broadcast on January 1, 1961, Canadians heard Tommy Douglas tell the story of Mouseland. In this humourous political allegory, he describes a troubled village of mice ruled by cats. Every four years the mice get together to elect a new parliament, but each time they either elect a group of fat black cats or a group of big white cats. “Now if you think it’s strange than mice should elect a government made up of cats,” Douglas quipped, “just look at the history of Canada for the last ninety years and maybe you’ll see they aren’t any stupider than we are!” (CBC Digital Archives). The story culminates with one mouse proposing a radical idea: maybe the mice should try electing one of their own instead. This simple allegory is a perfect illustration of what Tommy Douglas, who less than a year later would become the first leader of the freshly formed New Democratic Party, strived to offer to Canadians: a third political option that would provide an alternative to alternating between Liberal and Conservative rule – finally, a party for the mice ...
Bibliography
Bangarth, Lexier, and Weir. “Party of Conscience: The CCF, the NDP, and Social Democracy in Canada.” 2018. [ Ссылка ]
Conway, JF. “Whatever Became of CCF’s Dream?” Socialist Project. August 7, 2017. [ Ссылка ]
David Lewis on the 1972 Election Campaign Trail. September 17, 1972. CBC Digital Archives.
[ Ссылка ]
David Lewis says Farewell at the 1975 NDP Convention. July 5, 1975. CBC Digital Archives. [ Ссылка ]
Dewar, Kenneth E. 2017. “The NDP and the Future of Social Democracy in Canada.” Policy Options. April 6, 2017. [ Ссылка ]
Tommy Douglas’s story of Mouseland: A political allegory. January 1, 1961. CBC Digital Archives. [ Ссылка ]
“Labour’s Advance.” The Canadian Museum of History. [ Ссылка ]
Morley, JT. “The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. February 6, 2006. [ Ссылка ]
Payton, Laura. “NDP votes to take 'socialism' out of party constitution.” CBC News. April 14, 2013. [ Ссылка ]
Whitehorn, Alan. “David Lewis.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. [ Ссылка ]
Whitehorn, Alan. “New Democratic Party.” The Canadian Encyclopedia.
[ Ссылка ]
![](https://s2.save4k.ru/pic/wtBWXvmWGr8/maxresdefault.jpg)