Elections: Why it's a Giant Sham

            Okay, here's the thing. Come the fallout on election day, whichever party manages to grab the reigns will be equally vilified and praised, and the fault and credit will be given to Canada's election system. For example, say the NDP grab a majority government. Supporters will be jubilant and at the same time say, "Oh, I'm not surprised. We were due for a change and...the people have spoken. On the flip side, say the Conservatives manage to prevail against the Orange Crush. The lefties will be crushed, and the following will be pronounced: our election system is past time for an overhaul. The results are rigged and once again Western Canada has been left out in the cold, while the East has decided for us.
            For a democratic process that technically is supposed to be fair and be the voice of the people, this is incredibly unfair and distinctly biased. If the vote swings our way, everything is good, if not...well, bring out the torches and pitchforks because it's witch hunting time.
             Consider this, each party in the running spends millions upon millions of dollars to essentially buy your vote. Call it capitalistic democracy. Every dirty trick is pulled out, every dirty secret is dug up on candidates, and mud slinging is du jour.
              Oh, and the promises, the fucking promises. Politicians are literally bending over backwards to sate the public appetite for what the government if elected can do for you. The sky is the limit, no promise is too big. In fact, the bigger, the better. National fifteen dollar a day daycare. Sure, I can do that with one hand tied behind my back and still balance the budget. It's only a few billion dollars. No sweat. Why don't you just take the cash straight from our wallets, while you're at it, because bet my bottom dollar, taxes will go through the stratosphere.
                Not to single out the NDP, because each party is guilty of pandering.
The Syrian refugee crisis has each party trying to outbid each other in how many refugees will be admitted if elected. It's an auction, folks, and the highest bidder walks away with the most votes.
               Drawing straws or putting our little pieces of paper in a hat is more honest than the joke which is our election. People are notoriously fickle, finicky and flat out fatuous. The average person on the street doesn't care who is in charge or whether the government is Left or Right, as long as their every day life isn't overly disrupted or affected. A lot of people would actually be hard pressed to name the current Prime Minister. Stephen Who? Which is why political rallies aren't held for the great unwashed masses, but rather handpicked and vetted, hardcore party supporters.
                Election ads aim for the lowest common denominator. They aren't aimed at party faithful who already know who they'll vote for without fail, but rather to spark the slightest interest in a general cause, a sound bite, a topical issue that will appeal to everybody. It's a numbers game, and the target audience are the undecided and the unknowledgeable. What shiny toy can they dangle in front of the people to get the most bums in the seats.
                 The media: the politicians best friend and worst enemy. Oh, you better believe the press have a stake in the election. Their tool. Polls. Let me be clear, (Harper's favorite phrase by the way) people will say anything when quizzed on the phone about their political preference, if only to get back to dinner as quickly as possible and off the line. Polls aren't worth the paper they're printed on, and yet the media will use poll results to shape a narrative which best suits their interests. If the mainstream media wants Harper ousted, then they'll do their best to make it happen. You can find plenty of articles for and against Harper on the web, but to find a truly unbiased, factual article on the current government and the opposition, well I say, good luck!
                    So on election day, vote if you must but keep this in mind: vote with your heart, not your head, because the garbage that is spewed out on a daily basis will not do you an ounce of good.