10 questions for my local Marxist-Leninist candidate

My sincere apologies to loyal readers (2 or 3 of you) who've been disapointed by my lack of writing these last few weeks. My excuse is a shabby one: I buried my head in the sand.

In closing, instead of an endorsement, a final query about the issues -- these being, apparently, famously important.

The fact is, I have been to two all-candidates debates in my riding (Trinity-Spadina) and the Marxist-Leninist party candidate, a Mr. Nick Lin, has each time spoken at length without referencing any Marxist or Leninist language at all. Shocking. He didn't even say, "What is to be done?" or "The worse things are, the better things are." Hello! Even their TV ad is bereft of theory. So to lift the veil of secrecy, I'm posting an open letter to my MLPC candidate to get some answers on where he really stands.


1. Orthodox Marxists and others insist, citing Marx, that the economic base wholly determines the shape and nature of the ideological superstructure. But revisionist neo-Marxists like Terry Eagleton claim that in fact the relationship between economics and culture is dynamic, and that each can influence the other. Where does the MLPC stand on the materialist theory of history?

Okay, the rest of my questions suck. But I have emailed this first question to the MLPC media person (no contacts listed for my individual candidate) and I will post any response I receive.

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Otherwise, this is the long goodnight of This Is Not a Horse Race. It's been a wild ride. On Monday I'll be flying to Venezuela for the World Social Forum and then will be reporting and researching a book there and in Bolivia for the next year or so (as well as finishing another project I'm working on, an anthology of personal essays by young Canadian activists/leaders.) Accordingly, this space will get a new graphical treatment and a new title. Email any suggestions to aldana@danielaldana.net. Keep in mind, we're looking for something snappy, focused on South America's revolutionary fervour, but devoid of embarassing earnestness (i.e., not the "motorcycle blog" or "blogga la victoria siempre"...).

After this election, a change of pace will be good for you. So be sure to check back starting Tuesday for all you ever needed to read about the World Social Forum. Also, because I'll be travelling and likely quite lonely, I may write a little more personally than you've so far come to expect. You know, get to know my readers. But only a tad. Nothing mushy. Actually, never mind.