The Pirate Party
The PPUK, the Pirate Party of the UK, is part of a growing international movement inspired by the incredible successes of the original Pirate Party in Sweden, which has seen a dramatic growth of support and now holds two seats in the European Parliament. The PPUK, like its Swedish namesake, is a party dedicated to new and innovative policies designed to deal with what they see as the realities of the digital age.
When you think of how much we can do on the Internet, and how much we rely on technology in our everyday lives: to work, to shop, to bank and to socialise, you begin to see how this kind of pioneering policy could be extremely relevant in modern politics.
The party places emphasis on the reform of copyright and file sharing laws, as you would expect from a pirate party, but far from being a one trick horse, as they have often been dismissed, they also focus on the need to retain our privacy in an increasingly surveillance-heavy society, and safeguard freedom of speech and freedom of expression. These are both issues which could have a big impact on our lives, as we now live in the country with the most CCTV cameras per person in the world, and we are beginning to see the introduction of legislation, such as the Terrorism Act and The Digital Economy Bill, which have the capacity to severely limit how we express ourselves.
And the points the Pirate Party are making about copyright law aren't just those you stereotypically see floating around the Internet. They make a compelling argument for the modernisation of government and the law, to keep pace with the changing landscape of the digital economy, rather than holding back innovation.
The PPUK plan to field several candidates in the general election, so if you're looking for a way to make your vote count, and are interested in their message, you should check them out at www.pirateparty.org.uk and consider giving them your support. I'm not sure how well they would run the country, of course, but this isn't really what they are aiming for. They are looking to make an impact on the way the government and the public view these issues, and a vote for them is a way of putting the spotlight on important issues in a way that could have a lasting effect.
The rise of the Swedish Pirate Party has shown that public opinion can make a real difference in the way these issues are perceived, and if the PPUK could emulate their success, I think it would be a victory for the British people, in a political atmosphere where we are increasingly beginning to doubt whether people in charge even care what we think.
What do you think of the pirate party's policies?
Feel free to comment below and share your opinion.
(Photo courtesy Lloyd Humphries @Flickr)
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Reply #2 on : Wed March 31, 2010, 13:11:19
Posts: 3
Reply #1 on : Wed March 31, 2010, 14:57:10