Pirate Party UK
Crime and Punishment, Politics August 13th, 2009I am glad to see that a UK pirate party has been launched. Their core policies:
- Reform copyright and patent law.
- End excessive surveillance
- Ensure freedom of speech and real freedom to enjoy and participate in shared culture.
Although I worry that their focus on one issue leaves their actions on all other issues rather ambiguous, I think their influence on the other parties will be beneficial. They will start adopting similar policies when threatened with losing support.
Their use of the word “pirate” is also interesting. The media corperations have attempted to portray people who do not respect copyright as pirates – being a BAD THING ™. To name your party as your old name of reproach and turn it into a label of honour is very interesting. Comparisons might be drawn with the label “gay” or even my sign off name “Anti Citizen One”.
I am very interested in copyright law and again will plug Lessig’s book Free Culture. In a few lines: creation of cultural works depends on reuse of existing culture and without some rights to reuse, culture is dead – at least for people who don’t have a deal with a large company with an extensive legal department to protect you.
Anti Citizen One
August 14th, 2009 at 12:28 am
* Reform copyright and patent law.
* End excessive surveillance
* Ensure freedom of speech and real freedom to enjoy and participate in shared culture.
>> sound policies that I can agree with
Although I worry that their focus on one issue leaves their actions on all other issues rather ambiguous, I think their influence on the other parties will be beneficial.
>> agree with the 2nd point and not worried about the first… it is a peculiar symptom of party politics that parties should be coherent, organised and metanarrative inclined… why not have a single or narrow issue pressure group that people can focus on?
(Practical reality call: obviously such groups appeal to a libertarian system but one such as ours which remains elitist in organisation and media representation – among many other things – probably couldnt accomodate such a group in the long term were it to be succesful)
(Rebound thought: why should a political group be established on the basis of long term success … hence the appeal to me of short term “broad church” aka cross-party pressure groups).
Thanks for the link, I am enthused and inspired by this group already