While dozens of Pirate Parties throughout the world agree on the most fundamental positions concerning copyright reform, patents, surveillance and government transparency, many parties have started broadening into other areas. These topics are sometimes more obvious extensions to the existing politics – open access, IT use in government, et cetera – but sometimes cover more controversial issues, often unique for each nation or region, and outlandish in the view of another party.

Some of these “controversial issues” include drug regulation, education, health care, defense, environment, traditional left-right taxes and several other areas. Some topics are universally accepted in one party – like direct democracy and liquid feedback – but are frowned upon in another country. How do these differences come to be, and how can we work together with a common goal without letting our differences destroy our coöperation?

In a new series of articles here at Pirate Times, I will discuss exactly this, focusing on many of the before mentioned topics. How did the German Pirate Party develop such a liberal view on drugs, while many other parties have no opinion on the topic? Why are the Pirate Parties in some countries seen as right parties, while others are viewed as left? How have some gone much further on the more traditional arenas such as education and healthcare, while others have ignored these completely?

Another question is the more open-ended debate on: what version of  broadening your political program is the most effective. I have previously written on several occasions about the broadening of the Swedish Pirate Party’s politics, using a blog where members are free to express and discuss their suggestions informally, before they may be handed in at a member meeting and further discussed and voted upon. It is a slow process, often taking many months or years for a suggestion to settle, but once it’s accepted it is almost universally seen as obvious Pirate politics.

These are some of the questions and topics I will focus on throughout this new Pirate Times series of articles, which is planned to start with an article about the different parties’ views on drug regulation.

Featured image: CC  by Dolkin

About Anton Nordenfur

I’m party organiser for the Swedish Pirate Party, and work as a freelancing writer and translator. I’m primarily interested in research politics and LGBTQ rights, and blog in Swedish over at antonnordenfur.com.

 

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While dozens of Pirate Parties throughout the world agree on the most fundamental positions concerning copyright reform, patents, surveillance and government transparency, many parties have started broadening into other areas….