Pirate Party

[biffvernon]

Yes, you're right, that was a bit harsh. I just haven't sent them a subscription (yet).

[extractorfan]

Well I have because I like their whole stancwe on the internet freedom thing. I'm trying to figure out more about their policies and general consensus on things but it's not easy. It's a pretty disjointed party with some members wanting to form a complete manifesto, some wanting to stick to the single issue and some wanting the freedom to download whatever copyrighted material they want.

I'm offering to submit a policy on education. They've accepted the offer I think, no idea how it will go down.

There are some interesting arguments on their forum around the copyright issue.

[emordnilap]

That's a bit harsh, it's just an image of dissatisfaction.

Maybe; as I intimated, details can be offputting.

Don't mind me: there is unlikely to be a political party I can support and definitely none that stand a chance of gaining influence in government.

[the_lyniezian]

What's their stance on peak oil?

Anyway, the Pirate Party has a certain amount of limited appeal being as they support changes to the madness that is current copyright law, though I think they go a bit too far- reducing term limits to ten years is a bit too short, and very unlikely you can do it without global consensus as the likes of the Berne Convention and the WIPO treaties are likely to get in their way. As will the EU. And they follow the idea that blocking illegal websites is "censorship"- it isn't necessarily the case unless some people's view aren't being heard.

And indeed, what are their views on a broad range of issues, not just on copyright, net neutrality and freedom of the internet, and so on? Or are they close to being a single issue party?

[extractorfan]

The specifics that stood out to me were that they want to protect free speech, an issue I always seem to find important, so they want to ensure the public always have a right to encrypt personnal communications and a warrant must be obtained before messages can be intercepted. They also believe this issue extends outside of the internet and include post and telephone calls.

They want to change libel law to prevent it from being used to stifle free speech. They only want to allow censorship in extreme cases, child abuse and military secrets (although I'm not sure I agree with the latter, if it gets out it gets out). I also quite like their views on copyright but it's never been an issue I've given much thought to.

They don't have a stance on Peak Oil. Hopefully this will change but as it is I think there's only one party with a PO stance and we all know who they are. People don't have to have a stance on PO for me to support them though because the solution to PO (if it can be called that) is physical localism and this will either be chosen (unlikely) or forced upon us. There is definitely some awareness of sustainability but I haven't discovered to what extent. Someone else might, I'm not the best conversationalist.

[PS_RalphW]

This looks interesting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18238326

Exposed by a Russian site. Any bets on the originating country?

[energy-village]

I know nothing about them, but they are not a mainstream party and that's a plus.

[the_lyniezian]

This looks interesting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18238326

Exposed by a Russian site. Any bets on the originating country?

No. Israel AND Iran? Confusing.

And BTW Kaspersky,if you doidn't know, may be Russian but they're a major producer of internet security software which also gets sold over here.

Mewonders if this sort of thing isn't one possible reason the Iranians were wanting to set up their own internal version of the internet- as well as censorship, it might be (slightly) less vulnerable to cyberattacks?

[biffvernon]

What's it to do with the Pirate Party?

[emordnilap]

Skullduggery?