[pp.int.general] PPI needs some core principles, but not an exhaustive ideology

[Zbigniew Łukasiak]

Dear All,

Among the recent proposals for a 'pirate ideology' there were two
extremes: in first there were proposals for an exhaustive set of
principles covering all political areas - second is the proposal to
get rid of all ideologies and principles aside one basic platitude
that everyone on Earth could agree with.  I believe that what is
needed is something in between - a set of common principles that for
each of the individual parties is only a subset of their own.  It is
true that the original idea of 'one issue' party is struggling with
the reality of the politics where people would like to know what is
the opinion of the representatives they vote for on many diverse
political issues.  All evidence so far shows that to be successful
individual pirate parties will have to extend their program to cover
the whole spectrum of politics - but PPI itself is not a party, it
operates in a different space.

PPI and the whole pirate movement needs an identity, a way for people
(and parties) to decide if they want to join us or not and for us to
decide if we want a particular party inside our movement.  A platitude
like "to make the decision that is most beneficial to most people over
the longest term" will not work for this.  It looks attractive,
because it leaves us much room for maneuvering but it does not help us
answer the question what is a pirate party.  I don't think we can have
an effective organisation without answering that question and not
answering it would also be an invitation for populists who's only
objective is power and who don't want to be bound by any principles.
Having principles constraints your moves - but who would vote for
people with no principles?  Or those who claim that their principle is
something that in practice works like no principle - because you can
always interpret your actions as 'making the decision to benefit most
people over the longest term'.

On the other hand PPI should not dictate an exhaustive ideological
system to all member parties.  We can have a common identity without
being identical and a conglomerate of diverse ideologies would make a
much more resilient and durable organization then a monoculture.  It
would also provide a great opportunity to learn from each other and,
last but not least, each country is different so one size for all
would simply not work.


-- 
Zbigniew Lukasiak
http://brudnopispirata.blogspot.com/
http://perlalchemy.blogspot.com/