Pirate Party Building Up More And More Support: 9% Nationwide In Germany
from the not-to-be-discounted dept
A month ago, when the German Pirate Party took 9% of the vote in the Berlin Parliament elections, it was definitely a surprise to a lot of people. Some brushed it off as being just a weird anomaly in a regional election. However, the success and the attention it brought seems to have increased more widespread attention on the entire German Pirate Party, which has now surged to 9% nationally, which currently puts it in 4th place among political parties -- "well ahead of the hard-line socialist Left (Die Linke) party and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP)."I have no idea if this is sustainable through any actual elections, but it is notable. People are realizing that the Pirate Party is concerned with serious issues -- even as some try to pretend (incorrectly) they just want stuff for free. The regional success seems to have convinced more people nationally that the Party is viable, which could make things interesting if they can keep this momentum going. Along those lines, it's worth noting that Germany has one of the most ridiculous copyright setups imaginable, with GEMA's overbearing nature, and the fact that all major label music is blocked on YouTube over GEMA's policies (whereas pretty much every other country has worked out a licensing deal). It seems that the more draconian you are with copyright, the more it drives interest in efforts like the Pirate Party, which seeks to push back. Countries (and industries) that support stricter copyright might want to take note.
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Filed Under: germany, pirate party, politics
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Sorry Mike, but your rah-rah cheerleading smells like shit even from this far away.
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Re: Clarity.
'Cuz that's totally two things...
Or, did you have some other point to make?
(Let's see--ah yes, finish with an ad hominem.)
I mean, "Or did you have some other point to make, you dullard?"
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Re: Re: Clarity.
Nope, I am trying to state that even Mike Masnick isn't able to find any better use for the Pirate Party, except perhaps to kick his favorite industry dogs again.
Mike says that the PP is concerned with "serious issues", and then can only use them to slam GEMA. What other serious issues are they really addressing?
They are a one trick pony, and Mike is using that.
Also, in the 9%, what is the demographic breakdown? Is it mostly the 18-24s who talk a good game and never show up at the polls?
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Also, GEMA's not a political party--unless you count lobbyists. :-P
And, so you can stop asking/quit claiming ignorance:
Time spent: 1 minutes or so of Google + copypasta.
Not that difficult--quitcherbitchin.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarity.
Too bad you left home without it today. What is the demographic? Is it 9% spread over the whole spectrum, or is it 9% of the voters, mostly younger?
Remember: this wasn't a vote, it was a public opinion poll. This isn't actually people casting ballots.
As for the PP policies, I am not making claims. It's Mike who seems to use them as a one trick pony (why is GEMA even in this article, except for Mike to whip them some more?)
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(Back to ad hominem, are we?)
*Ahem* Well, that's enough feeding for you for one day, you prolapsed monkey colon.
I hope your good trolling abilities combined with your apparent complete inability to follow links serves you in good stead in the future. Cheers.
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So, would you like to address my points, or are you just running away?
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The demographic? I don't know but do imagine it is likely to be younger people, who are more clued in to how technology and modern culture actually work.
But the idea that they wouldn't vote is pretty much blown out of the water by the elections in Berlin last month.
That parties in other countries have failed to represent the interests of the younger demographic is probably why they tend not to vote.
That in Germany a party is representing their interests may explain why a non voting demographic just made major inroads.
Whether or not they will sustain or increase their current level of support until the next nationwide elections is another matter.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarity.
The article is discussing "polling" and the number of people polled in the survey. They did not show a national election where the PP got 9% of the vote.
Almost every country (except those who have mandatory voting like Australia) have issues getting the young people to vote. Clearly, the things that interest us in our teens and 20s (like making bad rap music ala Marcus Carab) are not compatible with political thoughts. Many of the people in that age group have very idealistic views, ones that are not tainted by reality or any true responsibility. I often think it is the reason there are few younger candidates, because they mostly cannot find a way to fit their flights of fancy into a true political universe.
If you find a hot button issue that resonates with these younger voters (like piracy), you may be able to get them to the polls in significant numbers, and they will vote for you without consideration of other parties, because established parties are "old and out of date... the buggy whips of politics".
That is why the demographic question is so significant. Has the PP made significant inroads across the whole electorate, or are they still the one trick pony party playing to the youth, having more fun tweaking noses than actually accomplishing anything?
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I'm sure if there were less restrictions on who could run for office you'd find a lot of younger people willing to put their hat in the ring.
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Hint:Stick to the facts that you have and stay away from playground taunts (that add nothing to your argument) such as:
That is, IF you're truly interested in the discussion, and not just trolling.
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As for Marcus, he gets everything he deserves.
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It seems like relevant background information regarding the political conditions in Germany, and offers one possible insight into why the Pirate party may be seeing an increase in popularity.
To someone like yourself that is well versed in all of this it appears redundant but to the occasional reader it brings clarity to the post.
There are other people to think of besides just the children.
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The polling institutes try to predict the outcome if election day was today, and they are notoriously precise and accurate.
The most recent poll ahead of the Berlin election gave PPDE 9% of the vote, too. The election gave them 8.9%.
Cheers,
Rick
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I wish I had a machine that could copy pasta. ;)
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Re: Re: Re: Clarity.
The lesson that can be taken from that fact, is that the more the industry attempts to extract monopoly rents at the expense of the ordinary people, the greater the resistance to the behaviours of the incumbent players becomes.
The good news, for most people, consumers and creators, is that the legacy industry players are like you and cannot even begin to understand that there is a lesson to be learned, never mind to adjust their behaviour accordingly.
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Re: Re: Re: Clarity.
Other parties are one-trick ponies too, it's just that their trick is laying on their collective backs to spread their legs for corporations.
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It's painful to watch.
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There is a balance, which you cannot seem to see.
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No, where did I say that? Can you say "strawman"?
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Blank space implying emptiness, nothing created short-term implying what it says.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarity.
If you take away the systems that support content creation on any level, it is likely that the content that was being made at that level will no longer happen. Will the other content that was created in other ways or systems still happen? Sure.
Since we are dealing with reality, we have to accept that what is in that particular space right now is the content everyone wants, everyone pirates, and so on. Call it what you want (some say "shit"), the commercial content (particularly "hollywood" content) is some of the most pirated and in demand stuff around. Remove the systems that make it even marginally possible to make money off of it, and to license it under the law, and you may find that this particular content isn't made anymore, creating that "empty space".
WIll Marcus Carab and his sort still make their (some say "shit") performance art stuff? I am sure they will. Their space won't be blank, just not what most people want.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarity.
So, you are saying roughly what Marcus claimed: that without copyright, content would not be produced.
This is, of course, not true. Even if you totally removed copyright twenty years ago, there's no evidence whatsoever that movies like Avatar wouldn't have been produced.
They may, in fact, have been less costly to produce. (See the Golan interview to see how copyright protection astronomically increases the costs to perform a symphony orchestra; similar things happen for other forms of art.) In that case, it's just as likely that lack of copyright laws would increase artistic production, even at the "Hollywood content" level.
Your premise is that "copyright = money." Not only is that not necessarily true, it has been proven to be false, at least in some situations. That, I think, is the point you're deliberately ignoring.
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There's only been 2 cases in the United States where a major political party fell apart and got replaced by a third party, both over 150 years ago.
The first was the Federalists, who were really radical pro strong govern and pro rich people. They envisioned the kind of government we have today, yet their party quickly fell apart after just a few elections, because the Democratic Republicans stole all their good ideas, leaving the Federalists with only really radical ideas left to push.
The second was the Whig party, they were generally a more pro-north party back when Slavery was still around. The Whig's fell apart because they managed to piss off both sides with the slavery issue. Their failure led to the raise of the Republican Party, founded ironically in the North Eastern states as a radical pro-north screw-the-south party that wasn't going to even bother trying to get on the ballot in the south, let alone try to get their votes.
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We see that to some extent going on with the Occupy movement as the Democrats seem to be embracing it. The question is whether the Democrats will really embrace it or just give lip service. Embracing the movement would probably mean giving up those big campaign contributions and the revolving-door jobs with big industries that they are currently in bed with.
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Re: ...then its message gets adopted by one of the major parties
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Re: Re: ...then its message gets adopted by one of the major parties
Of course, this isn't all that different from most political parties the world over.
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Lip service. Obama has used the OWS campaign to attack Republicans (Link). Basically, his avoidance of the issue comes in this sentence here:
"We had the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression - huge collateral damage throughout the country, all across main street. And yet, you are still seeing some of the same folks who acted irresponsibly trying to crack down on abusive practices that got us in the situation in the first place"
Never mind the fact that the bailout of AIG was a personal favor to those that helped him get elected. And most of it went to bailout the CEOs with bonuses. Let's blame the Repubs to look good while ignoring why people say they're fighting against money in government.
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So, like all other democratic countries, you get the government you deserve, which given the last decade implies that pretty much all of you have done some terrible things, at the very least in some past life.
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It will surge in the next polls
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Re: It will surge in the next polls
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One sided doesn't even start to cover it. Misleading is getting closer.
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Yet I notice that neither you nor any other troll or shill here has bothered to present any other side, you just keep repeating that Mike is something which he is obviously not in the vain hope that maybe, just maybe, someone might believe you.
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FUD abounds, but it isn't from this blog.
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from the UK pirate party web site
The Pirate Party UK will be holding a public policy consultation from the 3rd of October until the 3rd of November at piratethispolicy.co.uk. We have listened to party members, voters and the public as well as going out and speaking to those people who have had an opportunity to vote for one of our candidates in elections. We watched as our brothers and sisters in Berlin reinvigorated their voters and overturned a legacy of decline and apathy. It is time for the Pirate Party UK to do the same.
Perhaps the German version has done the same or may take a leaf from the UK book .
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Book publishers demand from politicians: don't follow the Pirate Party's demands
You can read more of his FUD at http://www.boersenverein.de/sixcms/media.php/976/Er%F6ffnung%20Honnefelder%20DIGITAL.pdf
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This is why they want Protect IP
Judge: Well certainly. It does have the word pirate in it after all and it looks like they are throwing a party. I don't need to do any fact checking here or actually understand what I am signing. I am sure it is accurate.
ICE: woof woof!
RIAA: That's a good lapdog. Now go! Fetch website!
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It is not all about young people.
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Nina Nailed It
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Is Pirate Mike Masnick scared or something?
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Re:
I can't speak for Mike, but he appears to not be scared.
One can't say the same for the content industry so adamantly refusing to change with the times. Silencing or ousting those within their ranks who dare question the status quo and voice opinions that are not towing the corporate lines.
Ditto the pro-copyright/anti-piracy extremists. If there's nothing to fear, why such the obnoxious and constant vocalization and dismissals on this site? By that I mean, most of the "arguments" are personal attacks (on the sites readers and on Mike) or things along the lines of "you are all criminals", "the law is the law and it's against you and your freetard thinking", etc. That or deflections (for nice examples of that, see the alternate DNS article) and avoidance of answering straight out asked questions.
Someone's scared, but it isn't Mike or most of the readers here. It's those who seek to silence voices that question and try and get others to see what's going on.
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hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
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Oh god, you owe me a new monitor, I just sprayed mine with cola.
Mike should hire you to write for him. You have the first requirement down pat, the abilty to ignore reality with a straight face.
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It's amusing and quite sad to say the least.
On one of the other articles, I'm the guy who did the "Modernist Mike" post. Which is funny, I didn't mean a word. But without any effort I sounded just like they do. Repeat word of the week, don't back up what you say with proof, make a personal attack on Mike, call people criminals, and then walk off. All it takes to be one of them.
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One could say the same thing about you being a paid shill. You ignore reality. You spread FUD. You make personal attacks. You are of the "if you're not entirely and completely with us, then you're against us" mindset. Etc. You and the other AC who commented before you.
It literally takes a completely ignoring reality mindset to think this site is remotely pro-piracy. It's pro-new business models. It's pro-questioning what our government and the corporations are up to. Etc. But it's not pro-piracy. Mike himself has commented multiple times on the issue. Direct quotes and all. Which myself and several others have repeatedly pointed out to you and the other ACs. Still you ignore the reality, the facts, the proof, the evidence, etc. For whatever deluded reason.
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It'd be funny if it wasn't so incredibly transparent and pathetic.
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It'd be funny if it wasn't so incredibly transparent and pathetic."
Why is it everything you say can be easily applied to yourself?
Also, notice how I can present proof to back up what I say? For instance, all your comments are exactly that, BS. You are "full of sh*t". It'd be funny, if it wasn't so incredibly transparent and pathetic. Aww. I mean, we love you, troll.
Present some proof, actual proof, an exact quote or evidence or something, that Mike Masnick is full of shit. You can't. Thus, it's nothing but your unproven and completely wrong opinion.
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Payback is a bitch and karma is the most powerful force on earth.
Enjoy your dirt lunch, douchebag.
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Oh that is mighty generous of you :)
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No proof/evidence to support any of your claims at all. An off topic remark about payback and karma and an insult. Lol. Was I right on the money or what about how to speak like a troll? [he ask rhetorically, because he knows the answer is "yes"]
Payback is indeed a b*tch. And karma is what I believe in. Perhaps then, after decades of screwing over the ACTUAL content creators and paying customers, things are the way they are. Your misdeeds have finally caught up with you.
Oh, and fyi, I'm not a freetard. I don't download a thing. I pay for all my entertainment. I don't condone/approve of file sharing. I understand the reasons behind it, and no "you just want free stuff" IS NOT the only reason for it. But don't confuse that, in your deluded sense of reality, for me being pro-piracy. However, I do take a stance on having my rights and privacy invaded on in the interest of protecting a monopoly/profits (for a very small minority).
Enjoy your day Mr I Can't Respond Intelligently Or Without Resorting To Insults (You want to know why people might copyright infringe your stuff? I'll tell you why. I would honestly do it, just because you're a d*ck. And to piss you off. If I did do that, but I don't so you're sorta safe.)
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