Berlin's new Pirate Party might well be here to stay

[reorg]

Source: Deutsche Welle

After state elections in Berlin, the Pirate Party has gained representation in a German state parliament for the first time. But what is the Pirate Party, and what does it stand for?

...

The Pirate Party in German was established five years ago and has since grown to 13,000 members nation-wide. The biggest boost to the party's popularity came in 2009 during a political debate about blocking child pornography on the Internet. Many saw the idea of blocking such sites as censorship of the internet, and feared that it could set a precedent.

...

In Germany, part of what sets the Pirate Party apart is their familiarity to the online world, which they say is lacking among the established parties. This is one reason in particular why the Pirate Party is especially popular among younger voters.

...

In the Berlin elections, the Pirate Party presented itself as a social party, calling for access to education, knowledge, and participation in public life in the city. This applies to everyone, no matter their social situation. For the Pirates, the subway should be free, as well as Internet access in a city-wide wireless network. The guiding principle of the Internet - the free flow of information - is to be applied to real life in the city.

...


Read more: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15397528,00.html

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The Guardian: Pirate party snatches seats in Berlin state election



Pirate Party Germany

Pirate Party International

ARD projection from 20:46 h for the Pirate Party: 9 percent

[bananas]

1. Tomorrow is Talk Like A Pirate Day (Sept 19)

Arr!

[Blue_Tires]

2. Let me guess: St. Pauli is their favorite team?

:P

[Lars77]

3. I´ve seen St. Pauli a couple of times. Awesome. :)

[reorg]

4. Wow, a party focusing on net politics wins 9 per cent of the vote in a world capital

for the first time anywhere but this is not considered "breaking news" at the DU?

I'm speechless.

BTW, you can find the story at Deutsche Welle under: News / Germany / Politics
The Guardian files it under: News / World news / Germany

[KoKo]

5. Interesting.......K&R!

[Javaman]

6. The Flying Spaghetti Monster is not amused. nt