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I think this also answers the question wether the US needs a pirate party (or several).

samsolomon 13y ago
Republicans and Democrats are two sides of the same coin on a lot of issues, including privacy. Having many parties, regardless of stance, would at least allow for more varied discussions.
- famousactress 13y ago
  This is why I'm so glad this NSA dustup happened during Obama's presidency (note: I voted for him). I think if this had happened during a Republican administration, particularly the last one, even less would be made of it. I think there's a really good chance it would have been reduced to a partisan scuffle and people that identity Republican would have been less inclined to find it offensive. I think the hilariously consistent approach to our privacy and the Patriot Act by both administrations creates an opportunity for the public to react to the facts relatively independent of their party affiliations.
  - blisterpeanuts 13y ago
    Yes, but it also means that the party in power, currently the Democrats in the Senate and Executive Branch, have a stake in the status quo, as did the Republicans previously. Witness the contrast between candidate Obama in 2008, piously railing against privacy invasions and warrant-less wiretapping, and a defensive, contrite President Obama this month, smoothly reassuring us that NSA analysts won't monitor content without a warrant. By the time the 2014 elections roll around, this issue will be all but forgotten by the vast majority of the electorate. At least, that's what both parties are probably counting on.
    - redblacktree 13y ago
      > By the time the 2014 elections roll around, this issue will be all but forgotten by the vast majority of the electorate. I sure hope you're wrong about that one. It's only a little more than a year away.
      - betterunix 13y ago
        Yeah, and politicians know how to deflect attention from this issue. A few months before the election, if people are still talking about the NSA, you can expect the media to suddenly start reporting on a scandal involving some politician, or how the economy is taking a new downturn, or how we gave Syrians some kind of deadly weapon. The people in charge of this country know how to deal with reporters: give the reporters a scoop, and they'll forget whatever it was that they were reporting on before that.
famousactress 13y ago
I also think this brings to light the fact that we have a rising fidelity stake in the politics of other nations and I'm left wondering if in the absence of a Pirate Party here in the US, maybe I ought to at least be contributing actively to these efforts overseas.
- PavlovsCat 13y ago
  Hey wait. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_Party_(United_States) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_Party_(United_States) Seems like a stub in many ways (not the article, the party, considering the utter lack of any seats anywhere), but I think that is in line with the PP in other countries; they all learn by doing. Though in the US they might need extra love I think, to offset people being squeamish about the name :P we have a rising fidelity stake in the politics of other nations And vice versa. As glad as I am about some things in Europe, I would dread a world where the US actually "falls". I think it would be like the gulf stream stopping... The US could be more enlightened, sure, but it also could be much worse, and then I'd be (not) writing this from a Russian colony or something. So act local, too, you deserve it, and "we" want you to have it.
znowi 13y ago
Yes, it always felt a little weird that the "beacon of freedom" has only two parties to choose from :) And they're slowly converging.
swombat 13y ago
Looks like there is one already: http://uspirates.org/ http://uspirates.org/ Go support it?
- PavlovsCat 13y ago
  Thanks, I realized shorty after. Yeah, it needs support and awarenesa, since a party that nobody knows exists might as well not. "Support our friends in the US" with a link the the US PP would make a nice footer for antiprism.eu... !

Republicans and Democrats are two sides of the same coin on a lot of issues, including privacy. Having many parties, regardless of stance, would at least allow for more varied discussions.

famousactress 13y ago
This is why I'm so glad this NSA dustup happened during Obama's presidency (note: I voted for him). I think if this had happened during a Republican administration, particularly the last one, even less would be made of it. I think there's a really good chance it would have been reduced to a partisan scuffle and people that identity Republican would have been less inclined to find it offensive. I think the hilariously consistent approach to our privacy and the Patriot Act by both administrations creates an opportunity for the public to react to the facts relatively independent of their party affiliations.
- blisterpeanuts 13y ago
  Yes, but it also means that the party in power, currently the Democrats in the Senate and Executive Branch, have a stake in the status quo, as did the Republicans previously. Witness the contrast between candidate Obama in 2008, piously railing against privacy invasions and warrant-less wiretapping, and a defensive, contrite President Obama this month, smoothly reassuring us that NSA analysts won't monitor content without a warrant. By the time the 2014 elections roll around, this issue will be all but forgotten by the vast majority of the electorate. At least, that's what both parties are probably counting on.
  - redblacktree 13y ago
    > By the time the 2014 elections roll around, this issue will be all but forgotten by the vast majority of the electorate. I sure hope you're wrong about that one. It's only a little more than a year away.
    - betterunix 13y ago
      Yeah, and politicians know how to deflect attention from this issue. A few months before the election, if people are still talking about the NSA, you can expect the media to suddenly start reporting on a scandal involving some politician, or how the economy is taking a new downturn, or how we gave Syrians some kind of deadly weapon. The people in charge of this country know how to deal with reporters: give the reporters a scoop, and they'll forget whatever it was that they were reporting on before that.

famousactress 13y ago

I also think this brings to light the fact that we have a rising fidelity stake in the politics of other nations and I'm left wondering if in the absence of a Pirate Party here in the US, maybe I ought to at least be contributing actively to these efforts overseas.

PavlovsCat 13y ago
Hey wait. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_Party_(United_States) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_Party_(United_States) Seems like a stub in many ways (not the article, the party, considering the utter lack of any seats anywhere), but I think that is in line with the PP in other countries; they all learn by doing. Though in the US they might need extra love I think, to offset people being squeamish about the name :P we have a rising fidelity stake in the politics of other nations And vice versa. As glad as I am about some things in Europe, I would dread a world where the US actually "falls". I think it would be like the gulf stream stopping... The US could be more enlightened, sure, but it also could be much worse, and then I'd be (not) writing this from a Russian colony or something. So act local, too, you deserve it, and "we" want you to have it.

znowi 13y ago

Yes, it always felt a little weird that the "beacon of freedom" has only two parties to choose from :) And they're slowly converging.

swombat 13y ago

Looks like there is one already: http://uspirates.org/ http://uspirates.org/ Go support it?

PavlovsCat 13y ago
Thanks, I realized shorty after. Yeah, it needs support and awarenesa, since a party that nobody knows exists might as well not. "Support our friends in the US" with a link the the US PP would make a nice footer for antiprism.eu... !