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The Pirate Party Now the Biggest Party In Iceland

jrepin writes The Pirate Party now measures as the largest political party in Iceland, according to a new servey from the Icelandic market and research company MMR which regularly surveyes the support for the political parties in Iceland. Support for political parties and the government was surveyed in the period between the 13thand 18th of March. The results show that The Pirate Party has gained increased support. Now, support for The Pirate Party totals 23.9%, compared to their previous 12.8% in the last MMR survey.

136 comments

  1. so by circletimessquare · · Score: 5, Funny

    feel free to seed bjork torrents guilt free

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:so by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You shouldn't directly assume that the Pirate Party has any politics regarding copyright infringement.
      While many of the different Pirate Parties to some extent have freedom of information exchange on their agenda the main reason for their popularity is the push for more government transparency and less insight in personal lives.
      Voters have in general lost faith in the block politics that only argue about if people should have to pay for services directly or if the government should be a middle man, partly because the traditionally liberal parties have switched over to a more non-liberal fascist line.
      It shouldn't come as a surprise that a party shows up with a main point that the government should have less knowledge and less influence over the individual to replace the void left by the older parties.

    2. Re:so by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      We don't actually have to listen to them, do we?

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    3. Re:so by circletimessquare · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      You shouldn't directly assume that the Pirate Party has any politics regarding copyright infringement

      you understand what you are talking about

      educate yourself about a topic, then speak on a topic

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P...

      Pirate parties support civil rights, direct democracy and participation in government, reform of copyright and patent law, free sharing of knowledge (open content), information privacy, transparency, freedom of information, anti-corruption and network neutrality.

      ...

      partly because the traditionally liberal parties have switched over to a more non-liberal fascist line.

      yeah this marks you as somebody who knows nothing at all. why are you commenting on something you don't understand?

      fascism has a specific historical meaning (and a tiny inconsequential fringe political meaning today)

      fascism has nothing to do with mainstream liberal or conservative political organizations in any western country

      so any liberal who calls conservatives fascists (or calls other liberals fascists just because they aren't radical enough for their tastes), is merely self-identifying as a political moron and socially underdeveloped

      it's perfectly ok to disagree with a political movement. but you need to be accurate and specific in your criticisms or your criticisms only serve to discredit your own words and say nothing about the politics you dislike

      to yell "fascist" at your political enemies is about as intelligent or mature as calling someone "poopyhead." fascism does not mean "bad word i don't understand"

      kind of like conservative morons in the usa who call president obama a socialist or a communist. it only serves to discredit the conservative moron who uses terminology they don't understand

      do you want to matter to what you care about? then educate yourself and use accurate terminology. or you only discredit your cause every time you open your mouth by telling the world that people who believe as you do are idiots

      --
      intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    4. Re:so by tnk1 · · Score: 2

      You don't have to, but once they get in power, they get cutlasses and a plank. So, you may want to consider it.

    5. Re:so by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      The page you read up upon doesn't talk specifically about the Icelandic Pirate Party. There is very little connection between the Pirate Party in different nations and that Wikipedia page is an outstanding example to why you shouldn't use Wikipedia as an example.

    6. Re:so by JDAustin · · Score: 0

      Really? Look at what the modern liberals/Democrats are into:
      -Hope and Change
      -the federal govenment controlling healthcare, student loans, school lunches, the EPA's actions, etc;
      -Bank bailouts and subsidizes to big dem donars, blocking Keystone as a favor to Warren Buffet (who's rail shipping would be impacted).

      Seems like the left have a headstart over the right on Fascism.

      (Also, Facism existed in the US under Woodrew Wilson before it was it too hold in Italy...do the research yourself).

    7. Re:so by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Informative

      If you look closer you might notice that the PP isn't for abolishing copyright, but rather for reducing it to a sensible form. I.e. pretty much what it was allegedly supposed to be: An equalizer between the interests of those who produce and those who consume.

      And I don't think we have to go any further than "from the death of the artist plus the lifetime of his grandchildren" to see that it's out of whack.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    8. Re:so by SoulMan007 · · Score: 1

      The page you read up upon doesn't talk specifically about the Icelandic Pirate Party. There is very little connection between the Pirate Party in different nations and that Wikipedia page is an outstanding example to why you shouldn't use Wikipedia as an example.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P... Not that it takes too long to find the appropriate page, though it's actual information is fairly thin, and apparently they have only been around since the end of 2012.

      --
      - SoulMan "Drink Life As It Comes." ~ Gavin Rossdale, BUSH
    9. Re:so by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hitler was all about hope and change too. It really does not mean much in itself, particularly when talking about mass media propaganda, instead of the real agenda they are slowly advancing (again and over again) in the relative darkness of apathy, far left to far right.

    10. Re:so by Carewolf · · Score: 1

      so any liberal who calls conservatives fascists (or calls other liberals fascists just because they aren't radical enough for their tastes), is merely self-identifying as a political moron and socially underdeveloped

      The liberals he is talking about is, like liberal most places outside the US, right wing. Typically to the right of the local conservatives. They believe in liberties for businesses.

    11. Re:so by Rei · · Score: 1

      Okay, well for what it matters, Píratapartýið (which by the way is a rather silly name in Icelandic) supports copyright law reform.

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
    12. Re:so by Rei · · Score: 1

      Actually, a literal translation of the "Pirate Party" to Icelandic would be Sjóræningjaflokkurinn. A pirate is a sjóræningi (sea-thief) and a political party is a flokkur (group). Pírati is not an Icelandic word, but an homage to the international pirate party movement. And "partý"? That's the word for party as in "Hey, I went to a great party" the other day, not a political party. It's a rather silly name, but hey... ;)

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
    13. Re:so by Rei · · Score: 1

      Believe it or not, there are other musicians in Iceland (really, not kidding!)

      It's actually kind of weird the percentage of the population that are incredible musicians.

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
    14. Re:so by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      Can you show an example of how the New Right supports Italian corporatism (which has a very distinct meaning of the word "corporation")?

    15. Re:so by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      His statement is still true, though. Even the most right-wing liberal European parties are nowhere even close to fascism (which doesn't believe in liberties for businesses at all).

    16. Re:so by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      So what you're saying is that the Piraty Party of Iceland is basically the political wing of Alestorm?

    17. Re:so by Carewolf · · Score: 1

      His statement is still true, though. Even the most right-wing liberal European parties are nowhere even close to fascism (which doesn't believe in liberties for businesses at all).

      Fascist economics is an economy run by the largest corporation with the backing of the state. It is cronyism taken to its extreme. Economywise all of the west let by the US are descending towards fascism.

    18. Re:so by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      Fascists economics are economics run by the state, with a number of state-backed corporations. However, the meaning of the word "corporation" in fascist parlance is very different from the regular meaning of that world in English language. It's supposed to be more of an association based on some common industrial affiliation, to act as a single body (hence "corpora") representing the common interests of its members, rather than as a profit making engine. For example, industrial associations are fascist corporations, but so are trade unions and trade guilds (which fascists pushed as an alternative to unions). The proper translation of this term to modern English is "corporate group", in sociological meaning of the word.

      This is very different from the present corporation-dominated Western capitalism. Such existed back then, too, and fascists were very much against it.

  2. Sounds like it's time... by halivar · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...to air drop some Freedom on those dirty pirates.
    /duck
    /run

    1. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Hyperbolic, but the message has some truth.. Iceland is tiny (population wise) has negligible defence capabilities and could be dealt with by overnight installation of puppet government in the manner normally reserved for banana republics. The days where you weren't allowed to do that to developed countries populated by white people are behind us..

    2. Re:Sounds like it's time... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Iceland is increasingly sounding like one of the most democratic places in the world. The people really do seem to be in control.

      For example, when their banks failed they decided not to bail them out, and rejected government plans to compensate other countries which would have screwed them. As such they have avoided crippling austerity. They did what was in their best interests and screwed the bankers and politicians who caused the mess. It's incredible.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That being true, keep in mind that most of the money in Icelandic banks was from foreign depositors. It's easy to oppose the bailout in such a scenario.

    4. Re:Sounds like it's time... by kooky45 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes, they didn't bail out the banks, but in doing so they allowed someone in Iceland to steal £30,000 of my money.

    5. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So what? Either Icelanders don't keep their money in the bank, or all their money was in there too, there was just more of someone else’s in there too?
      Or did they have some special Icelandic bank that didn't need bailouts where they kept all their personal money.

    6. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Insinuating that the Chinese have got something to do with this is rather funny concidering that http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birgitta_J%C3%B3nsd%C3%B3ttir campaigns for a free Tibet.

    7. Re:Sounds like it's time... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Everyone knew the risk when investing in a foreign bank. The bank failed, you lost, sorry but you could have used a UK bank. Okay, the interest rate probably wouldn't have been as good, but that's how financial risk tends to work.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    8. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      They just did the math, I think. How much money would it have cost them to bailout all the banks and their fat British accounts versus how much money would they lose if they didn't. Easy, no?

    9. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Argos · · Score: 4, Interesting

      As such they have avoided crippling austerity.

      Utterly false:
      Iceland seeks end to austerity with new center-right government.
      And the "...politicians who caused the mess" were re-elected in 2013.

    10. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And the Lloyd Blankfeins and Jamie Diamonds of Iceland are in jail.

    11. Re:Sounds like it's time... by barc0001 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Banks fail, even in places like Iceland, the UK and the US. Now, many countries have bodies set up to guarantee a certain amount of a given account's deposits, like the FDIC in the US will guarantee the first $250K in an account if the bank fails. But then again the US also has almost 400 million people and the largest economy in the world. It'd be a little insane to expect that Iceland with a population of less than 350,000 people could offer the same guarantees, especially on foreign deposits in privately operated banks. That would be privatizing profit, but socializing the risk, hardly fair.

      There are always risks, you took one, it went badly. Such is life.

    12. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      IIRC, Iceland has actually NO military whatsoever, aside of what could with a bit of good will be considered a "coast guard".

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    13. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      They already had me when they let their banks go bankrupt for their own idiocy instead of having the population foot the bill.

      You might notice that Iceland is already on the rebound and out of the recession slump. We're not even in it yet.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    14. Re: Sounds like it's time... by JockTroll · · Score: 0

      Wouldn't it be good to be a mercenary in Iceland? Think of it, ninjas working for pirates...

      --
      Geeks are so full of shit that "beating the crap out of them" takes a whole new meaning.
    15. Re:Sounds like it's time... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      What they call austerity is nothing compared to what the UK has had to deal with. Even that they rejected, and why not since it wasn't the fault of the average Icelandic voter. Iceland is recovering much, much faster than near by European countries.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    16. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You better run when they start converting their fishing fleet as floating, wireless torrent stations!

    17. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I agree... and my Republican friends agree.... and my Democrat friends agree... and my Libertarian friends agree... and my Green Party friend agrees.... so who disagrees? Oh yea, those guys who own our politicians

    18. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They basically legalised ponzi schemes, that's the problem. They let some folks set up banks that were destined to fail, took all the money with them and left the victims of the scheme fucked, rather than seizing all the stolen money and assets from the people that stole it and returning what they owed.

      It basically makes the country complicit in this ponzi scheme, effectively Iceland stole from other nations and refused to give it back. They got wealthy through theft from others, that basically makes Iceland a nation of criminals, at least, the majority that voted for it.

      They should be embarrassed that they have to steal from others to live a decent life and can't earn it by offering something useful to the world like every other country fucking has to. They're not alone of course, Luxembourg and Switzerland also do this by hiding illegaly obtained money from the places it was stolen from and then allow their banks to lend that money to companies in those countries to allow them to acquire foreign companies.

      Waste of space countries like Iceland, Switzerland, Luxembourg et. al. deserve to be sanctioned to hell and back for sponging off the rest of us that actually work and do something useful. They're nations of low-life sponging scum.

    19. Re:Sounds like it's time... by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      How would you expect them to seize the assets of people who don't even live in Iceland to begin with?

    20. Re:Sounds like it's time... by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      We had something similar happen here where a bank was offering a lot higher rates on deposits than anyone else. Guess why. They needed live cash to paper over their financial black hole. The bank went bankrupt shortly afterwards.

      You know what? If an investment or application sounds too good to be true it probably isn't.

    21. Re:Sounds like it's time... by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      The difference is this isn't brutal austerity imposed from abroad but normal austerity cause by local conditions.

      Yes a lot of people are stuck with expensive mortgages that they are finding hard to pay. The same thing is happening elsewhere with the added issue that even those people who didn't contract any debt in the first place are being forced to pay someone else's debts.

      The banks shouldn't have given easy credit that they knew people couldn't pay. Of course this will lead to foreclosures and bankruptcies but the sooner they admit to the problem and start solving it the sooner the problem will end.

    22. Re:Sounds like it's time... by jratcliffe · · Score: 1

      They already had me when they let their banks go bankrupt for their own idiocy instead of having the population foot the bill.

      They really had no choice. The banks losses were just so incredibly massive that they simply couldn't be bailed out, no matter how much they might have wanted to. $100 billion in losses, for a country of 325k people. Total net US bailouts have added up to about half that, for a country 1000x larger.

      You might notice that Iceland is already on the rebound and out of the recession slump. We're not even in it yet.

      Iceland's GDP is still 30% smaller than it was at the peak, while US GDP is 16% above pre-recession levels. Both are in current US$ for comparability.

    23. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Carewolf · · Score: 1

      Yes, they didn't bail out the banks, but in doing so they allowed someone in Iceland to steal £30,000 of my money.

      Steal them, as in YOU lost them, by investing or saving money in a deal that was too good to be true, and which then collapsed?

    24. Re:Sounds like it's time... by jratcliffe · · Score: 1

      You lent your money to an Icelandic bank because they were paying much higher interest rates than UK banks. You pays your money and you takes your chances.

    25. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Dorianny · · Score: 1

      Defaulting on national debt is no easy way out of crisis. It means greatly devalued currency, harsh Capital Controls, high borrowing costs and ultimately the foreign banks and governments the money is owed to, do not simply forget the loans exist.

    26. Re:Sounds like it's time... by jratcliffe · · Score: 1

      They couldn't have bailed out the banks, even if they had wanted to. The losses per capita were something like TWO THOUSAND times the losses of the US banks.

    27. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Rei · · Score: 2

      We also have Víkingasveitin (The Viking Squad). They're sort of like something between a small special forces and a big SWAT team.

      Oh, and our coast guard's been buying some serious guns recently. They're still small, of course, like the country, but they're hardly unarmed. Our current government is really big into guns. They tried to equip every last police car with two guns, one of each being a military-issue submachine gun.

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
    28. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Rei · · Score: 1

      Iceland is increasingly sounding like one of the most democratic places in the world.

      HAHAHAHAAAA...... oh god the foreign views of Iceland are always hilarious.

      Just to let you know, it's questionable whether we even qualify as a democracy any more. Our current government has declared itself the right to void bills from parliament signed by the previous administration, at the stroke of a pen. Our gun-smuggling personal-data-revenge-leaking media-threatening stealing-tax-money-for-themselves government.

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
    29. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Rei · · Score: 4, Informative

      BS.

      First off, while you can't see it anymore due to a robots.txt page, I could previously show you on the Internet Archives what Landsbankinn's old Icesave page looked like. Just one or two clicks from the front page anyone could go there and read their account insurance policy. The account insurance policy was thus: the primary insurer was a private fund established by the Icelandic government. The secondary insurer was the UK government.

      Now, either you put a ton of money into an account without reading the readily accessible information about what was backing the account, meaning you're an idiot, or you're willingly blaming the government of Iceland for something that they never promised to insure

      Secondly, the UK and the Netherlands took Iceland to the EFTA court. Guess what? They Lost. The EFTA court ruled that Iceland did indeed follow all EU banking laws and that the private fund met the letter and spirit of the law. Just because your banks chose government backing rather than a private fund doesn't mean that you can retroactively damn us for having not made such a ridiculous decision.

      Lastly, the UK government *did* pay out all insured minimums, as the secondary insurer. Meaning that if you lost £30,000, you're complaining about losing money that wasn't bloody insured. Which makes you even more of an idiot and a whiner. Were you really so stupid as to put a huge amount of money into an account without checking what the insured minimum for the account was, and then claim that an entity that never promised to ensure any of your account - the government of Iceland - "stole" it?

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
    30. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Rei · · Score: 1

      BS. Sorry, but you don't live here. We took on massive austerity (average 30% cuts across the board) during our *last* government, and the new government has been cutting down even further to pay for massive tax giveaways to the upper class - the "leiðrétting" money to people with expensive homes at the expense of higher food taxes and a higher retirement age, the elimination of the veiðigjald on the fishing barons, etc.

      Yeah, it gets weary being lectured by foreigners about how lovely the political situation in Iceland is these days. It's miserable. We're ruled by a bunch of smug self-centered nepotistic dissent-silencing indifferent-to-the-law bastards.

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
    31. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Rei · · Score: 1

      Actually only a very small percentage of our major bankers who caused the crisis went to jail. Ask, say, Björgólfur Thor how he's doing these days.

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
    32. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Rei · · Score: 1

      And we did not default on our national debt. This is a common myth. We were (and still are) actually rather crushed by it.

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
    33. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Rei · · Score: 1

      All of you who think that Iceland is some sort of anti-capitalist liberal paradise, you should know that Icelanders are making fun of you.

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
    34. Re:Sounds like it's time... by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      Why bother, though? Since, as you've said, Iceland is tiny, the cost of such an operation would far exceed the gains to be had from forcing long copyright terms on them.

    35. Re:Sounds like it's time... by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      Well, do you still have elections?

    36. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sounds good to me

    37. Re:Sounds like it's time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Iceland sent two soldiers in 2003 to help Bush's US do whatever it was doing in Iraq. They were "coast guard."

  3. It's Iceland by jratcliffe · · Score: 5, Funny

    You can be the largest political party there and still have your membership fit inside a Ford Transit van without violating any seatbelt laws.

    1. Re:It's Iceland by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Iceland Population: 323,002.

    2. Re:It's Iceland by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 2

      Unfortunately 323,001 just after you entered that comment (icy road).

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    3. Re:It's Iceland by Ksevio · · Score: 1

      That's what people seem to forget to mention when they announce some great movement in Iceland. The US had 57 cities larger than Iceland so Wichita Kansas has more impressive stats than Iceland population-wise

    4. Re:It's Iceland by Buchenskjoll · · Score: 2

      The US had 57 cities larger than Iceland

      Oh? What happened to them?

      --
      -- Make America hate again!
    5. Re:It's Iceland by dave420 · · Score: 0

      People don't forget that populations scale... "We so biiig!" is a pathetic excuse for being shit.

    6. Re:It's Iceland by Ksevio · · Score: 1

      Hard winter and they all moved to sunny Reykjavík

    7. Re:It's Iceland by losfromla · · Score: 1

      lol

      --
      Only I can judge you.
    8. Re:It's Iceland by Geirzinho · · Score: 2

      If only the Pirate Party hadn't vetoed those stricter seat belt laws:(

    9. Re:It's Iceland by Rei · · Score: 1

      Sadly too true... I own some land just north of Reykjavík and just had a shipping crate full of window panes blow over in ~130mph winds last saturday. One place measured 163 mph.

      We're no stranger to bad driving conditions...

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
    10. Re:It's Iceland by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      Oh you are THE Icelander on /. !

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
  4. Now dump the Berne treaty by johanw · · Score: 1, Troll

    And start accepting sane copyright laws. Increased production will also more than compensate for the sanctions the US will impose, as long as they can avoid a US invasion to "liberate" the country.

    1. Re: Now dump the Berne treaty by Sique · · Score: 2

      The last time, Iceland waged war (the Cod Wars), it prevailed - despite not having a fleet nor an army. Be careful!

      --
      .sig: Sique *sigh*
    2. Re: Now dump the Berne treaty by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why, they're even willing to go to war with Russia in order to please President Barack Hussein Obama, recipient of the Nobel Peace Award.

      Mother Russia, the martyr. Tears flow.

    3. Re:Now dump the Berne treaty by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 3, Funny

      And start accepting sane copyright laws. Increased production will also more than compensate for the sanctions the US will impose, as long as they can avoid a US invasion to "liberate" the country.

      They have weapons of ice destruction there you know.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    4. Re: Now dump the Berne treaty by Captain+Sarcastic · · Score: 1

      According to the "True and Actualle Historie of the Iceish Lands" (Stinky McFarland translation), the Cod Wars were then followed by the Cod Peace...

      --
      Strike while the irony is hot! -- The Freethinker
    5. Re: Now dump the Berne treaty by ChrisMaple · · Score: 1

      Cod is great, Cod is good...

      --
      Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
    6. Re: Now dump the Berne treaty by Sique · · Score: 1

      You know that the last Cod War was just 40 years ago, right? Iceland prevailed in three Cod Wars between 1958 and 1976 against the UK and (later on) also Germany.

      --
      .sig: Sique *sigh*
    7. Re:Now dump the Berne treaty by Rei · · Score: 1

      Sometimes people demand "cash" from us, but they forget, there's no "C" in the Icelandic alphabet.... ;)

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
    8. Re:Now dump the Berne treaty by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Sometimes people demand "cash" from us, but they forget, there's no "C" in the Icelandic alphabet.... ;)

      But you do have those hot Icelandic Girls - Dottirs, if I'm not mistaken

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    9. Re:Now dump the Berne treaty by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      If you go around Iceland asking for dóttir to ravish, I suspect it won't be long before you get a taste of some öxi delivered by an angry víkingr.

    10. Re: Now dump the Berne treaty by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Considering the Russians are the ones actually taking part in a war, i'd say Russia should just shut the fuck up and stop spreading the lies.

  5. I predict some serious VPN revenue by gweihir · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If they manage to have a sane copyright law not too far in the future, that may be quite an economic advantage.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  6. I'm polite so... by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 4, Informative
    ...I won't ask WTF is that "pirate" party and what are its specificities since it's on /. first page. And why that's not in TFS. but reading wikipedia as usual gives the party's stance. Mainly

    The party has not officially taken a position in favour of or against Iceland's accession to the European Union. The party has however concluded the following in a party policy on the European Union:[3] Iceland must never become a member of the European Union unless the membership agreement is put to a referendum after having been presented to the nation in an impartial manner. Should Iceland join the European Union, the country shall be a single constituency in elections to the European Parliament. Should Iceland join the European Union, Icelandic shall be one of its official languages. If negotiations on the accession of Iceland to the European Union halt, or membership is rejected by either party, a review of the agreement on the European Economic Area must be sought, to better ensure Iceland's self-determination. It is unacceptable that Iceland need to take up large part of European legislation through a business agreement without getting representatives or audience.

    and the one you were not expecting
    Edward Snowden: On 4 July 2013 a bill was introduced in parliament that would, if passed, immediately grant Edward Snowden Icelandic citizenship

    --
    Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    1. Re:I'm polite so... by Ksevio · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The Snowden bill seems more fitting to a Pirate Party than the EU citizenship. The Pirate Party has been around on a global scale for quite a while now, even getting some members in the EU parliment. They typically take a stance for Internet freedom, against heavy intellectual property laws, and for privacy.

    2. Re:I'm polite so... by Cajun+Hell · · Score: 1

      It is unacceptable that Iceland need to take up large part of European legislation through a business agreement without getting representatives or audience.

      Those crazy Icelandic nutcases!

      --
      "Believe me!" -- Donald Trump
    3. Re:I'm polite so... by Immerman · · Score: 2

      Well, becoming a vassal state to the thoroughly corrupt EU, especially without representation, would largely deprive them of the ability to pursue any of those goals. How often has the EU passed some ridiculous privacy-violating or copyright-expanding act that all the member countries then had to alter their own laws to come into compliance with?

      Besides, just because you belong to an international party, doesn't mean your priorities should be international - an Icelandic representative should rightfully be concerned first and foremost with the well-being of Iceland.

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    4. Re:I'm polite so... by Rei · · Score: 1

      We already have to follow most EU rules and regulations due to being in the EFTA and other treaties. But we don't get to vote on them.

      And you can lecture me about how wonderful it is to be a little country not part of some bigger entity when you have to pay 4-5% higher interest rates on home loans and pay out the nose for goods and have nobody ship to you and on and on.

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
  7. Hey baby it's cold outside by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

    Lois on couch: Peter, it was like that time you participated in Talk Like A Pirate Day.

    Cut-Away Peter: G'day, mate! I'll have some beer and backbacon, eh?

    Peter on Couch, sad: I...I don't know how Icelanders talk.

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  8. If it was not for the separation... by Flavianoep · · Score: 1

    ...of religion and state, Iceland would be the first Flying Spaghetti Monsterist nation of history.

    --
    Linux is for people who don't mind RTFM.
    1. Re:If it was not for the separation... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is a pirate religion
      http://kopimistsamfundet.se/english/

    2. Re:If it was not for the separation... by Flavianoep · · Score: 1

      There is a pirate religion http://kopimistsamfundet.se/en...

      I've thought of that, but the Pastafarians preach that you should dress like a pirate, which is more fun.

      --
      Linux is for people who don't mind RTFM.
  9. Damn It! by Greyfox · · Score: 4, Interesting
    No wonder global warming's been so bad lately!

    We need a US Pirate Party. They're kind of a one-platform party, but at least it seems to be a rational platform that you can actually explain to someone. I'm guessing the average Pirate Party candidate is much less likely to be a hypocrite than some of the other parties' candidates.

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    1. Re:Damn It! by Linsaran · · Score: 1

      There is one would you care to join?

      --
      In a bit of shameless internet panhandling, I accept Litecoin Donations at Lbd2oH9QsthD1GfuUXPyka12YxvWJYnBVf
    2. Re:Damn It! by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      Political parties in the US are organized by state. I mean, as a recognized party you can put on your voter registration card. National organizations are umbrellas for the state orgs. So, you can only register as a pirate if there's a state party, and there's only a pirate party in a handful of states. The one in my state shut down for inactivity.

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    3. Re:Damn It! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Usually pirates are shut down for too much activity!

    4. Re:Damn It! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      FYI, that site is blocked by my antivirus for containing a trojan (Troj/JsRedir-PA).

  10. No, the biggest party in Iceland.... by NotDrWho · · Score: 1

    ....is at ARNAR'S HOUSE!!!!

    Amiright?!?

    --
    SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
    1. Re:No, the biggest party in Iceland.... by Rei · · Score: 1

      You won't know until at least an hour or two after the official start time ;)

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
  11. voting age reform by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    This is basically proof that 18 is too young to vote.

    1. Re:voting age reform by Immerman · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Before you go blaming the young, perhaps you should look around at the state of the world and think long and hard about what the old have been doing with it for generations.

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    2. Re:voting age reform by losfromla · · Score: 1

      I am of the opinion that the voting age should be lowered, to maybe around 12 or 13. Also any politicians that fund a war or aggressive action or vote for one need to be assigned a platoon and it needs to be sent to the front line with them leading it (this includes the Prez). People in prison should also be allowed to vote in all elections where they are being stored and where they came from. I think that would start to even out some of the stupidity perpetrated on the masses by the old and the privileged.

      I am not kidding. There are reasons for why I think this should be the case but I don't really want to take the time to spell them out right now.

      --
      Only I can judge you.
    3. Re:voting age reform by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The pirate party of sweden wants to lower the voting age to 15, because that's when you're personally held accountable to the law.

    4. Re:voting age reform by Viol8 · · Score: 1

      " There are reasons for why I think this should be the case"

      Because you're 12 or 13?

    5. Re:voting age reform by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's his IQ, not his age.

    6. Re:voting age reform by losfromla · · Score: 1

      I'm 45, actually. MS in mechanical engineering from a top ranked university. Generally I have a philosophical bent and for sure a rebellious streak. I also possess (am possessed by?) a strong sense of social justice due to the way I grew up and the economic class of which I was a part growing up. But thanks for the joke, that was funny.

      --
      Only I can judge you.
    7. Re:voting age reform by ChrisMaple · · Score: 1

      For most people, good judgement is not achieved until late 20s.

      --
      Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
    8. Re:voting age reform by losfromla · · Score: 1

      I understand, brain development comes at certain ages etc. However, look at where only allowing those with "mature" brains vote has gotten us. Do you see a lot of evidence of good judgment in our voting patterns? Sarah Palin still has a credible shot at being president some day for crying out loud! Is there any evidence that our current system is doing fantastically? We are an extremely young country headed down a very bad path, and need to do something to turn this ship of state around. I think that letting those with a stronger stake in the future have a voice in it can only be a good thing. Not letting them vote is nothing more than institutionalized ageism. Extending my argument, old people shouldn't be allowed to vote on items that would not be implemented until after their expected date of death as they no longer have any skin in the game ;-).

      Why shouldn't felons get to vote either? Who better them has insight into how our current criminal justice system is or isn't fair. Are they no longer human just because they have been put in prison?

      --
      Only I can judge you.
    9. Re:voting age reform by Viol8 · · Score: 1

      "look at where only allowing those with "mature" brains vote has gotten us. "

      And you think letting kids who know the square root of fuck all about the world having a vote will improve things? Get a grip.

      "Why shouldn't felons get to vote either? Who better them has insight into how our current criminal justice system is or isn't fair. Are they no longer human just because they have been put in prison?"

      They opted out of the rules of society when they broke them. Give us a good reason why they SHOULD get the vote?

    10. Re:voting age reform by losfromla · · Score: 1

      News flash! Most grown adults don't know the "square root of fuck all", I myself imagine that the "square root of fuck all" is masturbation or it could be some other thing but I'd not bet my life on it as the problem seems poorly defined. "Get a grip" see my answer to above ;-). Fox "News" has been number one for 13 straight years, need I say more? I would rather people who still enjoy watching the PowerRangers vote than the blank minded parrots who watch Fox "News".

      As for why felons don't get the vote, that is not something that was handed down from above. It was a choice made by some long dead white men who either owned slaves or thought they should still be able to own slaves. Yeah, I am saying it is a racist, or classist, (which is close enough to the same thing) decree. I didn't vote on them not getting to vote and I know you didn't either. You think it is the natural order of things because it is the way it is, that's how our collective brains work. Don't forget that not very long ago it seemed natural for blacks to be slaves and denied all the rights white humans possessed. Seems abhorrent to us now but at one point it seemed right as rain to most educated white people. I am going into all of this just to note how things that seem natural only seem so because that is how they are.

      A good reason why they should vote? Because they are humans and citizens.

      Get a grip, yo!

      --
      Only I can judge you.
    11. Re:voting age reform by Viol8 · · Score: 1

      " myself imagine that the "square root of fuck all" is masturbation"

      GTFU.

      You sure you're 45 because you're coming across like a student and not a particularly smart one at that.

      "A good reason why they should vote? Because they are humans and citizens."

      Oh boo hoo. Where's my violin?

    12. Re:voting age reform by losfromla · · Score: 1

      Viol8, hmm, you seem so much more mature than I am, I like the nick it screams maturity and civility. Like your non-arguments do. How about you attempt to field an argument yourself? I'm feeling that our conversation has grown increasingly one-sided not to mention hostile. I might suggest places to look for your violin but won't as that might encourage some of your less savory addictions.

      --
      Only I can judge you.
  12. Re:Dave420 = "Run, Forrest: RUN!!!" by dave420 · · Score: 0

    APK, give it a rest. Just because I pointed out an inherent and unfixable problem in your HOSTS solution, you now get all paranoid-stalky and pretend to have conversations with yet more voices in your head all over slashdot for us all to see and laugh at. You really, really need help. It's sad seeing you do this to yourself.

  13. History repeats itself by allcoolnameswheretak · · Score: 4, Funny

    Iceland has been the home of Vikings for centuries, so not much has changed.
    It's no coincidence that the first Pirate Party was founded in Skandinavia...

    1. Re:History repeats itself by spyfrog · · Score: 1

      Sadly, that party is more or less non existent now.

      When the Pirate Bay trail was over and media decided to push for the feminist party in the last elections combined with the extreme right wing going forward, not many voters was left for the Swedish pirate party.
      They lost the European parliament election to the extreme right and the feminist party and they made an extremely bad national parliament election. I would call them dead by now...

  14. A Bit of Social Rebellion by JimSadler · · Score: 1

    After having their nation's wealth raided by a collapse of British banks I suspect that the public feels a bit like a pirate seeking a bit of revenge. After all if banks, and stock markets can destroy a person's wealth why should that person not seek to get even and do a bit of pirating to get even?

    1. Re:A Bit of Social Rebellion by jratcliffe · · Score: 1

      "After having their nation's wealth raided by a collapse of British banks I suspect that the public feels a bit like a pirate seeking a bit of revenge."

      Whaaa? It's the other way around - a bunch of Brits lost their deposits when ICELANDIC banks failed. Now, I don't have much sympathy for them, they put their money offshore to try to earn more interest, and that has risks, but the bad decisions that led the Icelandic banks to fail were 100% home grown.

      Excellent piece from Michael Lewis about it here: http://www.vanityfair.com/cult...

  15. Keep in mind... by denzacar · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Iceland is a country of 323.000 people, of which some 200.000 live in the Reykjavik metro area.

    Iceland's electorate is some 235.000 people (of which some 63% actually show up).
    Reykjavik's electorate is some 85.000 people (of which some 66-75% actually show up) of which some 20.000 voted for the Best Party in 2010.
    Which was a "member of the International Pirate Party, but not associated with Pirate Party Iceland".
    They elected a comedian and a talkshow host JÃn Gnarr in 2010, and have dissolved the party after that one term in the office.

    Among the political promises were the following: "a polar bear for the city's petting zoo; palm trees for its icy waterfront; free towels at its swimming pools; a rearrangement of statues; and a commitment to "sustainable transparency."
    Their political platform was not much different, promising open corruption, canceling all debts, free bus rides and free dental - constantly making a point that they are just making promises, with no plan of keeping them.

    The president of Iceland has been in office since 1996. They keep voting him in.
    Number of votes he won last time - 84.036.
    His major opponent, a journalist with the national TV service, won 52.795 votes.

    It is basically a large town.
    In a geographically favorable place, just off the coast of everything, with free geo-thermal energy.
    Those who do vote are voting by inertia or by treating politics as a joke.
    It's just the same as everywhere else in the western world, only colder, smaller and with more volcanoes and less army.

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
    1. Re:Keep in mind... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's just the same as everywhere else in the western world, only colder, smaller and with more volcanoes and less army.

      You see another difference when you visit. Doors left open. Bikes & strollers left unlocked. Scooters parked with keys in the ignition. Kids left unattended. Gas stations are pump then pay. There is still crime, but there is almost no fear of crime...it's almost as if Icelanders refuse to be inconvenienced the the threat.

  16. Foes Iceland have a ... by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

    ... bay?

    --
    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    1. Re:Foes Iceland have a ... by Rei · · Score: 1

      It depends on what you mean by "bay". We certainly don't name things with the word" bay", as that's an English word. But we have lots of firðir, víkur, sund.... ;)

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
    2. Re:Foes Iceland have a ... by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

      Do y'all have a website called, PirateFirðir?" :p

      --
      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
  17. Ísland by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    stórasta land í heimi

    1. Re: Ísland by Rei · · Score: 1

      ... ar sem strax er teygjanlegt hugtak ;)

      --
      "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
  18. Dave420 = "Run, Forrest: RUN!!!" lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: You're scared shitless of a fair challenge http://slashdot.org/comments.p... so keep running, "Forrest".

  19. Re:Dave420 = "Run, Forrest: RUN!!!" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sad how easily apk makes you run for trolling him Forrest http://slashdot.org/comments.p...

  20. Video: Pirate Party Cpt Prime Minister of Iceland? by icetrail · · Score: 2

    Interesting interview with Birgitta Jonsdottir member of Parliament for Pirate Party in Iceland about potentially becoming Prime Minister, in English at Icelandic news website: http://www.mbl.is/english/poli...

  21. Re:Video: Pirate Party Cpt Prime Minister of Icela by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "I don't want to be prime minister" :D

  22. Re:Video: Pirate Party Cpt Prime Minister of Icela by Rei · · Score: 3, Informative

    Shouldn't be surprising that they wouldn't form a coalition with the Independence or Progress parties.

    The Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) is basically Icelandic Republicans. It's too good of an analogy not to make. If Republicans in the US like it, they like it. They're maybe not as hard on the social conservatism, but economic, yeah, they can party with the best of them in the US Republican Party. Anti-EU.

    The Progress Party (Framsóknarflokkurinn)... this is a beast that you really aren't familiar with in the US. Sometimes they're referred to as right-populism, but really I think the best way to describe them is the "Idiot Party". Generally they do terrible in the polls right up until a couple weeks before the election, when they come out with some Big, Super Plan, which basically amounts to "We're going to give you tons of money, and you're never going to have to pay for it, like ,not EVERS!" There's so little time before the election that idiots get enough time to hear about it but not enough time to hear about how utterly terrible it is, and Framsóknarflokkurinn surges in the polls... then their support quickly collapses after the election, but who cares about it then? They're in government and can enrich themselves and their friends to their heart's content. Anti-EU.

    The Pirates on the other hand could easily form a coalition with a number of other parties:

    Samfylkingin (not sure what the English translation for them usually is)... as much as Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn is Iceland's Republicans, these people are really Iceland's democrats: left-center pragmatists. But then again, the left in Iceland is further left than the US. Pro-EU.

    Left Greens (Vinstri Grænir): Yeah, there's also a Right Greens, but they're a small party, no need to talk about them. The Left Greens are a traditional Green Party... Left-Idealists. Anti-EU.

    Bright Future (Björt Framtíð): Relatively new party. They're another leftist party, with some stances matching with Samfylkingin but others matching the Left Greens. Pro-EU.

    The Pirates have no pro or anti EU stance, except that people should get to vote on it. They're very much not happy with our current government's promise breaking and lawbreaking on this front. But the membership is mixed on how they'd actually vote - they just want to get a vote.

    I think the Pirates would form a great part of any potential leftist coalition. They have a lot of policy blind spots where they try to avoid taking stances, but they're very hardcore on certain issues that really need an advocate.

    --
    "TAMS shouldn't be destroyed. They should just tag us before releasing us into the wild." -- Maeglin
  23. The perspective of Nordic Invalidity by v3xt0r · · Score: 1

    The entire population of Iceland is estimated to be between 300,000 to 325,000 people, depending on which wikipedia page you read.

    In other words, Iceland has 3x the amount of people as the entire city of Flint, Michigan.

    Their economic and/or political models hold no merit in comparison to anything outside of Flint, Michigan.

    --
    the only permanence in existence, is the impermanence of existence.
  24. "Pirates"? How appropriate! by iq145 · · Score: 1