VinX
05-28-2009, 06:00 AM
http://torrentfreak.com/images/Gustafsson.jpgPirate Party Backed by Sweden’s Most Prolific Writer
In their race for one or more seats in the European Parliament, the
Swedish Pirate Party has gathered support from all layers of society,
including some well known public figures. One of them is Lars
Gustafsson, one of Sweden’s most prolific writers, who openly expressed
his support for the Pirate Party today.
Lars Gustafsson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Gustafsson)
is a Swedish poet, novelist and literary critic whose controversial
writings often go against the establishment. For several years he
worked as a professor at the University of Texas teaching philosophy
and creative writing, until he retired in 2006.
True to his defiant nature, Gustafsson - who has moved back from Texas to Sweden - is now openly supporting the Pirate Party (http://www.piratpartiet.se/international/english)’s ideologies. In an editorial he wrote for the Swedish news outlet Expressen (http://www.expressen.se/kultur/1.1583792/darfor-rostar-jag-pa-piratpartiet) today, he explains why he decided to vote for this up and coming political movement in the upcoming European elections (translation (http://copyriot.se/2009/05/27/lars-gustafsson-why-my-vote-goes-to-the-pirate-party-english-translation-of-todays-text/)).
People’s freedoms and privacy on the Internet are at stake according
to Gustafsson, something that can be largely attributed to draconian
laws that are passed based on proposals put forward by the
pro-copyright lobby. Furthermore, patents on medicine and Monsanto’s
copyrighted crop have an equally negative impact on people’s freedom
and even their health, something the Pirate Party is also strongly
against.
“We’re delighted that one of Sweden’s most senior and respected
writers came out in full and unreserved support of the Pirate Party”,
Rick Falkvinge, leader of the Pirate Party told TorrentFreak. “Not only
in support, but he is also spot on in his reasons. Starting his
editorial with the story of how the ancient Persian ruler ordered the
sea whipped because it gave him unfavorable winds, and moving on to
repression of the printing press in France, he has understood the issue
thorougly.”
“I can only hope that his piece serves as a wake-up call for parts
of the elder creative community that has still to see beyond the lobby
propaganda,” Falkvinge added. Luckily Gustafsson is not the only public
figure supporting the Pirate’s cause. In fact, many others begin to
understand that the anti-piracy and pro-copyright lobbies are
overstepping their boundaries. Writer Unni Drougge, who spoke out in
defense of The Pirate Bay recently and held a speech at a Pirate Party
rally, is also sympathetic towards Sweden’s third largest political
party.
“Today I want to distance myself from the greedy and power hungry
copyright lobby that willingly plows the field for the Big Brother
society, and also give my full support to The Pirate Bay, by donating
my latest published book. And I don’t think I’ll lose a penny by doing
it,” she wrote in a recent editorial (http://newsmill.se/artikel/2009/04/22/drougge-darfor-lagger-jag-ut-min-ljudbok-pa-pirate-bay), giving one of her books away for free.
Support for the Pirate Party is still growing in Sweden, especially
among those outraged at the recent Pirate Bay verdict. Rick Falkvinge
is confident that they will make it into the European Parliament with
at least one seat. “I’m extremely optimistic,” he told (http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-party-3rd-largest-political-party-in-sweden-090506/)
TorrentFreak earlier. “It’s not a question of ‘a’ seat any more. If
everybody who is angry with the Pirate Bay verdict goes to vote, we
will get at least one seat, and probably more.”
The European elections take place in early June throughout Europe
and early voting has already started in Sweden. The German Pirate Party
is also contending for a seat in the European Parliament.
SOURCE : TorrentFreak (http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-party-backed-by-swedens-most-prolific-writer-090527/)
In their race for one or more seats in the European Parliament, the
Swedish Pirate Party has gathered support from all layers of society,
including some well known public figures. One of them is Lars
Gustafsson, one of Sweden’s most prolific writers, who openly expressed
his support for the Pirate Party today.
Lars Gustafsson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Gustafsson)
is a Swedish poet, novelist and literary critic whose controversial
writings often go against the establishment. For several years he
worked as a professor at the University of Texas teaching philosophy
and creative writing, until he retired in 2006.
True to his defiant nature, Gustafsson - who has moved back from Texas to Sweden - is now openly supporting the Pirate Party (http://www.piratpartiet.se/international/english)’s ideologies. In an editorial he wrote for the Swedish news outlet Expressen (http://www.expressen.se/kultur/1.1583792/darfor-rostar-jag-pa-piratpartiet) today, he explains why he decided to vote for this up and coming political movement in the upcoming European elections (translation (http://copyriot.se/2009/05/27/lars-gustafsson-why-my-vote-goes-to-the-pirate-party-english-translation-of-todays-text/)).
People’s freedoms and privacy on the Internet are at stake according
to Gustafsson, something that can be largely attributed to draconian
laws that are passed based on proposals put forward by the
pro-copyright lobby. Furthermore, patents on medicine and Monsanto’s
copyrighted crop have an equally negative impact on people’s freedom
and even their health, something the Pirate Party is also strongly
against.
“We’re delighted that one of Sweden’s most senior and respected
writers came out in full and unreserved support of the Pirate Party”,
Rick Falkvinge, leader of the Pirate Party told TorrentFreak. “Not only
in support, but he is also spot on in his reasons. Starting his
editorial with the story of how the ancient Persian ruler ordered the
sea whipped because it gave him unfavorable winds, and moving on to
repression of the printing press in France, he has understood the issue
thorougly.”
“I can only hope that his piece serves as a wake-up call for parts
of the elder creative community that has still to see beyond the lobby
propaganda,” Falkvinge added. Luckily Gustafsson is not the only public
figure supporting the Pirate’s cause. In fact, many others begin to
understand that the anti-piracy and pro-copyright lobbies are
overstepping their boundaries. Writer Unni Drougge, who spoke out in
defense of The Pirate Bay recently and held a speech at a Pirate Party
rally, is also sympathetic towards Sweden’s third largest political
party.
“Today I want to distance myself from the greedy and power hungry
copyright lobby that willingly plows the field for the Big Brother
society, and also give my full support to The Pirate Bay, by donating
my latest published book. And I don’t think I’ll lose a penny by doing
it,” she wrote in a recent editorial (http://newsmill.se/artikel/2009/04/22/drougge-darfor-lagger-jag-ut-min-ljudbok-pa-pirate-bay), giving one of her books away for free.
Support for the Pirate Party is still growing in Sweden, especially
among those outraged at the recent Pirate Bay verdict. Rick Falkvinge
is confident that they will make it into the European Parliament with
at least one seat. “I’m extremely optimistic,” he told (http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-party-3rd-largest-political-party-in-sweden-090506/)
TorrentFreak earlier. “It’s not a question of ‘a’ seat any more. If
everybody who is angry with the Pirate Bay verdict goes to vote, we
will get at least one seat, and probably more.”
The European elections take place in early June throughout Europe
and early voting has already started in Sweden. The German Pirate Party
is also contending for a seat in the European Parliament.
SOURCE : TorrentFreak (http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-party-backed-by-swedens-most-prolific-writer-090527/)