It was always held against the Pirate Party that they have no program. So what are they doing? They are coming up with one.
In my opinion, they are making a mistake!
If a truly different party comes up with a program, then the program should be: “we have no program!”
Such a party should be capable of deciding upon values (as shared by all members) based on ethical responsibility and agreed upon as a consensus. And then they could “make these values their own”. One would assume that is enough work.
Why do we need values instead of programs?
Give people a program and they will assume they are right and possess the truth. That is a dangerous assumption, because there is no absolute truth. And if someone or a group of people claim they possess the truth, your inner red light of warning should immediately start blaring full throttle.
So – do not give us programs!
I would very much prefer a commitment in favour of values – and in addition to this a statement or, even better, a promise, for example:
All our decisions will be based on a responsible, ethical balancing of interests. We will, to the best of our ability and using our common sense, always strive for neutral technological competence and feel bound to act according to those aforesaid values!
Now that would be a nice commitment, wouldn’t it? If I were a party member, I would propose a “five-point manifesto”. It might, perhaps, be something like:
- We will – on purpose – dispense with a program.
- We trust in the values found by enlightenment, its knowledge, reason and honesty (transparency).
- We respect the German Constitution (or even better: The Bavarian Constitution) and the UN Charta .
- We will follow common sense and use the “Golden Rule “.
- Our decisions will always be based on a responsible balance of interests, our behavior will always follow our values.
That would be it!
But I do not think it makes any sense at all to establish a new party. Still, I certainly could list a few values to guide a new party:
- demanding the freedom to live by the rule of: “living self-responsibly and being able to do so“,
- managing to have a violence-free society with fear-free areas, with a minimum of punishment/vengeance and without wars,
- at long last make men and women “equal“,
- make all relevant levels, and in particular the public area, as transparent as possible
- and
- promote a social climate with a relative right to property and freedom of trade.
Incidentally, many of these issues have been wonderfully formulated and written down in the Bavarian Constitution . Unfortunately, it has become a little utopian . Neither is it valid any longer, because the German Constitution has precedence. Still, it is and will always be a truly beautiful piece of text.
But back to parties. If now the Pirate Party also come up with a program, then I truly no longer know whom to give my vote to. So the only remaining option for me is to join the majority of non-voters.
Because I definitely do not wish to give my vote somewhere between mechanical function and measure catalogues and dogmatic statements of belief. Both are cunningly served in a camouflage packet. I call them camouflage programs, because – as we now again see with the Pirate Party – the really hard-core topics have to be excluded, anyway. Otherwise, a compromise is not possible. A social consensus cannot be made out, just like there is not the slightest hint of a social outline.
This is not about demanding that “everybody must unconditionally be provided with the means to survive“ or “that all nuclear power plants be closed down in three years”. Neither is it about parental money or educational money. Or “A Free Ride For Free Citizens“, depending on what you believe in either for car drivers or those who go by train.
Not to mention meaningless declarations that you intend to solve conflicts without using violence. And whenever it gets difficult, you want the masses to decide. Without before having generated the necessary transparency.
No, this is about having a reasonable concept in management and still make more good decisions than bad ones. And in that respect, programs will not be any help. This seems pretty clear, because change comes at such enormous speed. How can I decide today what I will do in two years’ time if by then the facts will be totally altered? I am fed up with seeing people speculating about an unpredictable future, also in politics.
Consequently, what I want when I vote is a decision in favor of values. And I would like to trust that my representatives and the politicians want to and can and will act according to their values.
Mind you, I, too, am not in the possession of absolute truth. Still: I believe these ideas are worth being discussed. On the other hand, let me say:
Dear Pirates!
Maybe that is why you get these poor results in the current polls? Because you are now turning into a “normal party“. And we certainly have enough of those already. I do not think we need yet another one. Consequently, the word might soon be: easy come, easy go.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
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