Vote Pirate: The World's Next Great Political Party

While we in the United States are accustomed to choosing between Democratic, Republican, and maybe an unlikely handful of Libertarian or Green candidates for political office, Australian voters faced a list that was more like a fast-food menu for their recent September 7 election. Beyond the Labor, Liberal, and Green party politicians that make up most of the country’s government, Australia hosts the Sex Party, Julian Assange’s newly formed Wikileaks Party, and even the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party, all of which competed in the 2013 national elections. While most of these efforts are just jokey vanity projects, one micro-party is quietly building an international support network, fielding candidates all over the world under the banner of open-internet utopianism. Enter the Pirate Party.