The German Pirate Party Gender Debate: An outside view
Intro: I am not a member of the Pirate Party, nor of any other party. I briefly considered joining the PP, but changed my mind. I have not actively participated in said debate, and I've been following it casually rather than obsessively. Still, here's the impression it left me with: The gender debate was a classic example of political conflict, where the participants hold very different beliefs, values and perceptions of what the world is like. What I expect from a good politician is that they can relate to their opponent on some level, accepting that just because someone doesn't agree with them doesn't necessarily mean they're wrong, hostile or just plain stupid. I expect them to understand that in a complex world, there are many valid experiences and many valid viewpoints, and that politics is about reaching an understanding between this multitude of positions. What the Pirate Party (through many of its members, sympathizers and leading voices) exhibited, was ...