By Alex Pietrowski

The progressive island nation of Iceland is on the verge of ‘re-booting’ Western democracy and of proving third parties have a legitimate and important role to play in maintaining the balance of power between people and their leadership.

In response to overwhelming government corruption in Iceland, the Pirate Party is now leading in polls coming into national elections, threatening to install a new type of political party, one based on direct democracy, using technology to amplify the voices of citizens in opposition to entrenched corporate and political powers.

Its members are a collection of anarchists, hackers, libertarians and Web geeks. It sets policy through online polls — and thinks the government should do the same. It wants to make Iceland “a Switzerland of bits,” free of digital snooping. It has offered Edward Snowden a new place to call home. [Source]

If they win, this would be another clear signal that European citizens are rejecting mainstream politics, and are willing to update an aging political system to prevent people from become slaves to banks and politicians.

The distrust that had long been germinating has now exploded. The Pirates are riding on that wave. We’ve had new parties before, and then they’ve faded. What’s surprising is that they’re maintaining their momentum. ~ Ragnheithur Kristjánsdóttir, political history professor at the University of Iceland.

The United States Persecutes Third Parties

In the U.S., however, third parties are persecuted by the Federal Election Commission, by law enforcement, and by the corporate media who all work in tandem to ensure that alternative candidates are absent from political debates, are treated as criminal elements and dissenters, and that the mere notion of voting outside of the two-party system is viewed as socially irresponsible.

The strategy of divide and conquer is as clear as day in America, and as people are pigeon-holed into the liberal vs. conservative thought boxes, the Republican and Democrat parties are free to move forward with near identical policies, offering nothing new for the American people.

Third party philosophies are permitted to exist only as offshoots of the main parties, such as the efforts by Ron Paul and Bernie Sanders who both offered platforms vastly different from the neocon, private-banking imperialism pitched by mainstream candidates.

Final Thoughts

Third-party politics is the last stand of world democracy, and as Iceland is about to prove, if people can organize around new ideals which resonate with the population, then they can be elevated and brought into power, if only the establishment system permits their participation. In the U.S. third parties are strictly prohibited.

Pirate Party representative, Birgitta Jónsdóttir, is proving that not only is a re-boot of Western democracy popular, but that it is also possible, saying, “People want real changes and they understand that we have to change the systems, we have to modernize how we make laws.”

Iceland has become a beacon of hope and freedom in recent years by refusing to allow corrupt bankers to take over their nation, even prosecuting some bankers and sending them to jail for breaking the law. Why shouldn’t America be able to do the same?

For additional background, see this video presentation:

Alex Pietrowski is an artist and writer concerned with preserving good health and the basic freedom to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. He is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and Offgrid Outpost, a provider of storable food and emergency kits. Alex is an avid student of Yoga and life.

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This article (Iceland Proves Third Parties Have Legitimate and Crucial Role in Democracy) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to AlexPietrowski and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.

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