Swedish Pirate Party

Arrr me hearties.  It turns out that the same day that had been designated as “Talk Like A Pirate Day,” there were elections held in Sweden.  Unfortunately, the Swedish Pirate Party did not gain a high enough percentage of the votes to gain representatives in the Swedish Parliament.

Now just imagine how much fun could be held with a “Pirate Party” operating in the halls of the United States Congress.  People would not be tempted to take the baseball bat or seven iron to the garage door in frustration if they knew that had some admitted Pirates representing them in Congress.

Many folks think the Congress is filled with a bunch of pirates anyway so by having members of a Pirate Party, it would just take the pirates out of the closet so to speak.  In many respects, the Swedish Pirate Party seems to be the antithesis of the traditional pirates of yore.  Today’s Pirates are just as likely to be against the status quo as they are the type to board ships.

The Pirates of yore would come into today’s world and be amazed at the legal piracy across the country and the world.  It would be open for debate as to whether they would feel more kindred to the brigands still operating on seas around the world or the pirates of the boardroom.  They might recognize the “Pirates of the Caribbean” or they might feel the kinship with the pirates who operate outside the law wherever they are in the world.  They would probably not feel the kinship with pirates of the boardroom as the pirates of old would see the boardroom as today’s East India Company.  But how would they feel about the guy who takes his frustrations out on the garage door?  Or how would they feel about the garage door repairman?  Would they feel any kinship with working people of all levels trying to make a living in today’s world?

Many fantasy writers have taken the premise of someone coming from out of time into today’s world.  Other folks will expound on how they were born a century or two to late for the lives they feel they should be living.  Pirates around the world, whatever the label they may give themselves, will always be around.  And so will the person who just gets frustrated and takes the baseball bat or seven iron to his garage door, necessitating the call for the garage door repairman.