Swedish State-Owned Television Ban Pirate Party

The oldest and dirtiest trick in the world.

Get It Try It

STOCKHOLM (Radsoft) -- Swedish state-owned television SVT began practicing a proven technique this evening: in a nationally televised debate on the coming EU elections, civil rights, and file sharing the Pirate Party were deliberately not invited.

Pirate Party chairman Rick Falkvinge has long warned the establishment would 'take off the gloves' but this move caught everyone by surprise.

'SVT Agenda are hosting a political debate on the EU elections', writes Falkvinge. The Pirate Party have not been invited despite our showing of 5.6% in the Novus poll and 5.5 in the SIFO poll - in other words better results than KD in both polls and more than the leftists in the SIFO poll.'

The Pirate Party is currently Sweden's third largest party in terms of membership.

'There's no acceptable excuse', continues Falkvinge. 'SVT exclude parties based on norms other than public support.'

The Pirate Party later issued the following press communiqué.

Pirate Party Frozen Out of Debate Despite Expected Election Successes

SVT (Swedish state-owned television) are holding a political debate today about the EU elections. The Pirate Party's leader Rick Falkvinge is however not invited. Invitations only went out to the seven parties currently in government. And this despite opinion polls showing the Pirate Party as popular as many of the parliamentary parties and dramatically ahead of KD.

'It's highly remarkable they choose to exclude a challenging party in this way', says Rick Falkvinge, chairman of the Pirate Party. 'We have 5.5% support in the SIFO poll and 5.6% in the Novus Opinion poll and we've had results in that class since the EU election surveys began. We're expected to take seats in the European parliament. There can be no reason to exclude us because we're too small a party. So why have SVT Agenda chosen to freeze us out of the debate?'

The political debate is sent on Sunday evening at 20:00 on SVT2 and again on four occasions when the voting polls open.

'But if SVT Agenda should realise this was but a mistake then we'll of course be on hand for the debate tonight', says Falkvinge. 'All they have to do is ring.'

Nobody rang.

SVT Reorganise 2012 Olympics?

Rick Falkvinge has an idea how Swedish state-owned SVT might go about reorganising the coming London Olympics to better please the establishment.

1. Gold medalists in track and field from Beijing 2008 are given a running start of 40% of their total running distance.

2. All medalists from Beijing are given food and accommodations, training facilities, travel and all expenses paid. Other athletes are referred to the grass field behind the new stadium where they're allowed to pitch tents in clear weather.*

* Unfortunately it rains in London about 60% of the time.

Does that sound reasonable to you? Yes? No? Welcome to the world of politics. The parties already in parliament are favoured for the next election, as if the things that happened back in 2004 are relevant for the EU elections in 2009. The obvious thing would be to demand everyone prove their merits again instead of giving some a head start based on elections five years ago. But that's not the way it is.

Today's debate isn't an isolated incident. It's part of a pattern. Or how about the ballot distribution, one of my favourites? Those who did well in the last election get their ballots distributed in this election. The others have to - using good Swedish - make do however the F they can. And that's not all: we weren't told where the actual polling places are until 5 May. It's a gigantic job to coordinate this and to complete it in only 14 days is something only a really intensive swarm can manage.

And as if this wasn't enough: we're actually subsidising the other parties' free ballots when we pay for our own...

But we'll overcome this too - despite the enormous barriers to entry the establishment have raised against their competition.