Platform of the Pansexual Peace Party 3.0 approved by the Secretary of the PPP National Committee November 17, 1998 C.E. ======================================================================= ©1998 Pansexual Peace Party. Please feel free to copy and disseminate this document in its entirety. ======================================================================= Organization The PPP, being constructed according to Discordian disorganizational principles, has no hierarchical structure, and it never will. Our website takes full advantage of the non-linear capabilities of hypertext, so you never know where you could end up. This site will continue to promote the ideas of this platform, which will be revised continually as our collective understanding of social issues develops. All versions of this document will be retained and kept public. All monetary contributions to the PPP will be spent on propaganda, and our ledger will be kept public. All beings who pledge to join us in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust will be warmly welcomed. Crime & Punishment The U.S.A. is currently in a neck and neck race with Russia to maintain its status as the most heavily incarcerated nation in the world. The PPP aims to reverse that trend and make this nation truly The Land of the Free. The alarming increase in our per capita prison population in recent decades is a direct consequence of the War on Drugs. Therefore, the PPP advocates the phased-in decriminalization and eventual legalization of all drugs. Moreover, the PPP will push for a general amnesty of all non-violent offenders currently languishing in prisons and jails, and will work to repeal all laws concerning victimless crimes. We want to change public opinion from the current punishment mentality back to a rehabilitation and prevention mentality. The PPP will also champion laws and rulings that protect citizens from abuses of police power. We believe that capitol punishment, that is, execution, is a barbaric and heartless custom, and that it should be completely abolished from the Earth. Jury Nullification The PPP supports the preservation and explicit disclosure in courts of jurors’ right to nullify laws. That is, contrary to a trend in which judges charge juries that they are to rule only on the facts of the case and not the merits of the law in question, we embrace the traditional power of juries as the will of the people. We join with the FIJA in insisting that judges be required to inform juries of their right to nullify the law. The War on Drugs The PPP is committed to ending the War on Drugs. We believe that what an individual ingests is her own business, and not the government's. Further, we believe that even though such behavior may be self- destructive in many cases, criminalization only worsens the problem. Drug abuse is a public health problem, not a crime. Responsible drug use is everyone's right. The double-standard with respect to alcohol versus other drugs is the most blatant hypocrisy. We at the PPP find it particularly appalling that a sacred herb such as cannabis can be outlawed and effectively targeted for extinction. The "Reefer Madness" type propaganda has been deeply entrenched, so we will be bringing considerable effort to bear in our counter- propaganda. Hemp Hemp is an extremely versatile crop that U.S. farmers are forbidden to grow. It is an important part of our cultural heritage and an environmentally-benign raw material for textiles, paint, fuel, paper, medicine and even food. The PPP supports the complete legalization of hemp as an agricultural crop and the removal of cannabis, the herb of the hemp plant, from federal Schedule I status. Terrorism & Civil Liberties The PPP is opposed to recent actions by the U.S. government to ostensibly combat the threat of terrorism. No, that does not mean we are for terrorism. It simply means that we do not believe such measures are necessary or even effective. It appears that factions within the government are exploiting the fears of the public in order to erode our civil liberties, thus ensuring a "safer", read, "controllable" society. Another factor at work here is the public's perception of what "terrorism" means. Apparently, if you have millions of dollars to spend on big toys like, say, Tomahawk cruise missiles, then it's not terrorism when you murder innocent civilians to send a political "message". (Pres. Bill Clinton, June 1993, and again recently!) Likewise, one man's "freedom fighters" are another's terrorists. It's time we stopped playing these games and made serious efforts to arbitrate territorial disputes and standardize human rights throughout the world. It wouldn't hurt to stop selling arms, too. Corporate Charters When corporations first came into existence they were, as government- created entities, subject to certain restrictions, primarily to advance the common good. Slowly the concentration of wealth has corrupted the very nature of the corporation, so that they have more rights than actual human citizens. We at the PPP believe that corporations should once again be held accountable for their actions, and will work to reform the laws so that states may revoke the charters of corporations that do damage to workers, communities, and the natural environment. International Law The PPP supports faithful interpretation of the United Nations charter, and not the cynical and disingenuous use of it as a shield for acts of U.S. aggression. In particular, Article LI states that no member nation may use military force against another without permission of the Security Council, unless it is responding defensively to a direct attack upon its territory. The August 1998 missile attacks on Afghanistan and Sudan are recent examples of the myriad U.S. violations. That is, Bill Clinton, along with every U.S. president since the U.N.'s inception, is a war criminal. Human Rights The PPP supports the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and commends Amnesty International for its work to free prisoners of conscience everywhere. The PPP affirms that humans everywhere ought to be treated the same regardless of ethnic background (race), gender, religious affiliation, national origin, stature, appearance, physical disability, sexual orientation, age, or political alignment. Communications The PPP will work to maximize freedom of expression and access to information for all citizens. We will promote the development of the public telecommunications infrastructure, with the goal of universal access to the Internet. We will also encourage the development and use of public- key encryption technology for data security. Individual freedom in communications will mean little if powerful corporations are allowed to dominate the media. The PPP will do all it can to reverse the current trend toward the concentration of power in the mass media. Censorship The PPP is fully committed to protecting the rights of individuals to freely express their ideas, no matter how unpopular or distasteful others may find them. A free society can allow no less. We object to any involuntary restrictions on the distribution and display of artistic, literary, or political expression. Voluntary standards, such as movie rating systems, can be convenient markers for sensitive individuals and concerned parents. In the case of movie ratings, however, we believe that the NC-17 rating would be more appropriately applied to acts of violence than to erotic expression. Sex We believe that human sexuality is a beautiful gift that humans should enjoy. Our civilization has a long tradition of vilifying and repressing sexual expression. This indoctrination has profound impact on our collective psyche. We will work to reverse that trend by promoting sex education for children and the positive expression of sex in the Arts. The PPP does not advocate abstinence as a reasonable approach to adolescent sexuality. Teenagers should be encouraged to develop their sexual identities in a responsible manner. The PPP supports the legalization of polyamory, same-sex marriage, and all other currently suppressed non-coercive family structures. Women Having only recently been emancipated from the overt domination of men in the U.S., women are still subject to more subtle covert domination. The PPP believes that women's voices must be given greater prominence if we are to have lasting peace. We fully affirm that women are full citizens and as such have the same rights as men. We are committed to bringing the representation of women in government, business, and other institutions up to par with their proportion of the general population, which is slightly more than half. We will work for equal rights for women worldwide. Reproductive Rights The PPP affirms the rights of individuals to control over their own reproduction. That is, no one may legally be denied the right to reproduce or be required to reproduce. Reproduction is a highly personal decision, and should remain that way. The meddling of the state will only cause more grief. While we do not advocate abortion as a preferred method of birth control, the PPP believes that abortion should remain safe and legal. We also believe that uninhibited sex education will greatly reduce the demand for abortions. Human Population Humans are over-running the planet, and sadly, quantity does not ensure quality of life. The PPP believes that humans should be encouraged to limit their reproduction through non-coercive policies, such as tax incentives. We fully support the idea of zero population growth, and even negative population growth. We believe that every child who is born should be wanted and loved. Religious Freedom The PPP fully supports the rights of individuals and groups to believe, preach, and worship as they please. Moreover, we affirm the necessity of a "wall of separation" between church and state. The slogan "In God We Trust," which appears on all U.S. currency, is a clear violation of this principle, as delineated in the Amendment I of the Constitution. We are opposed to ritual prayer in the public schools. Individuals may pray voluntarily whenever they see fit, but indoctrination into any religious belief, no matter how broad, is not appropriate for the captive audience of public school students. We appall recent Supreme Court decisions outlawing the use of herbal sacraments by religious groups. Electoral Reform The PPP is out to destroy the two-party system in the United States of America. We believe that it is a corrupt institution which does not represent the will of the people. The Republican and Democratic parties have entrenched themselves to the point where people can't conceive of another choice. The result is that "both parties," as they say, represent the interests of wealth. We are fed up with this de facto plutocracy, and insist that election campaigns be publicly financed, and that we scrap the current "winner- take-all" form of representation for the more diverse and responsive proportional representation. That is, any party that wins votes above a certain threshold (usually 5%) will win a proportional number of seats in the legislature. Energy We believe that the current petroleum economy is a misguided system of short-term gain with little concern for long-term consequences. The PPP will therefore promote substantial increases in research and development funding for clean, decentralized energy technologies. Moreover, we will continue to promote recycling, conservation, and tax incentives for citizens to use non-polluting energy technologies. Permaculture Modern agriculture is a grave threat to our existence. Thousands of toxic chemicals--insecticides, fungicides, herbicides--are becoming increasingly concentrated in our food supply. Intensive irrigation and chemical fertilization wastes resources, pollutes ground water, and destroys living topsoil. We in the PPP vigorously support (and practice!) the principles of Permaculture. Bill Mollison’s Permaculture: a Designer’s Manual should give you some idea of what Permaculture is, if you don't know already. Environmental Protection The PPP is firmly committed to strengthening environmental protection in the U.S. and the world over. We believe that the Earth is sacred, and that its resources are a precious gift to be cherished by all, and not exploited by a few. War & Peace We would like to see the Orwellian euphemism Department of Defense changed back to the War Department. This may seem an ideological quibble, but part of the problem as we see it is that this rationalization of "defense" has permitted the leaders of this country to con the public into accepting acts of U.S. aggression. In the PPP vision, the budget of the War Department will gradually be pared down to a tenth of the current military budget, and most of our military personnel will be retrained and rehabilitated. Military research will shift focus to the development of effective non-lethal weapons. These technologies will be shared with our allies and will be used to disarm rogue states when there is an international consensus to do so. We will also work to promote international non-aggression accords. Conscription The PPP is 100% completely opposed to the drafting of combatants, whether in peace time or war time. We believe that a country that cannot defend its borders through voluntary service is not worthy of defending, and that conscription is a degrading and dehumanizing form of slavery. Indigenous Peoples The PPP supports the rights of indigenous peoples in the U.S. and the world over to participate in government and to assert sovereignty where applicable. In particular, we believe that Native Americans should be paid reparations for their mistreatment at the hands of the United States government, and that their tribal lands should be honored in accordance with treaties. Labor & Trade These two areas of public policy are inextricably intertwined. Capital tends to migrate to pools of cheap labor, and this tendency will ultimately have a destabilizing effect on our economy. Corporations, being motivated solely by profit, will continue the trend toward foreign production and personnel downsizing, which will increase unemployment. More jobless means more crime, more dependency, less consumer purchasing power, and less savings. Therefore, the PPP will work to promote international labor standards and environmental standards. Industrial Policy There is a widely-held belief in the U.S.A. that the nation, as a free market society, has no industrial policy. In fact the Pentagon system determines U.S. industrial policy through its network of contractors. This is a vestige of the Cold War and cannot serve the interests of peace and prosperity for U.S. citizens or the World in general. The PPP wishes to do away with this charade and to develop conscious, bottom-up industrial policy with a social conscience. This is mostly a matter of how R & D funds are allocated. Education The PPP believes that an uneducated population is easily exploited. Therefore we will work to achieve broadly-funded, equitable, and universal quality public education. We would like to see primary school children taught basic literacy, math and science, and physical education, as well as human sexuality and non-violent conflict resolution. A foreign language requirement should also be phased in. Local school boards should be encouraged to develop innovative educational methods that meet the minimum national standards. The PPP advocates funding to reduce school size and student/teacher ratio in our public schools. We will try to restore the prestige of teaching, currently a grossly underpaid profession. Poverty & Welfare The PPP believes that the poor are entitled to basic assistance from society, including food, shelter, and medical care. This is the price that "productive" people must pay for claiming nature's bounty as their private property. While we do not propose an alternative to a system of private property and profit, we do recognize its limitations, and insist on a welfare system as compensation. A top- heavy distribution of wealth is the catalyst for popular revolt. Health Care Along with Consumer Reports, the PPP advocates the "single-payer" system of national health insurance as the fairest and least expensive option. We believe that the healing arts must be restored to their rightful place of honor, and not just another vehicle of greed. The PPP will also work to insure that all modes of healing are available to patients, and not just the dominant paradigm of scientific, allopathic medicine. Above all, we will emphasize the prevention of disease and injury through the reduction of stress, toxins, and other health hazards. Monetary Reform The PPP advocates the peaceful and gradual phasing in of an interest- free money system. We believe that the current growth-oriented global monetary system is doomed to continued inequity and eventual collapse. We applaud the local establishment of interest-free money, such as LETS systems, and will work to ensure that this evolutionary movement, unlike a revolution, has no victims. Please see the work of Margrit Kennedy for a fuller understanding of this issue. Land Reform The abolition of compound interest will alleviate much of the world’s financial problems, but without thoughtful land reform, speculation and its inevitable "boom and bust" cycles will continue. The PPP believes that the ownership of land is an inherently unjust concept, and so we advocate a transition to land stewardship, formalized by 3% annual payments to local government entities, again as proposed by Margrit Kennedy. Human Treatment of Other Species The PPP believes that every species in this biosphere is an end in itself, and not just a means to human ends. Other forms of animal life experience pleasure and pain, and have rich emotional lives similar to humans'. In the general progression toward enlightenment, human civilization will gradually begin to see this and lose the desire to exploit other species. In the meantime, we advocate an end to animal vivisection and toxicology studies and the "concentration camp" mode of raising livestock. We are not misanthropes. We do not advocate the abolition of hunting, fishing, or pet ownership, but we do support animal rights. Communities The PPP wishes to encourage the continued and increased establishment of intentional communities. That is, people who live together and share common interests. We deplore the state of industrial housing, which is designed more for automobiles than for people, where neighbor is alienated from neighbor. We will advocate help in the form of grants, subsidies, and tax incentives for groups who wish to form communities. Conformity The PPP opposes all laws whose intent is to force people to conform to some arbitrary standard of behavior. For example, transvestitism (cross-dressing) should not be illegal anywhere! We believe that any individual, no matter how eccentric, should be unfettered so long as she harms no one. Propaganda The PPP is unabashedly committed to presenting counter-cultural propaganda. We mean to deliberately undermine the dominant, dominator, thought patterns that shape our society. We are offering a line of propaganda products, to be featured on our website and available by mail order in the U.S.A. Let Us Know What You Think We welcome comments, criticism, and kudos! We cannot promise to personally answer all email, but we will maintain a letters page. We appreciate all stimulating discussion, as well as drawing our attention to inaccuracies, typos, and dead links. Membership in the PPP is free! If you like us, then join us, and we'll put you on our mailing list. If you'd like to see us wiped off the face of the earth, then go ahead and try! To interact with the PPP visit our website: http://www.neosoft.com/~eris/PPPP or email us at: eris@neosoft.com