iFAQ (imaginary FAQs)

Q. A “Purple Party”! Are you serious?
A. Yes. Absolutely. The domains PurpleParty.com, PurpleParty.org and PurpleParty.net were registered many years ago for this purpose, but the demands of working and personal life came in the way of doing much other than dreaming about one day getting the party started, so to speak.

Q. Why now?
A. There was an article in New York magazine in April 2006 about starting a Purple Party. But this guy's ideas weren't very nice. Or smart. Quote: "We would declare straight out that, alas, the fight against Islamic jihadism must be a top-priority, long-term, and ruthless military, diplomatic, and cultural struggle." See? Same old silly warmongering mindset; deluded that hearts and minds can be won with guns and bombs. Crazy stuff. If any good can come out of the Iraq War, surely it's providing a textbook example illustrating how military force adds fuel to the fire of fundamentalism. Thanks to American-led military actions, Iraq and Afghanistan have become recruitment and training grounds for a new generation of jihadists. It's like throwing stones at a hornet's nest ... really, really stupid.
The article also suggested this "Purple Party" would take a middle path between Republicans and Democrats. What's the point of that? Maybe more like Dumb and Dumber than Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee but both parties are going the wrong way, so you'd end up just as lost. Better to take a satellite view to work out where you are and where to go. That's what a Purple Party needs to do.
So, finally, a start has been made. Rather than wait forever to get it right before putting up a stunning site, this amateur attempt you see now has been uploaded to discover how people react. So bookmark PurpleParty.com … and visit every now and again. There'll be more here soon. Promise. Meanwhile, if you're excited by the idea of a Purple Party, then join the fun!

Q. Why the name "Purple Party"?
A. Why not? It has to be called something. And it has to be entirely separate from all the worn-out baggage of the countless failed philosophies and political ideologies of the past. And purple is a pretty color. Friendly. Exciting. It's my favorite color. Orange is cool, too. So's green. And so's sky blue and lemon yellow ...

Q. Who's behind this?
A. Just a guy. One among more than six billion people living on this planet. One of the privileged minority like you, with a roof overhead, clothes, three meals a day and incredible luxuries, like Internet access and a good education. A dreamer, who really believes a new international political movement can take shape on the Internet and spread into the real world.

Q. I'm still suspicious. Tell me more about what's behind this Purple Party thing.
A. Really, just one guy and friends who thought this idea may have merit. The rest doesn't matter. It's about what people do with this starting point.

Q. Won't the "Purple Party" start off with high ideals but turn bad, like every other political movement?
A. Maybe. Let's hope not. Well-intentioned people who get involved in politics make a huge sacrifice. Like kind souls working among people with contagious diseases, there's the risk of becoming infected. Knowing when to get out and let others take over may be the answer.

Q. What next?
A. That's up to you. Why not have your say in the Forum?
Or visit the Purple Party at MySpace? Or send an email to purpleparty@gmail.com and state at the top whether your comments and name are for publication. Useful contributions will be compiled and posted on the "About" page. Once there are enough people with roughly similar ideas about what the Purple Party is going to be and do, people can start up local branches around the world of the Purple Party — preferably by holding awesome purple-themed parties — and getting their friends involved. Paperwork, policies, candidates, fund-raising parties and more purple paraphernalia than you can poke a stick at ... oh, joy. Hands up who wants to play?