Our two-party system is broken. I’ve always said that if there’s a force that is destroying the world, it’s the belief of one side that the other side is the one doing the destroying. The complexities of the human experience can’t be summed up this binary, “us v them” way. We have to find a way to transcend that. We have to face up to the elemental truth that we’re all in this together, whether we like it or not.
Over the years people have called on me to contribute to the political atmosphere. I never felt the timing was exactly right, until about a month ago, when we began to work in earnest on a new project: a political party where partying is first and politics is last. The Party Party.
I talked to some people closely related to politics, some of whom were encouraging, and some of whom were … less encouraging. It was evident to me that, although I may not have a lot to contribute to politics itself, I may have something to contribute to the party aspect of politics. That was exciting to me, so I called up some friends of mine at Playboy magazine and see if they would help me produce a video, get a website together and more or less be my partners in presenting this to the rest of the country, especially when it came to the bureaucratic side: the paperwork, the research, the filing process. That was very daunting and still is! Once we launched it I didn’t know what to expect, but the response from the public has been thrilling. I’m in a daze, but a wonderful daze.
We still have a lot of work to do if we want to get on the ballot for the US election. The number of people who have put their names to this cause has given us enough to get the paperwork rolling. But as far as getting the party established as a federally recognised national political organisation, we have an extraordinarily long way to go. It is still largely out of our hands. It’s up to the US department of state and to tell you the truth I’ve not had a very good relationship with them in the past.
In 2012, I was invited to visit Bahrain by the state department as a musician and an American cultural figure. We went through some extremely extensive background checks – the most extensive vetting that I’ve ever had to do for any project. We got the go-ahead, announced it, and people were very excited about it. It was a high point for me and I never dreamed I’d get to represent my country considering the path I’ve taken.
And then, for whatever reason, the deputy to the state department saw a photo of me with a bloody nose, and decided they didn’t like the look of me. They cancelled the whole trip, thinking that it would all just make it go away. But the cancellation blew up in their face. It became a pretty big story. It even came up in a press conference, the transcripts of which you can find on state.gov. I don’t think all of this bodes well for my future actions with them. I just don’t think they like partying very much!
But at the time of the Bahrain trip, I said we’re going to do this one way or another, with or without their support, and that’s how I feel about the Party Party. They can tear up all our paperwork, but they can’t stop these principles, these philosophies. The pursuit of happiness cannot be contained by an institution, thank goodness. We don’t need their approval to party.
So how can you help? I don’t like to ask for donations, never have. Santa Claus doesn’t ask for donations, Superman never asks for donations. They just find a way to do what they do. They’re about giving. So if people want to contribute, all they need to do is just have a party. It would be great to hold some events, some Party Party parties. To go out and bring this feeling into the world.
Because ultimately it’s not my Party Party, it’s OUR Party Party. We get to decide what we want it to be. And it’s not necessarily up to me to decide. Maybe I’m not meant to be the candidate. Maybe I just launched the thing and then someone else takes it and runs with it.
If I was elected president, the first thing I would do in the Oval Office … is quit. I wouldn’t want to ever be president, and I’m not ashamed to say that. I don’t think that’s what I’m meant to contribute. And I don’t think my opinions about most things are that important. I think in a very real way we each have to be president of our own lives and president of ourselves.
We’re living in a time of great change. That old guard has a much harder time maintaining their dominion. That’s scary, as change always is, and it’s going to be painful as well. I know it’s easy to get overwhelmed, it’s easy to get disillusioned. It’s a demanding time and we need to meet those demands with vigour! Now is not the time to tap out. Now is not the time to give in to confusion. Now is the time to realign yourself with your highest potential. It’s time to make a political party where the focus is partying instead of politics. Who knows. Maybe it isn’t possible, but we’re sure gonna give it a try.
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