Silicon Valley billionaire funding creation of artificial libertarian islands

[FlipPro]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/silicon-valley-billionaire-funding-creation-artificial-libertarian-islands-140840896.html

Pay Pal founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel has given $1.25 million to an initiative to create floating libertarian countries in international waters, according to a profile of the billionaire in Details magazine.



I doubt 99% of the conservative posters here won't be invited to these exclusive "islands". Unless Bitcoin goes up  .

[1713498056]

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[1713498056]

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[Anonymous]

I doubt 99% of the conservative posters here won't be invited to these exclusive "islands". Unless Bitcoin goes up .

Through those rose-tinted glasses of yours, you must envision the culture of libertarianism as being headed by an elite and if they get their way -- and in this case, through these islands -- there would be no chance that a man of average means will have their way into this said innovation.

What you fail to realize is that we are not corporatist, elitist nor do we want to dominate or rule people. All we are advocates of is self-reliance and to gain pleasure from dominating our fellow man is only contrary to this founding virtue.

These islands will be open to anybody who can provide sufficient value and that will most likely be anybody who is willing to move to it. A civilization based on only rich elites won't be that fruitful. Somebody has to clean the toilets. Look at the details: They want looser building codes, less barriers to entry. If anything, this is only beneficial to the less fortunate. If they wanted it only for wealthy, high-end structures and such there would be more restriction. If they wanted only big companies and monopolies, there would be a manipulative tax structure. So far, none of that is apparent.

In summary, you're wrong about our philosophy. You're wrong about our motives.

The people who want to rule you and make you poorer are the current statists in the Democratic and Republican parties and they are continuing to succeed in doing just that.

[FlipPro]

I doubt 99% of the conservative posters here won't be invited to these exclusive "islands". Unless Bitcoin goes up .

Through those rose-tinted glasses of yours, you must envision the culture of libertarianism as being headed by an elite and if they get their way -- and in this case, through these islands -- there would be no chance that a man of average means will have their way into this said innovation.

What you fail to realize is that we are not corporatist, elitist nor do we want to dominate or rule people. All we are advocates of is self-reliance and to gain pleasure from dominating our fellow man is only contrary to this founding virtue.

These islands will be open to anybody who can provide sufficient value and that will most likely be anybody who is willing to move to it. A civilization based on only rich elites won't be that fruitful. Somebody has to clean the toilets. Look at the details: They want looser building codes, less barriers to entry. If anything, this is only beneficial to the less fortunate. If they wanted it only for wealthy, high-end structures and such there would be more restriction. If they wanted only big companies and monopolies, there would be a manipulative tax structure. So far, none of that is apparent.

In summary, you're wrong about our philosophy. You're wrong about our motives.

The people who want to rule you and make you poorer are the current statists in the Democratic and Republican parties and they are continuing to succeed in doing just that.

No one rules me Atlas, I just know that this is a huge waist of money when this country is 14 trillion in debt, teachers are getting cut out of class rooms, roads are crumbling, and we are at the brink of collapse because of our inability to pay our own bills, even though we have MORE THAN ENOUGH money it seems to build fake islands in the middle of the ocean.

Seriously do you listen to yourself?

[Anonymous]

I doubt 99% of the conservative posters here won't be invited to these exclusive "islands". Unless Bitcoin goes up .

Through those rose-tinted glasses of yours, you must envision the culture of libertarianism as being headed by an elite and if they get their way -- and in this case, through these islands -- there would be no chance that a man of average means will have their way into this said innovation.

What you fail to realize is that we are not corporatist, elitist nor do we want to dominate or rule people. All we are advocates of is self-reliance and to gain pleasure from dominating our fellow man is only contrary to this founding virtue.

These islands will be open to anybody who can provide sufficient value and that will most likely be anybody who is willing to move to it. A civilization based on only rich elites won't be that fruitful. Somebody has to clean the toilets. Look at the details: They want looser building codes, less barriers to entry. If anything, this is only beneficial to the less fortunate. If they wanted it only for wealthy, high-end structures and such there would be more restriction. If they wanted only big companies and monopolies, there would be a manipulative tax structure. So far, none of that is apparent.

In summary, you're wrong about our philosophy. You're wrong about our motives.

The people who want to rule you and make you poorer are the current statists in the Democratic and Republican parties and they are continuing to succeed in doing just that.

No one rules me Atlas, I just know that this is a huge waist of money when this country is 14 trillion in debt, teachers are getting cut out of class rooms, roads are crumbling, and we are at the brink of collapse because of our inability to pay our own bills, even though we have MORE THAN ENOUGH money it seems to build fake islands in the middle of the ocean.

Seriously do you listen to yourself?

Yet you don't see that all money we throw at these things... On average only 10% of it reaches its destination. You are only addressing symptoms. The problem lies in the whole system itself. It's terribly inefficient and destroys innovation that could of saved lives.

At least out of this abomination, we have a man that can still build something of value even though it doesn't support the scheme you so depend on.

You thrive on whims and mere utility. Others thrive on genuine value because people are valuable. They are not mere utilities for a greater cause but virtuous in their own right.

[timmey]

I just know that this is a huge waist of money when this country is 14 trillion in debt, teachers are getting cut out of class rooms, roads are crumbling, and we are at the brink of collapse because of our inability to pay our own bills, even though we have MORE THAN ENOUGH money it seems to build fake islands in the middle of the ocean.

Sure it's a huge waste of money but it's not tax money.

[The Script]

I doubt 99% of the conservative posters here won't be invited to these exclusive "islands". Unless Bitcoin goes up .

Through those rose-tinted glasses of yours, you must envision the culture of libertarianism as being headed by an elite and if they get their way -- and in this case, through these islands -- there would be no chance that a man of average means will have their way into this said innovation.

What you fail to realize is that we are not corporatist, elitist nor do we want to dominate or rule people. All we are advocates of is self-reliance and to gain pleasure from dominating our fellow man is only contrary to this founding virtue.

These islands will be open to anybody who can provide sufficient value and that will most likely be anybody who is willing to move to it. A civilization based on only rich elites won't be that fruitful. Somebody has to clean the toilets. Look at the details: They want looser building codes, less barriers to entry. If anything, this is only beneficial to the less fortunate. If they wanted it only for wealthy, high-end structures and such there would be more restriction. If they wanted only big companies and monopolies, there would be a manipulative tax structure. So far, none of that is apparent.

In summary, you're wrong about our philosophy. You're wrong about our motives.

The people who want to rule you and make you poorer are the current statists in the Democratic and Republican parties and they are continuing to succeed in doing just that.

No one rules me Atlas, I just know that this is a huge waist of money when this country is 14 trillion in debt, teachers are getting cut out of class rooms, roads are crumbling, and we are at the brink of collapse because of our inability to pay our own bills, even though we have MORE THAN ENOUGH money it seems to build fake islands in the middle of the ocean.

Seriously do you listen to yourself?

everal decades

You're trying to diagnose the symptoms.  Throwing more money at the problems hasn't worked in the past several decades, what makes you think it will work now?  The system has to change. 

Also, picky grammar note:  it's "waste" not "waist". 

[ansible adams]

From the interview in Details:

It goes like this: Friedman wants to establish new sovereign nations built on oil-rig-type platforms anchored in international waters—free from the regulation, laws, and moral suasion of any landlocked country. They'd be small city-states at first, although the aim is to have tens of millions of seasteading residents by 2050. Architectural plans for a prototype involve a movable, diesel-powered, 12,000-ton structure with room for 270 residents, with the idea that dozens—perhaps even hundreds—of these could be linked together. Friedman hopes to launch a flotilla of offices off the San Francisco coast next year; full-time settlement, he predicts, will follow in about seven years; and full diplomatic recognition by the United Nations, well, that'll take some lawyers and time.

Only $1.25 million? It buys a few years of studies and modeling at best. Might as well believe that he's going to build a libertarian space elevator out of Legos.

[Raoul Duke]

I doubt 99% of the conservative posters here won't be invited to these exclusive "islands". Unless Bitcoin goes up .

Through those rose-tinted glasses of yours, you must envision the culture of libertarianism as being headed by an elite and if they get their way -- and in this case, through these islands -- there would be no chance that a man of average means will have their way into this said innovation.

What you fail to realize is that we are not corporatist, elitist nor do we want to dominate or rule people. All we are advocates of is self-reliance and to gain pleasure from dominating our fellow man is only contrary to this founding virtue.

These islands will be open to anybody who can provide sufficient value and that will most likely be anybody who is willing to move to it. A civilization based on only rich elites won't be that fruitful. Somebody has to clean the toilets. Look at the details: They want looser building codes, less barriers to entry. If anything, this is only beneficial to the less fortunate. If they wanted it only for wealthy, high-end structures and such there would be more restriction. If they wanted only big companies and monopolies, there would be a manipulative tax structure. So far, none of that is apparent.

In summary, you're wrong about our philosophy. You're wrong about our motives.

The people who want to rule you and make you poorer are the current statists in the Democratic and Republican parties and they are continuing to succeed in doing just that.

Our? We? Talk for yourself, you wimp!

[JeffK]

Let them build their libertarian islands. Then one week in, let them realise that they aren't some magical superhero from an Ayn Rand novel and that they need hired help to take care of them, and then laugh as that hired help kills them all after being sick of being taken advantage of by smug, spoiled libertarian billionaires.

[blogospheroid]

Let them build their libertarian islands. Then one week in, let them realise that they aren't some magical superhero from an Ayn Rand novel and that they need hired help to take care of them, and then laugh as that hired help kills them all after being sick of being taken advantage of by smug, spoiled libertarian billionaires.

Sorry to nitpick on such a minor point, but everyone in Galt's Gulch worked. There was no one sitting on his/her backside.

[blogospheroid]

Seasteading is an attempt to enable competitive government. If seasteads become cheap enough(including the cost to defend them), then all sorts of societies could have their own seasteads, not just libertarians. You might have theocracies, meritocracies, kingdoms, aristocracies, technocracies, family rule, seasteads founded upon philosophical principles like utilitarianism, objectivism, even variants in democracy that might be impossible to pull off in a mature modern democracy, like score voting or condorcet voting or futarchy.

The first large seastead might not be a libertopia in any sense. There might be some very nervous investors seeking back their money. It will most probably be a for-profit multi-tenant property, with many defined rules.

[Fakeman]

Anyone here play the Bioshock games? For anyone who hasn't, the premise is very similar to this: rich guy founds a free-market paradise out in international waters and chaos ensues. Story and artwork were very well done I thought.

[AyeYo]

Let them build their libertarian islands. Then one week in, let them realise that they aren't some magical superhero from an Ayn Rand novel and that they need hired help to take care of them, and then laugh as that hired help kills them all after being sick of being taken advantage of by smug, spoiled libertarian billionaires.

The laugh harder when their rig goes down in a storm and they call the Coast Guard for help. 

[NghtRppr]

call the Coast Guard for help

No, just call FEMA. That really worked out well for New Orleans. Oh wait, I forgot, you're one of those idiots that thinks the government has your best interests at heart and can never fuck up.

[Anonymous]

Anyone here play the Bioshock games? For anyone who hasn't, the premise is very similar to this: rich guy founds a free-market paradise out in international waters and chaos ensues. Story and artwork were very well done I thought.

Yeah, it sure was free considering Andrew Ryan restricted trade outside of Rapture and people were driven insane by bad drugs.

[Fakeman]

Ah, I was beginning to think nobody here had heard of the series.

[AyeYo]

call the Coast Guard for help

No, just call FEMA. That really worked out well for New Orleans. Oh wait, I forgot, you're one of those idiots that thinks the government has your best interests at heart and can never fuck up.

Totally irrelevant to what I said.

[Anonymous]

If they can't afford to insure from disaster, they can't afford to start an island. It's a god damn stupid point. Governments aren't the only ones who can provide disaster relief.

[AyeYo]

If they can't afford to insure from disaster, they can't afford to start an island. It's a god damn stupid point. Governments aren't the only ones who can provide disaster relief.

So they have to hire a 24/7 operational rescue service?  And since no one else would need a service like that, they'll be the only customer.  So that new service can charge them pretty much whatever it wants.


This island keeps getting more and more expensive.

[Anonymous]

If they can't afford to insure from disaster, they can't afford to start an island. It's a god damn stupid point. Governments aren't the only ones who can provide disaster relief.

So they have to hire a 24/7 operational rescue service?  And since no one else would need a service like that, they'll be the only customer.  So that new service can charge them pretty much whatever it wants.


This island keeps getting more and more expensive.

No, you lack imagination. There are independent contractors out there. Hospital helicopters, ship crews, the works. These kinds of services are hired privately all the time. You don't need one company. You make something in-house.