Ultimate Survival: Artificial Libertarian Islands!

This is what we like to see: billionaires doing something REALLY interesting with their money rather than the same old boring stock investments and global charities. With the American way of life perched on ever shakier ground as the years march past, PayPal founder and early Facebook investor (and, oh yeah, he’s a billionaire) Peter Thiel has gone public with a donation to the Seasteading Institute to study the possibility of building tiny independent floating Libertarian islands in international waters.

The idea behind the Seasteading initiative is that all currently existing countries have been ruined by communism, despotism, socialism, anarchy or any combination of these ideas. The one school of political thought that really hasn’t been given a chance is Libertarianism. For those who haven’t been keeping up with Ron Paul, here’s what Libertarians believe, in a nutshell:

Libertarianism is, as the name implies, the belief in liberty. Libertarians strive for a free, peaceful, abundant world where each individual has the maximum opportunity to pursue his or her dreams and to realize his full potential. The core idea is simply stated, but profound and far-reaching in its implications. Libertarians believe that each person owns his own life and property, and has the right to make his own choices as to how he lives his life – as long as he simply respects the same right of others to do the same.

Another way of saying this is that libertarians believe you should be free to do as you choose with your own life and property, as long as you don’t harm the person and property of others. Libertarianism is thus the combination of liberty (the freedom to live your life in any peaceful way you choose), responsibility (the prohibition against the use of force against others, except in defense), and tolerance (honoring and respecting the peaceful choices of others).

Liberty is one of the central lessons of world history. Virtually all the progress the human race has enjoyed during the past few centuries is due to the increasing acceptance of free markets, civil liberties, and self-ownership. Our goal as libertarians is to bring liberty to the world, so that these wonderful and proven ideas can be put into action. This will make our world a far better place for all people.

We hope you will join us in embracing this ideal – and in taking a stand to personally bring about a world of liberty, abundance and peace.

The problem is that Libertarians want to drastically reduce the size and scope of government, and no government in its right mind is going to allow that to happen within its own borders. Thus Seasteading has decided that a Libertarian outpost must be started from scratch, free from the interference of polluted ideologies and populations.

But where do you go when all the land has been claimed by one country or another? To sea, of course! And where do you go if no country will have you and your belief system? To sea, to sea! Maritime law states that the waters immediately adjacent to a nation’s border is considered territorial up to twelve miles out. If you decide to build your Libertarian enclave thirteen miles from shore, there’s nothing anyone can do to stop you legally.

Seasteading is in the midst of designing plans to build the first floating platform off the coast of San Francisco next year, with a full settlement scheduled for completion in seven years. What will life be like in such a place? Looser building codes, no welfare, no minimum wage and no few weapons restrictions, for starters. The Big Picture is to start an entirely new country free from the laws, regulations and moral codes that have gone before. To some, this sounds like hell of the worst kind; to others, a dream fulfilled.

Extreme versions of Libertarianism incorporate ideas such as private police and fire departments. Can a country road crew do the job better than a private, profit-minded endeavor? Let’s find out! Should a person be required to pass a test before they drive a vehicle on the streets? Hell no! Is it the government’s right to regulate ANY part of your behavior that does not infringe on the civil liberties of another? Plenty of Libertarians think the answer to that is “no” as well.

So what can we expect when these artificial floating bastions to liberty start popping up all over the place? Full scale anarchy or a better life to be lived? Stay tuned and we’ll keep you informed as events develop. In the meantime, better start saving your pennies if you want to rent a place on board. One thing is for sure, there will be no government-controlled prices for tenants. It’s all free market, baby!

The Holistic Survival Team

HolisticSurvival.com

 

 

 

(Flickr / roger4336)