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Paypal billionaire Peter Thiel...has teamed up with the grandson of libertarian icon Milton Friedman, Patri Friedman, to try and develop a “seastead,” or a permanent and autonomous dwelling at sea. Friedman formed the “Seasteading Institute” in 2008, and Thiel has donated more than a million dollars to fund its creation...
they claim a floating city could be just years away. The real trick is finding a proper location to build this twenty-first century Atlantis. Currently, they are attempting to find a host nation that will allow the floating city somewhat close to land, for the calm waters and ability to easily travel to and from the seastead.
In recent years there have been reports of similar efforts, like the Freedom Ship, a floating city designed to house 50,000 people, with a landing strip on top of the vessel.
Such concepts raise the questions, "Can these communities create new social structures when the subconscious societal norms we all grow up with have such a powerful influence on our expectations?" and "Is the ocean really the best place to site these communities, given how powerful, treacherous, and corrosive an environment the sea is?"
(Score: 3, Funny) by Farkus888 on Thursday March 19 2015, @02:23AM
These floating cities never address one of their major issues. Blowing things up. I can't get many guns or explosives just because other people are scared. In a libertarian world new full auto weapons would be legal. On a boat not so much because they are always a threat due to confined spaces and lack of proper back stop. It is much easier to safely shoot things for fun in a rural area on land.
(Score: 1) by redneckmother on Thursday March 19 2015, @02:30AM
Oh, Yes! It is, indeed!
Mas cerveza por favor.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 19 2015, @02:55AM
Libertarians may like guns and explosives, but they also like contracts, and if the contract doesn't allow them to cling to their guns and bombs, they can choose not to sign up.
(Score: 2) by richtopia on Thursday March 19 2015, @05:09AM
Would the ocean provide an adequate back stop?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 19 2015, @08:37AM
A recent survey of dead sea animals was inconclusive.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday March 19 2015, @05:15PM
Seems like the ocean would provide a perfectly acceptable back stop. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Crossroads [wikipedia.org]
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 19 2015, @07:53AM
Look up Kahoolawe, close to the Hawaiian Islands. You, too, could make a fortune being a practice target for the US Navy?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 19 2015, @04:16PM
Speaking of which, I'd bet you a billion dollars that these assholes would do everything they could to restrict my right to blow up their seastead with a nuke. What about my freedom?! These libertarians talk about "freedom this" and "freedom that" but they won't respect my freedom to blow them up?! Hypocrites I say!
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Justin Case on Thursday March 19 2015, @08:02PM
You're being deliberately stupid, of course. Libertarians support your right to have weapons, not to use them -- except in self defense. This concept -- violence only in self defense -- is fundamental to libertarian thinking. In fact, it is almost the entire philosophy in one sentence.
So I'm calling you on your deliberately slanted smear. Since you chose not to be honest in your debating, what were you actually trying to accomplish? And why? What are your real motives? Are you, perhaps, someone who benefits from the authoritarian state's propensity to steal the fruits of other people's labor?