Disgusting display of what is wrong with America.

[opebo]

Silicon Valley billionaire funding creation of artificial libertarian islands.

[TJ in Oregon]

Building utopias has long been a piece of American culture and history from the Transcendentalists to the Shakers and everyone in between. The way this guy is doing it is rather strange and impractical, but since when are utopias practical?

[Link]

Silicon Valley billionaire funding creation of artificial libertarian islands.

I think its a great idea.  I think it would be wonderful for all the people that want to abolish social security, welfare, and universal health care to move to their own little island.  Can I donate to this cause?  I would like to get the mass deportations started ASAP.

[Joe Republic]

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On an artificial island in the open sea?  Great idea.

[patrick1]

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On an artificial island in the open sea?  Great idea.

The same type of people who are first in line for the government handouts when their property is destroyed by natural disaster.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

What was wrong with Bir Tawil?

[King]

Thiel must've been stoned and watching Zeitgeist II last night.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

What was wrong with Bir Tawil?

Or Marie Bird Land?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Who cares?  If he wants to do it, good for him.

[Link]

Who cares?  If he wants to do it, good for him.

exactly.

Actually my understanding of this phenomenon is its kind of experimental.  Meaning that you create whatever government you want on your island and see how it goes.  I would think any member of this forum would actually encourage this experiment.

This guy is also involved in aging research.

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http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90664406

He doesn't SEEM like a bad guy.

[Torie]

A libertarian island filled with multi millionaires and their "guest worker" servants, might work well. They have a name for it - it is called a luxury resort, in this case run by the guests.

[fezzyfestoon]

This could be the best thing to ever happen to critics of libertarianism. It will in all likelihood eliminate the last standing (and still inaccurate) argument for libertarianism; It hasn't been tested.

On another note, good to see these people have their heads in the right place...what with the world economy being strained for a decade now, people falling into poverty at alarming rates, governments failing, etc. THIS is what needs multi-million dollar investments.

[courts]

This could be the best thing to ever happen to critics of libertarianism. It will in all likelihood eliminate the last standing (and still inaccurate) argument for libertarianism; It hasn't been tested.

On another note, good to see these people have their heads in the right place...what with the world economy being strained for a decade now, people falling into poverty at alarming rates, governments failing, etc. THIS is what needs multi-million dollar investments.

Actually I don't think so. For one thing, this is going to attract a disproportionate amount of rich people and well-educated. Plus you have to factor in nearby governments possibly blockading or not recognizing it. Plus there's the fact it's a man made island and the possibility of people leaving if they can't afford to continue living there (harder to do IRL) or using the mainland for conveniences. They would have been better off just buying one of those private islands celebrities already do instead of attempting to recreate Bioshock on an artificial reef, but there you go.

[dead0man]

Who cares?  If he wants to do it, good for him.

exactly.

Actually my understanding of this phenomenon is its kind of experimental.  Meaning that you create whatever government you want on your island and see how it goes.  I would think any member of this forum would actually encourage this experiment.

Except that many of the lefties on this board don't actually like for people to have freedom of choice. 

[Phony Moderate]

Who cares?  If he wants to do it, good for him.

exactly.

Actually my understanding of this phenomenon is its kind of experimental.  Meaning that you create whatever government you want on your island and see how it goes.  I would think any member of this forum would actually encourage this experiment.

Except that many of the lefties on this board don't actually like for people to have freedom of choice. 

You've never made a comment like that before!

[dead0man]

Back at 'cha little guy!

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

So, opebo, why exactly is this a display of what's "wrong" with America?

[opebo]

So, opebo, why exactly is this a display of what's "wrong" with America?

Because this guy has too much money and can waste it on this golden toilet bowl.

Society's resources, drawn by force from the hides of the poor, are always squandered on the frivolous whims of the rich, but this case adds insult to injury because of the offensive ideological basis of the boondoggle.

[stegosaurus]

It makes for good science fiction, but it's completely impractical. It would be impossibly difficult to sustain society in the middle of the ocean on an artificial landmass with no natural resources, throw in the geopolitical controversy this would cause and you have a recipe for disaster. If anything, this would be a disaster for the libertarian ideology in the sense that there would exist an example of a failed libertarian society for reasons that have very little to do with libertarianism.

[The Vorlon]

I can see how people being free to spend their own money as they choose would be offensive.

[J. J.]

I can see how people being free to spend their own money as they choose would be offensive.

Only to those who hate freedom, like the folks complaining about it. 

[fezzyfestoon]

This could be the best thing to ever happen to critics of libertarianism. It will in all likelihood eliminate the last standing (and still inaccurate) argument for libertarianism; It hasn't been tested.

On another note, good to see these people have their heads in the right place...what with the world economy being strained for a decade now, people falling into poverty at alarming rates, governments failing, etc. THIS is what needs multi-million dollar investments.

Actually I don't think so. For one thing, this is going to attract a disproportionate amount of rich people and well-educated. Plus you have to factor in nearby governments possibly blockading or not recognizing it. Plus there's the fact it's a man made island and the possibility of people leaving if they can't afford to continue living there (harder to do IRL) or using the mainland for conveniences. They would have been better off just buying one of those private islands celebrities already do instead of attempting to recreate Bioshock on an artificial reef, but there you go.

All viable criticisms of the concepts behind its inevitable failure. Only works for rich people, too expensive, internationally unaccepted, artificiality, etc.

[fezzyfestoon]

I can see how people being free to spend their own money as they choose would be offensive.

Only to those who hate freedom, like the folks complaining about it. 

Doesn't the interest in swimming in such a shallow pool of thought ever wane? For either of you?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I can see how people being free to spend their own money as they choose would be offensive.

Offensive to good taste...

[courts]

This could be the best thing to ever happen to critics of libertarianism. It will in all likelihood eliminate the last standing (and still inaccurate) argument for libertarianism; It hasn't been tested.

On another note, good to see these people have their heads in the right place...what with the world economy being strained for a decade now, people falling into poverty at alarming rates, governments failing, etc. THIS is what needs multi-million dollar investments.

Actually I don't think so. For one thing, this is going to attract a disproportionate amount of rich people and well-educated. Plus you have to factor in nearby governments possibly blockading or not recognizing it. Plus there's the fact it's a man made island and the possibility of people leaving if they can't afford to continue living there (harder to do IRL) or using the mainland for conveniences. They would have been better off just buying one of those private islands celebrities already do instead of attempting to recreate Bioshock on an artificial reef, but there you go.

All viable criticisms of the concepts behind its inevitable failure. Only works for rich people, too expensive, internationally unaccepted, artificiality, etc.

Yeah, and that's the thing they'll inevitably write it off as being another biosphere (hm, maybe Pauly Shore can volunteer his services) type disaster instead of due to not taking Hayek or Rothbard with a truckload of salt.