Bootstrap Island

The guy who invented Paypal has a dream. That dream: build an island in international waters and make it a Libertarian Paradise. Super! I say go for it.

Peter Thiel, the Paypal guy, believes that freedom and democracy are no longer compatible (really, he said that once), so the next step is to create a whole new country. In the sea. A country with "no welfare, looser building codes, no minimum wage, and few restrictions on weapons."

Yeah, okay. A floating city. In the middle of the ocean. Made under the aegis of "looser building codes." Excellent idea. Nothing can go wrong there, can it?

I'm not sure exactly how any of this is supposed to work. A country made up of greedy people with guns and ... ? Oof. Really, whut? Let's think it through, maybe we'll figure it out together: you build an island, okay, so far so good. Libertarians move there. Perfect! Then what? Commerce? (Free trade, no doy.) I guess they could exploit their natural resources (saltwater, seagull farts). Business!

Well, whatever, I am sure they've a solid plan! Go, libertarians! No, really, go. Please, move to your private island. Part Waterworld, part Bioshock, part Thunderdome. Sign me up: I love leather chaps!

Thiel's long-term plan (really) is to get to a space station of some sort. Off world! (Beware the replicants, buddy!) Hey, like Sun Ra said "Space is the place to achieve determinance of the ideal Randian state of objectivist moral worth." He said that, right? It was a b-side.

Anyway, this is gonna happen. Libertarians get shit done (famous bumper sticker) and this is no exception.