Anyone can build a game-changing social-network platform or a virtual community or a set of open APIs. But the people here want to start a nonmetaphorical revolution by creating their own independent nations. In the middle of the ocean. On prefab floating platforms.Check out this article by Chris Baker from Wired Magazine about Seasteading. It describes the efforts of the Seasteading Institute to create their own version of utopia.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Floating Utopias
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Seasteading poses an interesting but expensive idea; utopias don't come cheap. However, I think this idea could potentially launch easily once the economic crisis is over. It would start from the top; billionaires ditching their estates in Malibu for their own private self-designed islands with their own government. It would be the new "hip" way to spend. I can see this idea quickly turning dystopic, though... unlimited control, islands owning other islands... and soon we're right back where we started in the 15th century, when land claiming led to wars and revolutions. We'll follow the same pattern we did then until we return to where we are now... by then, another scientist will have discovered a way to build private utopias in space. Maybe I sound too much like Goldstein with my patterns.
ReplyDeleteWhen you think about it, though, it seems logical for history to progress this way; All the land on the planet has been discovered and claimed, in one way or another. Now what? Build some more land!
Goldstein was meant to sound like Marx, with his patterns. And don't worry about it, it's cool. Marx is hip now.
ReplyDeleteThe seasteading movement makes me think: Linux for government! A group of people with some resources striking out on their own, rejecting and innovating.
http://seasteading.org/learn-more/intro
This intro draws the same analogy between government and software, only instead of Open Source or Linux, he says "web 2.0" which is not what he means. But my beef with that term in particular is a story for another time.
Our Winston works hard for the State,
He meets Julia, goes on a date,
His thoughtcrimes come out,
He sees rats; turns devout,
Now he thinks that Big Brother is great.
From the LimerickDB. Not my invention.
Sounds fun. The government has overstepped its responsibility to protect us as citizens from each other and has taken to protecting us from ourselves. Democracy is majoritarianism and so to maintain freedom, a government must severely limit itself in power and scope. If I had the money I would definitely have my own private island or something like the article described, anything to escape a society that infringes on the rights of the individual through democracy as a way for the majority to express their frustration at their own lack of abilities or talents.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the article that I think is kind of funny is when it talks about the island having no rules and being like Burning Man Festival with more drugs and guns. I think these utopias have the potential to turn into nominations for the Darwin Awards.
ReplyDeleteLuckily it looks as though I will not have to move in right away as Obama has positioned himself against the Fairness Doctrine. This is an obvious victory on the part of the Freedom of Speech and shows that the maturity of our president has easily surpassed that of his colleagues in legislature.
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