The Financial Times' Izabella Kaminska Examines Seasteading and Is Bemused
More accurately, she comes down on the concept somewhere between bemused and dubious.
We've looked at the idea of islands or ships full of geeks, nerds and billionaire geek/nerds a few times over the years:
Oops that's Brighton Pier by Landscape Photographer of the Year, 2017 finalist Matt Cooper via Geographical.
How embarrassing, the roller coaster should have been a tip-off.
Here's Izabella. I'll go look for the intended picture.
From FT Alphaville:
On the (non) viability of start-up islands
“Governments just don’t get better,” Mr. Quirk said. “They’re stuck in previous centuries. That’s because land incentivizes a violent monopoly to control it.”
So noted Joe Quirk, president of the Seasteading Institute to the New York Times this week.......MUCH MORE
Although she doesn't go there I could envision a whole "Lord of the Flies" societal breakdown or at minimum something along the lines of 2015's "The Billionaire Battle in the Bahamas".
Or maybe "Sardinians Want Rome to Sell Them to the Swiss".
And here's the latest via The Outline, March 15:
Many years ago, tech mogul and future-website-killer Peter Thiel had an idea to develop an independent, libertarian floating city where he and other tech billionaires wouldn’t be beholden to things like laws. Thiel co-founded the Seasteading Institute in 2008 and invested $1.7 million in it before resigning from its board in 2011. But the dream lived on: The Seasteading Institute struck up an informal deal with the government of French Polynesia in 2016. Building a libertarian boat paradise in international waters was too expensive, they reasoned, so finding a host country was their best option.Well, there's always 2012's "Why Buy a Yacht When the Same Money Will Get You a Floating Island?":
Now the dream is dead. Business Insider reported on Wednesday that French Polynesia was cutting ties with the seasteaders, with the country’s ruling party announcing that the agreement was non-binding and became void in January 2018....MORE
Okay, maybe not exactly the same money. This 57,000 square foot beauty runs "hundreds of millions of euros to build.”
From GizMag:
Owning one's own yacht must surely be one of man's greatest indulgences. The ability to take your own tailored environment anywhere you want....MORE
Yacht Island Design creates tailored environment like no other. Following on from its "Streets of Monaco" design is the "Tropical Island Paradise", a 90 metre island with a top speed of 15 knots.
The main deck is a beach "cove" of cabanas surrounding a massive ocean view swimming pool, with a waterfall falling nearby from the volcano.
A bar area, outdoor dining, there's a private spa and four VIP suites for friends, all with their own private balcony.
There's also a helicopter landing pad so those friends can drop in....MORE
