The topic of establishing a floating utopia, free of the strictures of governments, is one that humanity (and I) keeps returning to. I posted a link to an interesting summary published in the Daily Maverick, and then just recently came across an old (2009) article from Wired.com about “seasteading” (like “homesteading”, if the word sounds weird to you).
The Seasteading Institute is a non-profit organisation that was started in 2008 (and is still in existence) in order to facilitate thought and research about the legal, techonolgical, social and other challenges that will have to be addressed in order to make a sustainable floating ocean “country” a reality. The founders believe that competition in government, and the creation of new, “start-up governments” to run these floating entities will be a good thing for humanity.
A browse through the Seasteading Institute website reveals that they are deadly serious about their aims, and view seasteading as one of the profitable entrepreneurial activities of the future. There is even an award, the Poseidon Award for the first financially self-sufficient seastead with 50 or more residents.
While the idea of living on the ocean appeals, I’d like to be able to choose whom I share that space with. I am intrigued and inspired, however, by the disruptive and creative thinking that is demonstrated by those who are working seriously to make self-governing ocean habitats a reality.
Read the full Wired.com article here.
