'Seasteaders' gather in San Francisco to develop ocean cities

MercuryNews.com ^ | 06/02/2012 | Matt O'Brien

[kingattax]

Colonizing the oceans to free human progress from the choking grasp of regulation has drawn a wealthy group of futurists, engineers, maritime lawyers and libertarians to San Francisco this weekend.

"We've run out of frontier. All land is claimed. And our revolutions have become superficial," said Patri Friedman, who cofounded The Seasteading Institute four years ago with billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel.

They envision a floating city movement whose most immediate step is to launch a "visa-free" ship by 2014 to house and employ high-tech workers in international waters 12 miles off the Peninsula.

Next might be a medical tourism ship in a refurbished, $8 million casino ship recently donated to the institute, said Friedman, a Berkeley resident and grandson of the late libertarian economist Milton Friedman.

But those are just pioneer projects for "seasteaders" who want to populate the high seas with autonomous city-states that compete for the world's residents by creating the best governments.

[Iron Munro]

So what do they do when that ship has to go into dry dock for routine hull maintenance and engine overhaul?

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

Can you say, “Waterworld”?

[Gator113]

There might be a market for some sort of Gucci barf bag, delicately scented with Chanel No.5.

;>)

[texas booster]

Why should they stay off the coast of San Fran, of in the Gulf by P’cola? Why would they want to stay near the oppressive USA?

If they are true futurists, let them float off Cape Hope, or head down by the Drake Passage.

Always room for a good hospital ship there ...