http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/news/2008/05/seasteading

That's just awesome. The way this place is going, sign me up!

Amen. Too bad teh common folk will never be able to afford it or I'd be one of teh first to sign up

Of course, one major role of government is to provide security, which would seem to be an issue on the open sea. But Friedman's not worried about defense beyond simple firearms because he thinks pirates will lack the financial incentive to attack the seasteads.

"More sophisticated pirates will take entire container ships that have tens of millions of dollars of cargo and 10 crew [members]," he said. "On a seastead, there's a much different crew-to-movable assets ratio."

International black-market slave trade, anyone?

International black-market slave trade, anyone?


Why abduct small groups of people who might fight back when you can recruit people in poor countries for next to nothing?

Utopian plans vs Atlantic storm = really uncool things

yeah the whole thought of a hurricane blowing you and your investment to kingdom come would be the suxx0rz. but were it not for that, I'd say it's a pretty cool idea!

I don't think spars are very susceptible to that trouble.

So you have an international city-state which imports all of its goods, and lacking natural resources has little to no exports. At least Lex Luthor laced his island nation kryptonite so it at least had some use.

Not like you need physical exports to run a trade surplus these days.

wouldnt the spar be moviable for the purposes of avoiding direct hit by a hurricane?

couldnt you also run hydroponics, fishing, and or salvage buisnesses from these?