From: Mike Linksvayer (ml@gondwanaland.com)
Date: Fri Feb 20 1998 - 12:00:57 MST
den Otter wrote:
> IRL. Besides, a new nation is *adventure*, an energizing inspiration to
> all, a great service (refuge from persecution) and a potential source
> of considerable income (something this movement is in dire need of).
Income from what, taxation? Unless you plan to engage in plunder
nation building (indeed almost all forms of political action) are
huge resource drains. If you want income learn a useful skill
and/or start a business, save, and invest. Say FAR away from
things political (unless you need to engage in rent seeking to
pursue a money making opportunity).
> Founding a new nation gives a sense of direction to transhumanism,
> and it's an useful drill for the next logical step: migration to space.
> This should be possible if all pioneer groups interested in this combine
> their forces. Differences can always be settled once we're offplanet.
Founding a new nation would be a horrible direction for
transhumanism and an awful drill for migration into space. I
want nothing to do with nations in space and/or as a posthuman.
Nations suck, please don't start another one!
Nonetheless I find these discussions somewhat interesting, not
because I thinking founding an extropian state (sounds like an
oxymoron) is a good idea, but because thinking about locations
and strategies that would maximize my freedom in this reality
is fun and perhaps will be useful someday.
In this spirit I find James Rogers' suggestion of the southeast
Alaskan islands interesting. One other nice thing about this
location is that it seems to be seismically inactive relative to
neighboring regions. See
<http://www.ei.gov.bc.ca/geosmin/mapinv/surfical/quake/eq3.htm>.
I'd guess that the southern islands of Chile may be another
good location to investigate: relatively nice climate, relatively
benign government. They aren't near a major tech center, but
they are far from the U.S., which could be useful. Apparently
it is possible for foreigners to buy large amounts of land. I
read recently that one of the founders of Espirit (the clothing
company) raised the ire of some Chilean businesspeople for
buying a huge amount of land -- not because he is a foreigner,
but because he plans to give the land to the government for
a national park, thus closing it to development.
-- Mike Linksvayer http://gondwanaland.com/ml/
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