FableForge's Foundlings #13: A real life BIOSHOCK?

With a $500,000 donation from PayPal founder Peter Thiel, a Google
engineer and a former Sun Microsystems programmer have launched The
Seasteading Institute, an organization dedicated to creating
experimental ocean communities "with diverse social, political, and
legal systems."

True to his libertarian leanings, Friedman looks at the situation in
market terms: the institute's modular spar platforms, he argues, would
allow for the creation of far cheaper new countries out on the
high-seas, driving innovation.

"Government is an industry with a really high barrier to entry," he
said. "You basically need to win an election or a revolution to try a
new one. That's a ridiculous barrier to entry. And it's got enormous
customer lock-in. People complain about their cellphone plans that are
like two years, but think of the effort that it takes to change your
citizenship."

Friedman estimates that it would cost a few hundred million dollars
to build a seastead for a few thousand people. With costs that low,
Friedman can see constellations of cities springing up, giving people a
variety of governmental choices. If misguided policies arose, citizens
could simply motor to a new nation.

"You can change your government without having to leave your house," he said.