Patri Friedman, The Seasteading Institute (Breakthrough Philanthropy)

[BLARGHALT]

I liked this idea better when it was called the script to Bioshock.

[furyofbongos]

I don't like conflating the word government with the words company or industry. The definition of government is the right to initiate violence against anyone inside a geographical area.

Government is a despicable thing. Company or industry means voluntary interaction -- no violence at all (of course, unless they are inside one of these geographical areas, which means they are subject to the violence of government).

[matchbox555]

anyone who lives on one of these should lose their U.S citizenship and be denied entry into the U.S

[kev3d]

@kktwist3 Either desalinization or, like Singapore, buy it and pipe it in from another country via undersea pipes. 

[chosenmachine]

The way it's looking the future car of capitalism might yet be a horse.

[matchbox555]

what can you do on a floating country that you cant do in america ?

it will just become a place to take drugs and bang whores legally

[kev3d]

@matchbox555 Also a place to gamble, to live with potentially low to no taxes, a place to try different medicines that haven't yet gotten approval in other nations (or even a place to do the research itself), engage in financial transactions with little to no government interference...all depending upon the adopted model of governance. It may very well be a place where particular religious or non-religious people may live under certain conditions.

[goodgoodgoodful]

They can create a floating island from great pacific garbage patch. Just a strange idea, though.

[scottnsanfran]

OMG

What ugly geeks will do to get noticed. A 1000 flowers bloom huh, Oh that was Mao. No wonder Peter Thiel is bankrolling this and it makes his position that college is for losers real clear now.

[manilaenglish]

so people who need cheap surgery from an unlicensed doctor can get it done on the ship in the ocean instead of on land where the government says a person without a medical license is not allowed to conduct surgery.

I guess that's better than nothing if you have no other options.

[FilmmakerRyan]

Am I the only one who sees the goals of seasteading as complete copies of Andrew Ryan and his reasons for creating Rapture in Bioshock??

[liberalgamer4]

@FilmmakerRyan thats because andrew ryan is based off of ayn rand. And this project was influenced by her.

[VolcanicPenguin]

Hmmm.. I wonder who Patri Friedman could be related to....

[verterdegete]

Guess someone didn't play Bioshock. :P

[prophetofdoom]

@verterdegete

What is the Bioshock comparison?

[verterdegete]

@prophetofdoom

Check "Rapture" on Bioshock.wikia.com

[911reset]

wise monk smells bullshit and calls bullshit. put your entrepreneur hat on and fuck off.

[archangel9363]

let's see: A self-sufficient environment in the middle of the ocean(s) employing -- what I think are -- Randian political ideologies, considering most governments "A mess" and the settlement(s) being governed by 'philanthropists' aka business-executives-turned-ben­evolent-dictators-on-behalf-of­-their-corporatocracy.

It may as well be peeled out of BioShock, but seems pretty sound and might already in motion... the corporatocracy bit, I mean.

[deskset24]

We need more people with courage, to take action, like that guy who held up the Discovery Channel in Maryland to fight overpopulation,

than more idiotic politically correct "anti-violence" rhetoric preaching "work within the system". One is ALWAYS IN "the system". If I took a nuclear bomb and destroyed all current laws (i.e. governments) on earth and created new laws, I would STILL be "in the system", because that's all humans are: law-making machines.

[robtak111]

Fuckn' douche bag brainless fool!

Psychopaths are IN CHARGE!...(heinous crooks)

eliminate  the psychopaths and you will get honest gov't as it was MEANT TO BE!

->Constitutional Republic none better<-

[MsMihailescu]

Read this book to understand the real truth..

Who Is Esau-Edom...

Who is Esau-Edom..

The book is free on internet.

[deskset24]

@gete55 You never waste anyone's time when you speak the truth. I agree. I hate these assholes who preach "the rule of law", as though whatever laws exist at a particular place and time are some kind of absolute of the universe. They're simply created by humans (or subset thereof) who are lucky enough to have their way.

[deskset24]

I have worked off and on (more off than on, I'm ashamed to say) on an interactive game theory where every player inputs they way they want the law to be, and then to compute the consequences, such as determining logical inconsistencies.

This is what will be necessary for a truly radical revolution in government.

Government is just laws. If a law says that it is illegal for me who earns $1 by hard work to forcibly take $100 from a Wall Street broker who steals $10000000, then that law...

[deskset24]

@deskset24 ... needs to be changed. I am working on a game theory model that breaks down all thought into statements about what is vs statements about what should be. "What is legal" is just a tag attached to such statements, with a given time and location, thrown in as an afterthought. It is and never should be fundamental to the theory itself. Only physical and logical absolutes are what should matter.

[AustralianLeprechaun]

You lost me at "Americas founders were brilliant".

[benjammmincarson]

This idea is utter garbage...instead of "steading" or, in other words, running away from our problems, let's face them and change the institutions that are failing us!

Sir, banking crises are not "inevitable" nor is government that does not represent its people. Where are innovators to propose change WITHIN our current systems where they fall short, whether political, legal, or financial? Put your "entrepreneur hat on" and imagine solutions to the problems of this world, don't create another.

[Incrue]

@benjammmincarson Banking crises are inevitable.Money is a lie, its just paper, read austrian economics.

[benjammmincarson]

@Incrue I am quite familiar with Austrian economics. You are right: If we had kept a strict maintenance of our money supply (i.e. ended the Fed, stopped currency debasement) and created a system where money has a real intrinsic value, we would not have "inevitable" credit cycles...sound currency, what a novel idea!

All Patri has put forth is a plutocratic wet dream.

[ErikMartin81]

@benjammmincarson That's been attempted by libertarians for generations, with little to no effect. It's time for a new approach. Do you think the European colonists and pioneers should have remained subjects of the European monarchies instead of seeking liberty by homesteading in America?

[ErikMartin81]

@benjammmincarson If your definitions were correct, I would be a proud malevolent plutocrat. In reality, however, I'm a benevolent libertarian. I'm fully in favor of using innovative technology in order to strengthen liberty on this frontier, though that doesn't mean we shouldn't seek new frontiers as well. Seasteading, charter cities and space exploration are all positive and necessary endeavours. Statists will eventually not be able to keep up; we'll evade their grasp.

[benjammmincarson]

@ErikMartin81

do you think European colonialists and pioneers would stand for our nation's current foreign and economic policies? would they have allowed our nation to devolve into a corporatocracy? Can't we aim for our next generations of innovative technologies to revolutionize democracy and strengthen liberty (on this frontier)? Is "Seasteading" a plutocratic wet dream? Didn't Patri's grandfather, Milton Friedman, already advance enough malevolent ideas for humanity?

[beachyanne]

@benjammmincarson good luck with any chance all we do is put up with more and more institutionalized impronment



[deskset24]

@benjammmincarson I thumbed your comment up. I got sick listening to this video halfway through and could not get to the end. Patri Friedman clearly has ZERO, in fact, NEGATIVE, practical experience in anything. Pure hype-theticals. Did/does he or his organization suggest building cities in the ocean? Let's see him build a city in the ocean when oil runs out and there is no more energy to power a boat. Fucking shitheads.

Meanwhile, we mathematicians, engineers etc work on real solutions.

[lljrll]

@deskset24 Your thinking in terms of what we're using right now for energy.Technology is advancing and we won't be needing oil like we used to in the future.This is what he means by living 100-200 years old technology. Oil industry is profit driven for power, control, and profits, not the best energy source.Mathematicians and engineers? Technology can and will replace you. The future will be very different. Good luck with evolution.

[deskset24]

@lljrll You're living in a fantasy magical land. I live inreality. We could (hypothetically) run out of oil and yet, if we are TOTALLY unprepared like we are now, STILL NEED oil, all because of all the billions of shithead conservatives on this planet who are INFINITELY more concerned about imprisoning people just for making death or bomb threats and other forms of freedom of speech or for consuming pot or in Iran and Africa murdering and imprisoning adulterers and homosexuals...

[lljrll]

@deskset24 The fact that we are in this situation is f*ckin retarded. Science and technology got us here and it will get us out. At least it will get me and others out. Maybe people are right when they say USmay become a third world country. Unlike you, I'm not a victim of the conservative agenda and it has no effect on MY REALITY. Must be your problem. GOOGLE ENGINEER is investing in this. PayPal Founder- investing in this. Not surprising technology and business shall pave the way for humanity.

[deskset24]

@lljrll ...than passing laws that are fair and just, such as outlawing coal-nuclear plants, outlawing production of ANY more gas-powered cars, outlawing TRILLIONS of dollars wasted on NSA, DEA, corporate-welfarists,

mandating a global effort to switch to solar-wind energy and electric-only cars, outlawing the needless murder of animals for food.

Technology does NOT magically create itself. You need ECONOMIES OF SCALE - i.e. a worldwide collective effort -...

[lljrll]

@deskset24 Yeah your right we're definitely wasting money on NSA, DEA, as well as the majority of government is a big waste and a PARASITE. And a world wide collective effort is coming. This isn't magic. Its technology, science and ENGINEERING. Politics is a bunch of idiots with OPINIONS. Science/technology is based on testing- based on reality. As an engineer you should know this! Its sad u still buy into political OPINIONS and not a government based on science and technology.

[dsmith6289]

@lljrll What government is based on science and technology?

[deskset24]

@lljrll ...in order to FORCE people, governments, businesses to go green, to stop overpopulating (we NEED mandatory vasectomies) so that everyone can have their own place to live.

You're spouting out not-though-out generalities. Yeah, evolution happens. So what?

And, that part about "technology can and will replace you". What a LOAD of bullshit.

Until we create self-replicating robots powered by the sun, that is a THOUSAND years off.

[lljrll]

@deskset24 You do not need self replicating robots powered by the sun to replace the majority of engineers (in the US atleast). The US (and other) job markets will only get worse because of technology and outsourcing. Artificial intelligence can already drive cars in traffic (google), Watson IBM supercomputer is is more intelligent than Grand Champions of Jeopardy. I hope you don't depend on a "job" and live in a more developed country. Engineers hardly make any money as it is.

[4clearsky]

@benjammmincarson Changing standing governments in a real world is virtually impossible without bunch of dead people. No one in power has ever willingly given it away until being force to do so usually via bloody revolution. This is an outlandish idea, I'll give you that much, nevertheless interesting one and worth considering. Most people will discard the idea but you only need a small percentage who would be willing to venture and the concept could have a fair shot at succeeding. Just my 2c.

[deskset24]

@4clearsky Not just YOUR 2c, but everyone's 2 cents!

So, let's make those dead people be the bastards who willingly and deliberately stand in the way of change for the better. Those are the ones who deserve to be dead.

[lljrll]

@benjammmincarson How is creating communities in the ocean a problem? Technology is a wonderful thing and this is only ONE solution. IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER SOLUTION, IMPLEMENT IT. Whats needed is real ACTION and CHANGE. Please show us all the action and change you're contributing to society.

[eman7196]

@benjammmincarson

with the communists running this country, no one will be able to change anything

[soberauer]

I wrote a novel, called "The Mischievous Nerd's Guide to World Domination." Part of the story is about a business which starts its own country. In the story I had the leaders of the business work out a contract with the government of South Africa, allowing them to run their own country on a few square kilometers of land within South Africa.

Would it not be cheaper to try and negotiate with existing governments than building on the sea?

[SuperAtheist]

one enormous problem - current governments don't like competition and they don't play fair.

[VolcanicPenguin]

@SuperAtheist

No business likes competition.

[SuperAtheist]

@VolcanicPenguin without free market competition there is no reason to innovate and no progress. A business that doesn't progress dies.

[VolcanicPenguin]

@SuperAtheist

Not if there's no competition.

[Madfoot713]

@VolcanicPenguin And you can't breath if there's no air. Thank you captain obvious.

[VolcanicPenguin]

@Madfoot713

SuperAtheist didn't seem to get it tho.

[Madfoot713]

@VolcanicPenguin You're making stupid hypotheticals with no basis on reality, ofc he was confused.

[VolcanicPenguin]

@Madfoot713

What hypotheticals have no basis on reality? You sound confused as well.

[Madfoot713]

@VolcanicPenguin SuperAtheist: "A business that doesn't progress dies."

You: "Not if there's no competition."

Which isn't going to happen in a free market.

[VolcanicPenguin]

@Madfoot713

What a lot of people don't get about competition is that it eventually leads to monopolies, as some companies will do better than others, the successful companies grow, the worse off companies eventually either go out of business or get bought up by the bigger companies.

[Madfoot713]

@VolcanicPenguin Nope. Bureaucracy is inefficient and tends to be beaten by the garage innovator.

[VolcanicPenguin]

@Madfoot713

I'd like to see a source on that. That's market romanticism. Of course sometimes innovation helps someone small get big, but that's the exception to the rule. Try making more money off of linux than windows. 

[Madfoot713]

@VolcanicPenguin You don't get to ask for a source; burden of proof lies on the use of state force.

[Madfoot713]

@VolcanicPenguin "Try making more money off of linux than windows."

Netbooks.