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Liberland: A new libertarian micro-nation has just claimed sovereignty

Posted by $ rockymountainpirate 9 years, 6 months ago to Culture
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A gulch type community in Europe. This is really interesting. He's saying libertarian, but some Objectivist principles could really help them grow.
SOURCE URL: http://personalliberty.com/liberland-a-new-libertarian-micro-nation-has-just-claimed-sovereignty/


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  • Posted by DrZarkov99 9 years, 6 months ago
    No chance for viability. The territory is "disputed", which means both Croatia and Serbia have laid claim to the area in question. Any attempt at infrastructure creation would immediately fall prey to one or the other (most likely Serbia), or both countries might agree to "dual sovereignty", meaning both could collect taxes and enforce claims against the "new nation."

    The only real possibility for a new independent state on existing land is if an existing government wanted to strike a deal with an entity with enough money to buy the land. Even then, there would probably have to be agreements regarding revenue sharing, law enforcement jurisdiction, etc, etc.

    Another way to develop a new state is to create an artificial structure outside the limits of any other state's jurisdiction. One effort, called "New Utopia" was intended to be built on a shoal in the Gulf of Mexico, but when it was discovered that the shoal fell within the 200 mile economic control of Nicaragua, that deal collapsed.

    There are privately owned islands (the late actor, Raymond Burr, who played Perry Mason, owned one in the Pacific) that while technically outside the jurisdiction of existing nations, usually have jurisdiction claims by sometimes more than one nearby nation supported in international courts. There might be a possibility to work out a deal for sovereignty (Mason did, with Fiji) for one of those islands.

    Conclusion: it isn't going to be easy to establish a really independent state, and even then you may have to work out alliances with bigger states for self protection. Who knows? That might be one of Elon Musk's new projects.
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  • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 6 months ago
    They need a Midas Mulligan.
    If anything will get the UN to step in and force an agreement over that 3 square miles (other than rich natural resources) then this is it.
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    • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
      If the 30,000 people who applied for citizenship are willing to commit the level of time and money associated with becoming a citizen of an established nation, it's as powerful as one wealthy person.
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  • Posted by Zenphamy 9 years, 6 months ago
    I don't know about viability. They said they're only accepting 5,000 to 10,000 immigrants and it's what, 4 mi sq. I think Luxembourg and Monte Christo are both bigger than that.
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    • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
      Ii could become similar to Monaco in geographic size and economics. If I believe the Wikipedia article on Monaco:
      Area: 0.78 sq mi
      Population: 36,371
      No income tax; "low" business tax, making it a tax haven
      GDP: 5.4 billion, $153,177 per capita
      World's lowest poverty rate and highest percentage of millionaires and billionaires
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      • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 6 months ago
        Maybe you should visit Monaco and see it. There is no productive industry in monaco unless you consider gambling and tourism as production. If there was an embargo it wouldn't last a week. (Ditto for NYC;^)
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        • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
          I'm not saying it should model itself off Monaco, just that a micro-nation can work.

          I do consider anything someone does for willing customers production.

          Part of the core of my view of a "Gulch" is trade, opposed to someone telling people you can't trade with each other because of a line on a map. So I don't think they're mindset should be "can we survive without trade" but rather "how can we encourage trade and make stuff that people of eager to buy from us so we can do well a pay good money that makes foreign suppliers eager to supply us."

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          • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 6 months ago
            a small country could do an end run around tariffs
            by taking ownership of cargo for a fee, and then
            (as the cargo continued on its voyage or trip) reduce
            the effective cost of tariffs. . during the interval of
            time before legislation could be passed, there could
            be profits. . maybe? -- j

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            • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
              "a small country could do an end run around tariffs
              by taking ownership of cargo for a fee"
              I'm intrigued by this, but I don't understand because it seems the destination country would assess the tariff on the small country just the same.

              My comment about trade was in response to someone saying that a micronation would struggle to survive without trade. I'm saying the human race struggles to survive without mutually agreed trades, which is a main point I took from AS.
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  • Posted by Eudaimonist 9 years, 6 months ago
    I wish them well, but I won't consider them a real nation until they have a working legal system and some sort of police or security.
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    • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
      The very concept of the nation state is new in history. They could be come a un-nation, some variant of a city-state and an idealized version of the US with defense provided by minutemen with guns they keep in their home, perhaps with the help of something like Wheatley SPI.

      They certainly need some legal system to enforce contracts, settle disputes, and stop use of force.
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  • Posted by term2 9 years, 6 months ago
    I would love to think that this can easily succeed. I think its going to be more difficult than that however. Something special would have to be relied upon until it was strong enough to defend itself somehow. Maybe offer virtual citizenship to all comers until a LOT of people could be shown to be behind the project. Lets say 1 million like minded people stood behind it and willing to put money into a bank started there, backed by gold. Initially those people would be scattered around the world, united by some sort of social media connection, and trading with each other preferentially. Might be enough economic power to permit a new country to be left alone. Socialist leaning powerful countries are only going to want to take over its riches, so that eliminates it being inside the USA . Maybe a good target location would be a really failed state somewhere. It will be difficult to be sure
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  • Posted by DeanStriker 9 years, 6 months ago
    I clicked your link and read that article and am thinking "GREAT"! Because I am personally setting out on my mission to accomplish the same within my own area. If anybody cares, I'll be pleased to post articles on the ways and wherefores of that to the Gulch.

    On another side-note, I consider myself to be a Libertarian Objectivist. I see darn little difference, and would really like to see some explanation of your views on this matter.

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    • Posted by khalling 9 years, 6 months ago
      Dean there are significant differences. But there are also shared views. Ultimately, Libertarianism is not a philosophy, it is a political system.
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      • Posted by DeanStriker 9 years, 6 months ago
        Nope, there was much libertarian philosophy long before we made the LP. Jefferson was among the libertarian-minded way be that, and he was hardly alone.
        Even within the LP there exist sects out there "off the wall". Having been a Libertarian by registration since virtually it's beginning, I've seen it all, and as a "political system", it plain sucks, for numerous reasons,
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        • Posted by khalling 9 years, 6 months ago
          I think that modern Libertarianism is quite divorced from a Jefferson. It is utilitarian over natural rights. I'm pretty sure you would not get Jefferson to buy into that.
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          • Posted by DeanStriker 9 years, 6 months ago
            That would depend upon whatever your view might be. Utilitarian over
            natural rights. I'm not all sure what you are trying to say.

            note: I made brain-fart back there, out to have said libertarian-minded way BACK THEN, sorry
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            • Posted by khalling 9 years, 6 months ago
              I never agree that it depends on view. I'm always looking for an objective basis. got this husband, see, who does scholarship in the area. I can share some of it with you, if you are interested.
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              • Posted by DeanStriker 9 years, 6 months ago
                I've been quite interested in Jefferson for a long time, even visited his home in Virginia a few years ago, took the hosted tour, but even so I don't pretend to know everything about him. You do have your point of view, and I suspect it's kinda anti-libertarian, which I find curious.
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                • Posted by khalling 9 years, 6 months ago
                  yes, it is. we are not anti-Jefferson. again, happy to give you research if you want it.
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                  • Posted by DeanStriker 9 years, 6 months ago
                    Thank you, but I must respectfully decline, I do expect that it would be interesting, but there are too many irons in my fire while my time keeps slipping away. Most of us have seen enough history to know what has brought mankind to the brink of extinction, so this becomes a distraction from today's critical need for action. I must keep focus on Today!
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                • Posted by $ jbrenner 9 years, 6 months ago
                  The biggest difference between Libertarianism and Objectivism is with regard to intellectual property. To my surprise and enlightenment, the Khallings made me aware that the libertarian position on this issue is not what I had learned 25 years ago. On the IP issue, the Objectivists are correct.
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  • Posted by BobFreeman 9 years, 6 months ago
    Here's a note we sent to Liberland's Prez yesterday:

    "Thank you for your great intentions in attempting to create a more free country! You are wise and courageous people & we admire you.

    While we eagerly await reading the English version of the Constitution of Liberland & the Laws of Liberland, a brief scanning of the website http://liberland.org/en/about/ & forum posts is not particularly encouraging for many reasons:

    1—The creator of Liberland has proclaimed himself to be President, which is, as far as we know, a force-based political position.

    2—Constitutions and laws are political constructs which generally CONSTITUTE the “legal” ways in which the newly created State can impose its will on it subjects (aka “citizens”).

    3—It appears that Liberland is simply another small State whose rulers have already accepted the win-lose paradigm of rulers, politicians, laws, etc., with the noble intent of attempting to limit the powers of their newly created State, just as the founders of the USA did in creating what has become the most dangerous terrorist organization on the planet, the out-of-control US “government”.

    4—The folks in your forum are already debating which freedoms will be confiscated by the new Liberland State. They mostly seem to be stuck in the European Win-Lose Paradigm & do not yet understand the concept of the Win-Win Free-Market Stateless Voluntary Society.

    5--This note dated today on your website is not particularly positive for the project. Have you any comments?:

    “Croatian police blocked the road that goes to Liberland. You can see the video and read the article here http://www.rtv.rs/sr_lat/drustvo/liberle... (written in Serbian; but you can use Google Translate in order to translate to your native language).; Liberland flag is removed (although it's not specified who did it).; Croatia does not have sovereignty over the Liberland territory; but it has soverignty over the road that takes to the Liberland.; Unless the Liberland president posseses a teleportation device; access to Liberland will not be possible.”"
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  • Posted by samrigel 9 years, 6 months ago
    My opinion is the only way a true Gulch will work is if it is secret and hidden to only a few from the outside world. Anything less would cause a massive Liberal Apocalypse.
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    • Posted by DeanStriker 9 years, 6 months ago
      Keeping it secret is nigh-on impossible. Therefore our home is our Gulch to whatever extent possible. That's for some sovereignty, for survival thru the collapse, and for self-defense always.

      We cannot really get to John Galt's Gulch - the idea is grand but impossible because the Rulers will not tolerate it. We may dream otherwise, but...
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 6 months ago
    If one of the new "citizens" opens a casino, who knows where this could go. However, no matter how Libertarian they are, they will need a police force. (A necessary evil?)
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    • Posted by DeanStriker 9 years, 6 months ago
      a police force? Surely you are aware of both self-defense and of private security organizations!
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      • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
        How do keep people from settling their disputes by armed conflict rather than through the courts if there's no police to enforce the law?
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        • Posted by DeanStriker 9 years, 6 months ago
          You really didn't address my comment nor even seem to pay attention to it, sorry. I submit that, given the chance, people will quite naturally come to ways of settling disputes with Reason and sometimes use binding arbitration. There is thus little or need to spend one's life in the courts of your Rulers, arguing about the good of some "law" over some other "law" and taking your chances that somehow the government's courts will make a reasonable decision. The archives have long been overflowing with such garbage.

          Try to answer your question that from within the Gulch.

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          • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
            I wish it were true, but I don't believe people naturally inclined toward settling disputes with a reason. I believe in rule of law.
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            • Posted by DeanStriker 9 years, 6 months ago
              I believe in the rule of Reason. I just read that the average person breaks 3 "laws" per day; mostly it seems nobody can know nearly all the "laws" which intend to Rule us. Much of that serves only to oppress, but it does keep the lawyers busy.

              I think that people are more naturally inclined to live and let live; but there are lines/circles around us all which would be foolhardy to cross.

              This takes about 8 minutes
              http://no-ruler.net/the-philosophy-of-li...
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              • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
                I agree with the video and that there are too many laws. I agree they serve to oppress, esp if they're only sometimes enforced, i.e. when some powerful person wants to. That's opposite of rule of law. I want very few laws, consistently enforced, and built on a Constitutional framework that prevents tyranny of the majority.
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                • Posted by DeanStriker 9 years, 6 months ago
                  The rule of [bad] law overwhelms us, and our Constitution has failed to prevent that. Constitutions are used to create Governments, and governments have the Powers of Force, which Force is the same which is prohibited to the Slaves.

                  So at what point might government somehow be "limited enough". That's not really the question, is it" The stack of governments is at least 4-high over every human being, and they tax/steal roughly half their income for whatever they decide "is good for us". So we continue only to see governments grow and grow, yet history is clear that always they Fail. So, when we're hit by the inevitable Great Collapse and governments-all go outta business, will you really want to create yet another Failure?
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  • Posted by GaryL 9 years, 6 months ago
    You can bet that the Liberals would be trying this too. It would fail real fast as soon as they realize they don't have enough workers paying the taxes to support the entitlements.
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  • Posted by Temlakos 9 years, 6 months ago
    The author says the territory is terra nullius, or literally no man's land. A pocket of land that somehow fell through the "crack" between the borders of two established nation-states. So he just went in and occupied it.

    I wish him well, but, like the author of the article, I wonder whether he has what it takes.
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  • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 6 months ago
    I hope to see many of these spring up. Manhattan has 70,000 people per sq mile. So Liberland has room for the 30,000 who have applied, with room left over for very limited agricultural and light-industrial areas.
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