Seasteading

Abstract

Seasteading Tana Jean Welch (bio) I E Mare Libertas Seasteading seeks to move human communitiesout into the vast expanse of sea smothering the globe. The oceans contain99 percent of the living space on earth and we want that space. II The Final Frontier Her lips move and we know what she is saying the woman in the hot pink skirt suit, her new blonde hair hired to boost the seasteading movement: "Floating cities are the next frontier," she says and senses the hostof this cable news show is about to interrupt, about to say something intended to highlight her gender, so she rushes the next line: [End Page 176] "All the surface area on this planet is occupied." She is good at her job so his smug jowls rest while she speaksabout the need for space, more space to experiment with new ways of living. But then the host reaches across the table, grabssqueezes her hand in one oil slick gesture Tell me dear,who is allowed to live on this floating city? her lipstick flakes as the camera zooms in on her face and we can tell it wasn't the pale handof the host, but his question that woke in her eyesan animal kingdom of jealousy as she fears both her own exclusion and the inclusion of all others in parachutesdescending upon the high seas. [End Page 177] III Democracy "...leads to unrest, runaway spending, and a tyrannical government." —Frank Karsten, Beyond Democracy IV Entrepreneurial Opportunities on the sea they might sell fishto passers-by on boats or they might sell fishto other like-minded people afloat on the floating city the word selfish is seventeenth-centuryPresbyterian, first usedin reference to events of the year 1641 which could be any numberof events, including but not limited tothe Iroquois declaring war against New France,the Dutch seizure of Malacca (or the Dutch capture of Angola),or the Irish Rebellion in Ulster self-ful, self-ended, self-seeking:synonyms used during the Early Modern era how else to sell fish? freeze, pack, ship (no need to heed the regulations) string a metal needle through the eyes, brine hang dry and vacuum pack [End Page 178] or they might not sell it at allbut fry it on a Friday, swallow as much as they can and bury the rest at sea V Recruiting Please complete this survey: Why would you choose to live on a seastead? (click all that apply) □ Opportunity to experiment with new governance □ Preference for small communities □ Solitude □ Love of the sea □ Desire to pioneer a new way of life □ Commercial advantages of conducting an offshore enterprise Would you want to operate a business from the seastead? If yes, what kind of business would you like to operate? Do you own more than one home? What is the total value of your real estate assets? How many days a year do you spend on vacation? Do you own a timeshare? If you own a timeshare, how much do you pay for it annually? [End Page 179] VI Ephemerisle Ephemerisle is a floating celebration of community and seasteading. There are no tickets, no central organizers, and no rangers to keep you safe. Ephemerisle prepares usfor our future world through five days of floating on the Sacramento River Delta. You must practice radical self-reliance. You must build a boat. There is limited space. There are no rangersto keep you safe. You are free to do what you want.You must conform to the island commodore's rules. There are no rangers to keep you safe. You are free to do what you want. You can sleep in the nude.You can eat all of your food.You can carve trees in your calves with a switchblade or machete. You can horde life jackets and flares.You can snort several lines of pure white Prague. You can keep your drawbridge raised. You can hoist a flagdepicting buckteeth biting watermelon, but there are no rangers to keep you safe.You can dress your feet in pink FiveFingers.You can have ten wives [End...