Futur-ish 005: Love Islands? Come and Get Your Sovereignty On
Oct 2, 2025
Explore the allure of owning land and the concept of 'freedom cities' promoting deregulation. Delve into Prospera's controversial startup city and its clash with Honduras. Discover California Forever's stealth land grabs and their implications. Discuss the allure of micronations like Coffee Cay and their quest for autonomy. Unpack the parallels between historical company towns and today's tech-driven initiatives. Finally, consider whether current conditions will help these new sovereign ventures succeed.
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Deregulation As The Core Pitch
- Startup cities promise deregulation to 'move fast' with high-risk science and construction.
- That pitch frames regulatory agencies as obstacles rather than safety systems.
Coffee Cay’s Crowdfunded Micronation
- Coffee Cay sold crowdfunded 'micronation' citizenship to remote investors who hadn't visited.
- Buyers treated land ownership as legislative claim despite Belizean sovereignty.
Startup Cities Echo Company Towns
- Company towns are a historical template for modern startup cities and often produced worker dependence and surveillance.
- The pattern repeats when corporations control local infrastructure and currency.
