Humans love their independence. Wars have been fought for it, songs have been written about it, and history is filled with examples of individuals and communities seeking to raise a flag towards more liberating ideals. And some have taken the flag very literally. 

 

Project Minerva was an ambitious endeavour led by Michael Oliver in the 1970s to create a libertarian utopia on the coral reefs of the South Pacific. They got some coral, wrapped it in chicken wire, covered it in cement, and dumped it on the existing coral reefs which lay just a few metres beneath the water line. High above their man-made island, the flag for the Republic of Minerva flew proudly.

 

But do these libertarians think about the impact on indigenous populations? 

 

And would you really want to live in a country (or a planet) that is bankrolled and governed by the wealthy elite? Surely they have their own agenda, and it’s likely not the health and well-being of their citizens…

 

• 00:00 Shipwrecked on Invisible Reefs
• 01:27 Michael Oliver Escapes from Nazi Rule
• 03:28 Constructing a Libertarian Utopia: The Republic of Minerva
• 05:02 Exploring Libertarian Escapes with Professor Raymond B. Craib
• 09:09 Post World War II Market Libertarianism
• 13:27 Sealand: A Libertarian Exit with Longevity
• 18:15 Ethical Dilemmas of Libertarian Exits
• 21:42 Grand Schemes of Billionaires: Dreams vs. Reality
• 22:24 The Labor Dilemma in Utopian Projects
• 24:52 The Contrast Between Organic and Engineered Libertarian Projects
• 31:04 Ethical Quandaries of Libertarian Experiments
• 35:23 Reimagining Power and Governance in Libertarian Exits
• 42:43 The Cautionary Tale of the Republic of Minerva
• 45:58 Concluding Thoughts on Libertarian Utopias

 

SOURCES:

• A Narrative of the Wreck of the Minerva, by Peter Bays 
• Adventure Capitalism: A History of Libertarian Exit, from the Era of Decolonization to the Digital  Age, by Raymond Craib
• Escape Therapy: On Douglas Rushkoff’s “Survival of the Richest”, by Raymond Craib, in LA  Review of Books 

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