A Rock To Tie A String Around

I like to fantasize about moving to exotic foreign countries, like Canada. So every once in awhile, I find myself up late with insomnia, googling phrases like ‘so you want to become a Canadian’ or ‘how to move to France’. My findings will be the topic of another, more in depth blog, I promise, but it’ll have to wait. I got sidetracked by crazy. As it turns out, it’s hard to move to a foreign country, the French government doesn’t seem at all enthusiastic about my plan of not working and instead sitting in quaint little cafes and eating baguettes all day. Pfftt….who knew the French were so uptight?

So I turned my sights to more attainable countries, I figured that maybe if I go to a less popular place…the immigration process will be easier. I did a little hunting around and found this guy named Max, who wants to start his own autonomous community and house it in the middle of a third world county where presumably they won’t notice it’s there or won’t care.

I know that you’re thinking – this sounds like my college roommate, the first roommate, the one I suspected of being the uni-bomber, the one who constructed voodoo dolls out of paper clips and left them scattered on my bed when I’d go to class. That roommate, the one that mysteriously disappeared after winter break….. I think this is a male version of my college roomie, all grown up and full of ambition.

Max’s idea is called The Liberty Colony. I had a hard time actually finding his site…maybe he has it under super Liberty Colony induced security….but here’s a link to a discussion wherein Max tries to sway people to his cause:

http://mises.org/Community/forums/t/2725.aspx?PageIndex=1

The basic idea is that the Liberty Coloneers would be exempt from all the stifling, controlling government meddling and free to practice full entrepreneurial freedom. They’ll make millions! Of course….since they’ll be living in a third world county (some suggestions on the site include Somalia, Afghanistan) the likelihood that their amazing products and/or services will be funded by the locals is slim. I guess they’ll be utilizing the world wide web….of course, they can do that already, and they don’t have to live in Puntland. But there must be something I’m missing about the allure of The Liberty Colony, right?

Worried that they might be a little close-minded? Just like my college roommate was close-minded when I asked if she would consider not cleaning her frog tank in the shower stall….. Don’t worry, The Liberty Colony accepts all sorts of different political views: “a variety of groups to include conservatives, libertarians, anarcho-capitalists, minarchists and a variety of other variously named groups.”

See? True diversity. Libertarians and anarchists!

Max is serious. Just like my college roomie was serious about never washing her hair. He only wants hard-core applicants, and this is not for the faint of heart. If you go to the Liberty Colony, of course, since the location is to be kept secret – that’ll be hard…. But if you go, you are signed on for a year contract, after that you’re free to ‘do as you please’, c’mon, are you going to get an offer like that from France?

“…in the first year the initial Colonists agree to be governed by the initial PDA. After one year is expired they are released from that obligation and can do as they please…”

Max is totally reasonable. Just like my roomie was totally reasonable when she used my teapot to make ramen noodles, thus making my next cup of tea taste like powdered chicken Ceylon….

If this really is my ex-roomie, then I think I’ll have an in. I might even get waved the tax that Max is proposing to charge his new inhabitants. Did I accidentally say tax? That’s not what I meant, Max would never ‘tax’ anyone; taxes are a symptom of communist socialist fascist regime bent on destroying personal liberty. That’s not what the Liberty Colony is all about. No, Max is simply requiring operational costs – that are paid directly to him for the privilege of living in rural Afghanistan….

Interested? Max is taking the first 100 applicants as soon as he can mix the Kool-Aid…I mean take the applications. Want to help? Here’s some suggestions that Max offers:

“Also, there are other ways to help:
1. Spread the word about the site.
2. Help recruit colonists.
3. Help sponsor a specific Colonist or contribute to the general fund to pay for the Colonists. Every bit helps.
4. Volunteer to be a mod in the forums and post in the forums.”

You can also contact Max at: info@libertycolony.com

In fact, if you actually do contact Max, and get a reply – I’ll send you a prize….granted that prize will be something I find around my house, and will be of varying value….but a prize nonetheless. It’s a contest!