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 |  Subject: Anarcho-Capitalist NEWS: Liberland, Europe's newest micronation or total scam? (Video)  Sun Jun 07, 2015 3:41 am | |
| Somewhere on the Danube River along the border between Serbia and Croatia lies a three-square-mile parcel of rugged, undeveloped, unclaimed land that if its owners get their way will soon be recognized as a full-fledged independent nation called Liberland. Europe’s newest micronation was founded by a small group of entrepreneurs calling themselves the Liberland Settlement Association, which they themselves describe as “an idealistically founded association, dedicated to the practical work of establishing a free and sovereign Liberland free state and establishing a permanent settlement within it.” According to their website:
- Quote :
- The motto of Liberland is “To live and let live” because Liberland prides itself on personal and economic freedom of its people, which is guaranteed by the Constitution, which significantly limits the power of politicians so they could not interfere too much in the freedoms of the Liberland nation.
How does one become a citizen of this newly-founded libertarian Utopia? These are the very simple requirements:
- Quote :
- Do you want to become a citizen of Liberland? Liberland is currently accepting applications for citizenship, which will be processed in due time.
Who is needed in Liberland?
Liberland currently needs people who:
have respect for other people and respect the opinions of others, regardless of their race, ethnicity, orientation, or religion
have respect for private ownership which is untouchable
do not have communist, nazi or other extremist past
were not punished for past criminal offences Maybe this all sounds a bit…dubious and possibly crazy? The Liberland Settlement Association’s president wanted to clear the air about his group’s endeavor, so he did a Reddit AMA. Here are some of the questions he got and how he answered them:
- Quote :
- Q: What is your election process like? You state that you’re the president, will the citizens of Liberland have the opportunity to elect a new president in the future? Is there only a limited amount of time you will be able to serve?
A: I am the President of the Liberland Settlement Association (elected by the members) and the CEO of the Liberland Settlement Corporation (elected by the shareholders / board).
I am not a politician – I am an entrepreneur. I run the association which hosts the settlers and the activiss – and the company which has substantial claims inside Liberland. For electoral process of the liberland government, I refer to the Liberland Constitution on Github.
Liberland will have a minimal government as well – and currently it is headed by Mr. Vit Jedlicka.
Q: What if Russia parachutes a dozen or so armed soldiers into your country and claims it as Russian soil due to the “strong historical and cultural ties or the land and its inhabitants?” What is to stop them?
A: Aside our modest internal security force? I’d say – the rest of the world. And how is your question different for Monaco, San Marino, Andorra, Singapore, Luxembourg etc?
Q: This is a joke right? Like, once you’re all out of weed you’re just gonna pack up and call it a day, right?
You actually have no idea what you’re doing, and it’s hilarious.
A: No – its not a joke. Thank you.
Q: Do you guys have decent Internet bandwidth?
A: Yes – that was established BEFORE toilets 
Q: I heard that your real goal is to create a tax haven and allow criminals to launder money. What do you think about these accusations? Do you have any rules on incoming money from outside?
A: Sure – it is one of our objectives to create a low/no tax society. We do not hide that. No – we do not want criminals in Liberland. But we have a common law definition of what is crime, and what is not.
Q: You guys have your own currency?
A: No – we firmly believe in monetary freedom and competing currencies. Currently, the most popular currencies are cash Dinar, Kuna & Euro, along with Bitcoin. Some silver coins in circulation too.
Q: What, if anything, will be illegal in Liberland?
A: Well – naturally aggression against others and their property!
Furthermore (and here we have a touchy subject) we have chosen to adapt a “minimum international treaties package approach” in order to get recognition, and this package includes select Geneva/UN & EFTA treaties, which do include some anti-libertarian commitments.
Thus one cannot readily expect to see a completely anarcho-capitalist society built completely on voluntarist principles. But we will get as close as possible to this, while still obtaining international recognition for our new nation.
A great many things which is regulated or outright illegal in most of the world, will be perfectly legal in Liberland – and the red tape will be almost absent.
Q: This is really the question. Presumably some laws will need to be in place to protect against things like rape and murder that severely impinge on the freedom of another individual.
A: Of course rape and murder and theft etc will be completely unacceptable!
Q: Would you allow people to sell themselves into slavery?
A: Disputed.
Q: How about sell their organs?
A: Probably yes.
Q: How does one go about making a country? Surely at one point this was the land of Croatia, so how did you go about taking it for yourself?
A: For more than 25 years, the land on which Liberland is founded, has been completely unclaimed. Well – until recently that is, as we now claim it, in full compliance with common & int law.
Croatia still does not claim the land – and if they did, they would be 2nd claimant, not first. And seriously – why would they want a swamp, when they could get a European Singapore. Liberland alone would mean a full 1 pct in GNP growth for Croatia and Serbia alike. Vice recently checked in on Liberland and found lots of enthusiasm but not a whole lot of organization.
An Irish filmmaker named George Hooker went to check out Liberland and was invited to go for a swim by the president.
Liberland: new nation or total scam? Or camp site for bored libertarian techno-hippies? You be the judge. |
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