Month: August 2021

Afghanistan: We Never Learn

By Matt Taibbi As the Taliban waltzes into Kabul, the look of surprise on the faces of top officials should frighten us most of all. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, when asked months ago about the possibility that there might be a “significant deterioration” of the security picture […]

How the Bobos Broke America

I’ve always disliked David Brooks as a neocon mouthpiece. But his “bourgeois bohemians” thesis was prophetic. When you’re right, you’re right. By David Brooks, The Atlantic The dispossessed set out early in the mornings. They were the outsiders, the scorned, the voiceless. But weekend after weekend—unbowed and undeterred—they […]

The American Dream of Secession

By Nicky Reid aka Comrade Hermit Exile in Happy Valley Do you smell that, dearest motherfuckers? Secession is in the air and not just among freaky anarchists like me. From coast to coast, from border to border, Americans of all stripes, shades and sizes are openly discussing and […]

The Vanishing Legacy of Barack Obama

By Matt Taibbi On the road from stirring symbol of hope and change to the Fat Elvis of neoliberalism, birthday-partying Barack Obama sold us all out. It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness. — Leo Tolstoy “Even Scaled Back,” wrote Vanity Fair, “Barack […]

Special Issue on Non-Territorial Governance

Journal of Special Jurisdictions This special issue’s topic is non-territorial governance. We sought papers that explored the relationship between non-territorial forms of governance, such as blockchain, the internet and distributed communities, and special jurisdictions, including Special Economic Zones and other forms of Startup Societies. We decided to put these […]

Common Law Zones: An Illustrated Review

By Tom W. Bell Governments across the globe have created special jurisdictions offering common law rules and practices imported from abroad, the better to attract foreign investment and stimulate local economic growth. Four such common law zones have launched in recent years: the United Arab Emirates’ Dubai International […]

Seasteading: How Floating Nations Will Restore the Environment, Enrich the Poor, Cure the Sick, and Liberate Humanity from Politicians

In these “thought-provoking visions of the future” (The Wall Street Journal), Joe Quirk and Patri Friedman of the Seasteading Institute explain how ocean cities can solve many of our environmental, technological, and civic problems, and introduce the visionaries and pioneers who are now making seasteading a reality. Our […]