As I read the article it brought to mind Josef Mengele and the Robber Barons of the 19th century. Where does one begin to critique these nonsensical ideas and where does it end?
Great piece. More examples of arguably shallow, self-important, self-obsessed "thinkers/disrupters" scrambling to make their mark with projects few folks are asking for. And their day still ends with a karaoke bar and techno music. Leave Roatan alone, focus on enjoying your families.
The first thing that comes to mind is fear for the locals girls, boys, women. These people will take what they want, when they want it, without repercussions. Tell the locals to go into hiding!
Libertarian anarchy, whether Lenin or Thiel versions, means death.
"Castro’s anti-ZEDE argument is that Próspera, and other organizations like it (there are currently three ZEDEs in Honduras), are merely the modern version of the mining and banana enclaves that dominated Central America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These companies compromised sovereignty all over Central America, and Honduras in particular, she has argued, operating like quasi-nation states with tax exemptions and policing restrictions. As Castro told the U.N. General Assembly in 2022: “every millimeter of our homeland usurped in the name of the sacrosanct freedom of the market, ZEDEs, and other regimes of privilege was irrigated with the blood of our native peoples.”
These poor deluded fools. A few more years of longevity is meaningless, and probably useless and painful. Death is simple metamorphosis. The human species is not eternal, nor should it be. Colonizing Mars will accomplish nothing. The ultimate destruction of the earth, the solar system, the entire galaxy, is a certainty. The best we can do is transmit instructions for other life forms to recreate humans; but they will probably have the sense not to do such a foolish thing. There will always be an infinite number of worlds. What these idiots are doing is riding the long wave of capital accumulation to ever higher levels of anarchy and oppression. I'm not condemning capital or capitalism. Both are essential, but with strict controls, to run the world, what we used to call democratic common sense, or democratic socialism, a concept unknown to these people whose greed feeds their delusions of self-importance and their blindness to the reality that their wealth comes from everyone else. Better to help all people live and die with dignity than to defy nature for personal gain. They, like Elon Musk, their poster child, are children. And their childishness threatens the real world here and now and for the foreseeable future.
This looks like the most absurd semi-utopian mishmash ever.An old school Woody Allen political farce plus an A24 science and morality deep think with undertones of a Hulu mysterious-goings-on-in-a-posh-resort miniseries. What happens when refugees or rebels shop up, or a real world Raymond Reddington? What happens when an experiment goes terribly wrong? What about the people that already lived in these locales? Benign gentrification, a servant class, or a diaspora fueled by first world wages?
Remember all those 'nerds make the world better' movies from the 80s and 90s: Real Genius, Revenge of the Nerds, WarGames, Fresh, Weird Science? The book smart outsider uses science and empathy to not just get the girl but to make the world a little bit better. Will it work in an island paradise or become Lord of the Flies with Bitcoin? Look at San Francisco...somehow money makes things worse - unless you can keep making more
Never forget that crypto is the tool of syndicated theft. Oligarchs will do anything to destroy democracy, and with it all hope of a sane world. The Musk-Thiel syndicate is for real. The burning red skull is the perfect symbol of their libertarian anarchy which always leads to one form of fascism or another. And there seems to be nothing that can stop them.
Don't forget the huge amount of energy needed for crypto and Bitcoin. Us ordinary people are supposed ride bicycles, heat our homes with tree branches, and use compost toilets while finance bros get to make their useless silly currency.
" ... society is struggling to build those things because the base layer has been hijacked by corporate corruption ..." So close, yet so far. It's right there in front of them. And so, a heart congealed with wealth seeks a new body to kill.
Lack of history for most of these tech guys. Are they the new merchant league of the Middle Ages in Northern Europe? or more lovers of Pirate movies?
But now I now why Peter Thiel looks so shiny and weird in an interview I saw recently. Must be getting the longevity first batches of the latest stuff.
Nevertheless, all of them should read Jose Saramago novel, The Intermittents of Death.
I stayed there for 2 months during Vitalia pop-up city and produced a documentary featuring Balaji, Patri and others.
https://startupsociety.film
I just watched your documentary. Great companion piece to this article.
thanks!
What a bunch of grifters. Good story.
As I read the article it brought to mind Josef Mengele and the Robber Barons of the 19th century. Where does one begin to critique these nonsensical ideas and where does it end?
You’ve summed it up perfectly.
The public face of the oligarchy is the lie that they are doing things for the public good.
My wife summed it up this way, “It’s a haven for rich people to do whatever they want without consequences”.
120 Days of Sod All (with apologies to Grant Morrison)
Great piece. More examples of arguably shallow, self-important, self-obsessed "thinkers/disrupters" scrambling to make their mark with projects few folks are asking for. And their day still ends with a karaoke bar and techno music. Leave Roatan alone, focus on enjoying your families.
Excellently well reported
The first thing that comes to mind is fear for the locals girls, boys, women. These people will take what they want, when they want it, without repercussions. Tell the locals to go into hiding!
Libertarian anarchy, whether Lenin or Thiel versions, means death.
"Castro’s anti-ZEDE argument is that Próspera, and other organizations like it (there are currently three ZEDEs in Honduras), are merely the modern version of the mining and banana enclaves that dominated Central America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These companies compromised sovereignty all over Central America, and Honduras in particular, she has argued, operating like quasi-nation states with tax exemptions and policing restrictions. As Castro told the U.N. General Assembly in 2022: “every millimeter of our homeland usurped in the name of the sacrosanct freedom of the market, ZEDEs, and other regimes of privilege was irrigated with the blood of our native peoples.”
Modern version of the United Fruit Company. Love the irony that the current president of Honduras is named Castro.
Nice
Absolute fire from Sam Venis as usual
Thanks for supporting my work Bernard!
These poor deluded fools. A few more years of longevity is meaningless, and probably useless and painful. Death is simple metamorphosis. The human species is not eternal, nor should it be. Colonizing Mars will accomplish nothing. The ultimate destruction of the earth, the solar system, the entire galaxy, is a certainty. The best we can do is transmit instructions for other life forms to recreate humans; but they will probably have the sense not to do such a foolish thing. There will always be an infinite number of worlds. What these idiots are doing is riding the long wave of capital accumulation to ever higher levels of anarchy and oppression. I'm not condemning capital or capitalism. Both are essential, but with strict controls, to run the world, what we used to call democratic common sense, or democratic socialism, a concept unknown to these people whose greed feeds their delusions of self-importance and their blindness to the reality that their wealth comes from everyone else. Better to help all people live and die with dignity than to defy nature for personal gain. They, like Elon Musk, their poster child, are children. And their childishness threatens the real world here and now and for the foreseeable future.
The concept of common good is lost in these narcissistic fantasies.
This looks like the most absurd semi-utopian mishmash ever.An old school Woody Allen political farce plus an A24 science and morality deep think with undertones of a Hulu mysterious-goings-on-in-a-posh-resort miniseries. What happens when refugees or rebels shop up, or a real world Raymond Reddington? What happens when an experiment goes terribly wrong? What about the people that already lived in these locales? Benign gentrification, a servant class, or a diaspora fueled by first world wages?
Remember all those 'nerds make the world better' movies from the 80s and 90s: Real Genius, Revenge of the Nerds, WarGames, Fresh, Weird Science? The book smart outsider uses science and empathy to not just get the girl but to make the world a little bit better. Will it work in an island paradise or become Lord of the Flies with Bitcoin? Look at San Francisco...somehow money makes things worse - unless you can keep making more
Fascinating read. I see many rabbit holes in my near future.
Never forget that crypto is the tool of syndicated theft. Oligarchs will do anything to destroy democracy, and with it all hope of a sane world. The Musk-Thiel syndicate is for real. The burning red skull is the perfect symbol of their libertarian anarchy which always leads to one form of fascism or another. And there seems to be nothing that can stop them.
Don't forget the huge amount of energy needed for crypto and Bitcoin. Us ordinary people are supposed ride bicycles, heat our homes with tree branches, and use compost toilets while finance bros get to make their useless silly currency.
A group of libertarians trying to live forever and own a country. What could possibly go wrong? Great article
" ... society is struggling to build those things because the base layer has been hijacked by corporate corruption ..." So close, yet so far. It's right there in front of them. And so, a heart congealed with wealth seeks a new body to kill.
We're actually all gonna die, and death gives meaning to life.
Lack of history for most of these tech guys. Are they the new merchant league of the Middle Ages in Northern Europe? or more lovers of Pirate movies?
But now I now why Peter Thiel looks so shiny and weird in an interview I saw recently. Must be getting the longevity first batches of the latest stuff.
Nevertheless, all of them should read Jose Saramago novel, The Intermittents of Death.
Immortality is fools gold.
Or, you know, “Tithonus,” by Tennyson