Regulations are the rules by which a society is organized. The least intrusive regulations provide a process for resolving conflicts between individuals and organizations. More intrusive regulations govern the economic and moral activity of individuals and organizations.
So what kind of regulations will be on seasteads? That depends on who is living on, working on, and building the seastead. Seasteading is not about finding a one-size-fits-all solution for all humankind. It is about providing a framework for people to create and choose the solutions that work for them.
The first seastead will likely be hosted by an existing country, and it will be the first incremental step toward freedom on the high seas.
The seastead will adhere to some regulations of the host country, but it will also be its own Special Economic Zone with regulations tailored to it. This will allow seasteads to have regulations that make more sense for a new, floating society, while also satisfying the needs of the host country.
Because it will be starting from new, there will likely have less regulation than almost anywhere on earth. Trying out new regulation is risky, and seasteaders will absorb the cost of failure, not the host country. If the seastead succeeds and brings prosperity to the host country, seasteaders may ask for more economic freedom, moving a little further out to sea. We call this “strategic incrementalism.”
Instead of arguing for freedom, seasteads will demonstrate it works step by step. If we can provide platforms for innovators to try their governance ideas, the future can be a beautiful, exciting place.
If you want to learn more, or if you want to join the first seasteading community, go to Blue-Frontiers.com and read Seasteading: How Floating Nations Will Restore the Environment, Enrich the Poor, Cure the Sick, and Liberate Humanity from Politicians.
Created by Joe Quirk, Jackson Sullivan, and Carly Jackson.
NOTES:
Strategic incrementalism: https://www.seasteading.org/about/vision-strategy/
Law and Policy research: https://www.seasteading.org/law-and-policy/
Podcast: SeaZones Compared to Nation-States: Tom W. Bell Explains: https://www.seasteading.org/podcast-seazones-compared-to-nation-states-tom-w-bell-explains/
Tom W. Bell on Polycentric Law: http://www.tomwbell.com/polycentric.html
