The Really Creepy People Behind the Libertarian-Inspired Billionaire Sea Castles!

[KoKo]

The Really Creepy People Behind the Libertarian-Inspired Billionaire Sea Castles
by Mark Ames | June 2, 2010 - 12:13pm | permalink

What happens when Americans plunder America and leave it broken, destitute and seething mad? Where do these fabulously wealthy Americans go with their loot, if America isn't a safe, secure, or even desirable place to spend their riches? What if they lose faith in their gated communities, because those plush gated communities are surrounded by millions of pissed-off Americans stripped of their entitlements, and who now want in?

We finally have the answer, and you're not going to like it: a new fleet of castles that float in the oceans. The super-wealthy are already building their first floating castle, a billion-dollar-plus luxury liner that offers permanent multimillion-dollar housing with the best protection of all: moats made of oceans, keeping the land-based Americans they've plundered at a safe distance.

The first such floating castle has been christened the "Utopia"--the South Korean firm Samsung has been contracted to build the $1.1 billion ship, due to be launched in 2013. Already orders are coming in to buy one of the Utopia's 200 or so mansions for sale--which range in price from about $4 million for the smallest condos to over $26 million for 6,600 square-foot "estates." The largest mansion is a whopping 40,000 square feet, and sells for $160 million.

It's the first of its kind to offer permanent housing units to buyers, and there'll be plenty on board the Utopia for the global elite inhabitants to keep themselves entertained: an outdoor movie theater, casino, miniature golf course, nightclubs, restaurants, shops, and a water park for the elites' heirs (featuring a "Lazy River," rock-climbing wall and water slides). At nearly 1,000 feet, the Utopia is almost as long as a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier.

The floating castle is a longtime dream of libertarian oligarchs -- a place where they can live their lives in peace free from the teeming masses of starving losers and indebted parasites and their tax demands. Since they’ve grown so rich off of America, they have enough spare change to fund projects like the Seasteading Institute, run by Milton Friedman's grandson, Patri Friedman, and financed by the bizarre right-wing PayPal founder, Peter Thiel. It couldn't have come a moment sooner for Milton Friedman's grandson, who was best known until recently for running a grotesque advice blog for married swingers, PUA4LTR (Pick Up Advice For Long-Term Relationships). Actually, Patri Friedman ran that pick-up advice blog with his wife--the two of them are apparent big-time cyber-swingers, apparently--posting blog entries saying things like "Why Should Husbands Become PUAs? Because otherwise, your wife will talk like those wives on the blog My Husband Is Annoying."

MORE of an INTRIGUING ARTICLE HERE:
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/mark-ames/29203/the-really-creepy-people-behind-the-libertarian-inspired-billionaire-sea-castles

[Dawson Leery]

1. "Libertarianism" is an excuse for wealthy and powerful people

to skirt any and all responsibility. It is their excuse they use to justify the rape and pillage of our economy and resources.

[agent46]

2. related thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8469021

[Whoa_Nelly]

3. Gee! Maybe I DO have a chance at getting a new teaching position after all!

:sarcasm:



Caption:
Utopia also boasts a 525-seat theater, several bars and lounges, a casino, and an art gallery
that will have permanent and rotating collections. Robb said that the management is also considering
hiring teachers to educate children who will live on the ship after hearing interest from potential buyers.



More pics at link: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/real_estate/0912/gallery.Utopia_residences_ocean_liner/5.html

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Can't they all be shot into space...and not allowed to return?

Can't someone please pull the "To Serve Man" con on them??? please?????

[haele]

5. Idiots - they have to get supplies somehow.

And they'll have to pull in for repairs and overhauls on a regular basis - if land gets trashed so much that it wouldn't be safe for them to set foot on land, they're up the brown chunky stream when they have to pull in. They may be able to helo in food and other comfort items, but there's no way they could handle the society once they leave - no going off-road, no mountain climbing, skiing, or any other activity where they have to interact with the proles who aren't on their payroll. Their world is going to get very, very small indeed.
And what happens if Mr. Big and his family find they can no longer pay for the privilege of living the cruise life now that they've blown it all investing in a big steel houseboat that has to go into drydock every five years or so?
It costs close to a billion to overhaul a conventional carrier in a Naval shipyard. It's going to cost that much overhauling one of these monsters, and everyone is going to have to move off the boat for at least a year while the work gets done every four or five years...

Haele

[Tutankhamun]

6. Piracy is really starting to sound like a viable career option at this point.

At least I've finally figured out what I'll be doing when civilization breaks down.

[muntrv]

7. Let's all pray for a rogue wave to hit these floating castles.

[cilla4progress]

8. The meek of the world should unite

against the wealth-suckers of the world - regardless of national origin - and overthrow them. This is a vulgar display of wealth and usurpation.

[MiniMe]

9. Not the first, The World is out there

http://www.aboardtheworld.com/