Ocean Micronations, The Libertarian Floating Utopia

In the early 16th century, humanist Thomas More envisioned Utopia as a fictional island whose organization principles could inspire the world. Now, at a time when all the world's natural islands have been discovered, some U.S. libertarians aspire to create new ones so they can better organize the world.

For the island of Utopia, More contemplated a system of perfect equality where private property was banned. On the islands dreamed by these U.S. entrepreneurs, who are keen on absolute liberalism and high tech, one principle rules: freedom for the shareholder citizens.

With the financial backing of billionaire Peter Thiel, who co-founded PayPal and was an early Facebook investor, the Seasteading Institute was created by former Google engineer Patri Friedman, who also happens to be the grandson of late economist Milton Friedman, a Nobel Prize laureate. Relying both on scientific progress and grey areas concerning the status of residents in international waters, Friedman and his institute are trying to install new artificial islands in the sea to test innovative forms of government.

On social networks and in the press, the project is invariably presented with amazing imagery — the sort that every architect knows how to produce — of beautiful skies and green archipelagos of residential platforms.

A team of designers and graphic designers, together with engineers, biologists, and legal and financial advisers, have thoughtfully modeled and calculated everything. In July, the institute announced that with $167 million in investments, it would be possible to accommodate 300 people on a reinforced concrete...