Thai naval officers inspecting a a floating dwelling in the Andaman Sea.(Photo: Royal Thai Navy)<\/p>\n
Seasteading, living on floating dwelling on oceans outside nation boundaries,is beingpromoted by groups that want to test new ideas on communal living in a utopian experiment.<\/p>\n
One groupchampioning it is the Seasteading Institute, which claims that the sea, through \"floating cities,\"is a way to \"allow the next generation of pioneers to peacefully test new ideas for how to live together.\"<\/p>\n
Another is Ocean Builders a group that describes itself as \"a team of engineering focused entrepreneurs who have a passion for seasteading and plans to sell dwellings.<\/p>\n
A floating dwelling, 12 nautical miles off the coast of Phuket, Thailand, is part of a controversy involving a Michigan native and his girlfriend.(Photo: Royal Thai Navy)<\/p>\n
Butthis week,Chad Elwartowski, a Michigan man who sought to live on the ocean in a prototype,octagon-shaped dwellingwith his girlfriend, a Thai citizen,is in deep water with theThai government, which alleges that he infringing on its national sovereignty.<\/p>\n
Elwartowski said he is is now on the run, and could bebe imprisoned for life or suffer the death penalty if he and his girlfriend are caught.<\/p>\n
The Seasteading Institute says that living in international waters on permanent platformsarea way to \"allow the next generation of pioneers to peacefully test new ideas for how to live together.\"<\/p>\n
Read more:<\/p>\n
Michigan man living in ocean has desperate plea: Thai government 'wants us killed'<\/p>\n
American cultural icon Smokey Bear gets a new look and voice for his 75th birthday<\/p>\n
The institute was founded in 2008 by Patri Friedman a political economic theorist who also is the grandson of Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman and technology entrepreneur Peter Thiel.<\/p>\n
It also is encouraging countries to pass legislation that could lead to moreseasteading projects.<\/p>\n
Elwartowski, who moved into a seastead built by Ocean Builders,has suggestedthat seasteading efforts allow people a chanceto start over.<\/p>\n
\"It's basically a blank slate,\" he says in a YouTubevideo, promising that 20 more seasteads would be built based on what his experience. \"Hopefully, with this great blank slate, we can create some great governance.\"<\/p>\n
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read or Share this story: https:\/\/www.freep.com\/story\/news\/world\/2019\/04\/18\/seasteading-institute-chad-elwartowski\/3509205002\/<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read more: <\/p>\n Seastead Institute, Ocean Builders promote seasteading: What ...<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Thai naval officers inspecting a a floating dwelling in the Andaman Sea.(Photo: Royal Thai Navy) Seasteading, living on floating dwelling on oceans outside nation boundaries,is beingpromoted by groups that want to test new ideas on communal living in a utopian experiment. One groupchampioning it is the Seasteading Institute, which claims that the sea, through \"floating cities,\"is a way to \"allow the next generation of pioneers to peacefully test new ideas for how to live together.\" Another is Ocean Builders a group that describes itself as \"a team of engineering focused entrepreneurs who have a passion for seasteading and plans to sell dwellings. A floating dwelling, 12 nautical miles off the coast of Phuket, Thailand, is part of a controversy involving a Michigan native and his girlfriend.(Photo: Royal Thai Navy) Butthis week,Chad Elwartowski, a Michigan man who sought to live on the ocean in a prototype,octagon-shaped dwellingwith his girlfriend, a Thai citizen,is in deep water with theThai government, which alleges that he infringing on its national sovereignty. Continue reading