Policy

Google CEO Larry Page Supports "Free Cities" Model

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Google CEO Larry Page last week publicly stated his belief in the basics of the libertarianoid "free cities" model–the idea that we should create zones on Earth for experimenting with social and political systems free of current government restrictions.

As reported in the Verge:

"There are many exciting things you could do that are illegal or not allowed by regulation," Page said. "And that's good, we don't want to change the world. But maybe we can set aside a part of the world." He likened this potential free-experimentation zone to Burning Man and said that we need "some safe places where we can try things and not have to deploy to the entire world."

I wrote Reason features about free city models in Honduras, Seasteading (the same basic free cities idea actuated through building new cities in the open ocean), and a book about Burning Man.

Larry, you know my number. (I mean, I assume you must. You run Google, don't you know everything?)

Brian Doherty is a senior editor at Reason and author of Ron Paul's Revolution: The Man and the Movement He Inspired (Broadside Books).