“Architecture as political space in the most literal sense” is what BldgBlog calls plans by Silicon Valley millionaires to build floating structures in international waters to house independent quasi-nations – or so they hope. Sounds like the ultimate libertarian dream – little if any government, except that which they create, and presumably no taxes at all.
They assume, perhaps erroneously, that other governments would allow such entities to exist and, um, what about defense? A floating platform filled with rich people would make a tempting target indeed for pirates (yes, they still exist) or by most any organized paramilitary, for that matter.
Wired has full details.
I say good, go for it! Maybe that would get some of the ultra-libertarian (and ultra-conservatives) a taste of what their tax dollars do. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of waste in the government (the war for example), but a good chunk of it goes to things the biggest complainers use with great zeal.
I get so sick when people moan about taxes and in the same breath complain about road or bridege repairs inconveniencing their commute, or boast how well their kid is doing in school. The disociation of taxes and their use is second only to that of the food chain here in the US. (I once knew an adult woman who was mortified because the chicken nuggets that were fed to her son at school were cut into the shape of a chicken, no joke.)
There was a great Bloom County comic on that once. Opus tried to imitate an angry right wing farmer reading an editorial, “I want the darned government to get off my back – and where’s my farm subsidy check for not growing crops”, but couldn’t because he kept giggling.