| of European borders has prompted various sorts of shady
dealing. Sealandian passports have reportedly turned up in the hands of European drug traffickers, and, strangely enough, on the corpse of Andrew Cunanan, the murderer of Gianni Versace. Although Prince Roy does issue official papers to citizens of Sealand, he has vehemently de- nounced these passports as forgeries. But Roy has involved Sealand in other schemes, the lat- est being a start-up called HavenCo. Founded by a young MIT dropout named Ryan Lackey, HavenCo styles itself the Internet equivalent of a Cayman Islands bank account: a "data haven" free of any and all government regulation. Cyber-gaming, pyramid schemes, and extra-kinky con- |
gated the possibility of a "freedom ship" that would sail in
international waters. The construction of an artificial island was also discussed, but both options were rejected in favor of a scheme to secure land. Because it lacks a standing army, Freedonia had to rule out secession or annexation. So Prince John and his cabinet have been looking into real estate. Their most promising opportunity is in Somaliland, an East African breakaway nation that declared its own independence in 1991 but has yet to be recognized by the international community. Ac- cording to John, the sultan of a Somaliland province has indecated his willingness to cede a block of land to the Freedonians in exchange for work on several economic-de- |
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Emperor of Aerica. 'I just never grew out of mine.' |
| tent will all be permitted, though HavenCo will refuse to
sanction spamming, money laundering, or kiddie porn. The project is still some ways from completion, but Lackey has already secured $1 million in venture capital. Freedonia's Prince John, however, dismisses Sealand as a "squandred" opportunity to create a more idealistic lib- ertarian state. For the past several years, John himself has spearheaded an effot to convert the political dreams of his contrymen into actual territory. Freedonians first investi- |
velopment projects.
The settlers would be responsible for building an asphalt highway through the province and for constructing a sea- port. Freedonia's lack of restrictions would, John predicts, make the port attractive to shipping lines and commercial fisheries. The country's low taxes would also make it an at- tractive residence for the wealthy -- a cross between Monte Carlo and Liberia. Right now, the biggest thing standing between Freedo- |