2014/1/4 「比特幣烏托邦：自由主義者天堂」

比特幣烏托邦：自由主義者天堂

摘錄自：天下雜誌 經濟學人電子報                        2013/1/3

2013-12-27 Web only 作者：經濟學人

 

圖片來源：flickr.com/photos/zcopley/

一群自由意志派、美國眾議員保羅（Ron Paul）的支持者、自稱是無政府主義者的人，逃離了世界經濟系統，在智利創建「高爾特峽谷」──此社群的靈感來自蘭德（Ayn Rand）的《阿特拉斯聳聳肩》，而且經濟完全以比特幣為基礎，至少目標是如此。

此計畫的建立者及管理合夥人強森（Ken Johnson）解釋道，「我們的農場工人和供應商還是希望我們支付披索，但讓比特幣成為高爾特幣？有何不可？」要是世界經濟崩潰，智利高爾特峽谷的居民可以退回這個自給自足的社群，此地擁有射擊練習場、馬術場、水療及健身中心、廣達100公頃的農場，還有可以讓旅外自由派牙醫和脊椎治療師開業的創新中心。

然而，要是世界經濟沒有崩潰，強森還是有備案──高爾特峽谷有機農產品。智利法律分離了土地權、礦產權和水權，強森也取得了這三項權利，特別是水權；高爾特峽谷的邊界有兩條何，更坐落於56口已知水井之上，高爾特峽谷瓶裝水或許很快就要問世。

高爾特峽谷距離聖地牙哥機場僅45分鐘車程，但正如強森所說，這裡就像是世界的盡頭；但他補充道，他的目標並不是逃離世界，事實上，他們希望大家能找到這裡。確實，目前此地的土地僅售出12％，強森也全力向自由意志派和比特幣社群推銷。

強森曾是加州房屋仲介和電解水機的推銷者，現在則成為自由意志圈子中的名人；許多作家曾造訪這塊未來的烏托邦，還有電視公司希望能為此地拍攝紀錄片。其他類似計畫失敗之餘，為何強森認為他的計畫可以成功？他解釋道，「我們是個自由的社群，但我們並不想創立一個主權國家；我們繳稅也遵從法律，我們的目標是減少世界其他地區對此地的影響，但也不會叫世界離開這裡。」

蘭德的想法究竟對此社群的設計產生了多大的影響？強森承認他從來沒能讀完《阿特拉斯聳聳肩》，但他看過改編電影，也瀏覽了小說的導讀，覺得它們都非常不錯。（黃維德譯）

©The Economist Newspaper Limited 2013

經濟學人英文原文

The Economist

Libertarian enclaves

Bitcoin paradise

By The Economist

From The Economist

Published: December 27, 2013

Dec 25th 2013, 22:20 by J.M.P. | MONTEVIDEO

A GROUP of self-described anarchists, libertarians and Ron Paul supporters fleeing the crumbling world economic system have founded Galt's Gulch, a community in Chile inspired by Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged"—and with an economy based entirely on Bitcoin. Or that's the goal, anyway.

"Our farm workers and suppliers still want to get paid in pesos," Ken Johnson, the project's founder and managing partner, explains. "But Bitcoin as the John Galt coin? Why shouldn't it be?"

If the world economic system "goes sideways," as Mr Johnson puts it, residents will retreat to their self-sufficient gated community, where they will enjoy a shooting range, equestrian facilities, and spa and fitness center. The 6,874-hectare site  also includes a 100-hectare farm, although it is not clear who will pick the lettuce when the world ends.

Galt's Gulch Chile—a name impossible for local Spanish-speakers to pronounce—will also boast an innovation centre, where expatriate libertarian dentists and chiropractors may ply their trade. In exchange for Bitcoin, of course.

In the event the world economic system fails to collapse on schedule, however, Mr Johnson has a plan B—his new trademark, Galt's Gulch Organics. "The farm came with 65 hectares of lemons," he says. "The US and Japanese markets pay a premium for organic, non-GMO produce." Plans are in the works to plant herbs, spices, fruit, nuts, and vineyards, and organic certification is not far off.

A quirk of Chilean law makes land, mining and water rights independent of each other. Mr Johnson made sure to acquire all three, particularly the water rights. "In the future, wars will be fought over water," he says. Two rivers border the land, and the community sits atop 56 known water wells. Galt's Gulch bottled mineral water may soon be in the offing. Mr Johnson is also building guest haciendas to house not only prospective buyers, but also, he hopes, tourists.

Set in a secluded valley 17 kilometres from Curacavi, Chile, on the road between Santiago and the luxurious beach resort of Viña del Mar, Galt's Gulch is a mere forty-five minutes by car from the Santiago airport, but, as Mr Johnson says, "it feels like you're at the end of the Earth." Yet his goal is not isolationist, he adds. "We're not trying to hide from the world. In fact we want people to find us."

Indeed, of the 430 lots for sale, only 12% have sold so far, and Mr Johnson is marketing vigorously to the libertarian and Bitcoin communities. Lots are priced in both dollars and Bitcoin, with big discounts for buyers who pay in that crypto-currency. Many early adopters of Bitcoin find themselves sitting on small fortunes, and Mr Johnson hopes to tempt them to diversify into real estate. So far nine clients have paid in Bitcoin, totaling around $1.5m in revenue.

Mr Johnson, a former California real estate agent and evangelist of water ionizers (devices supposed to slow aging and prevent disease, but derided as snake oil by many scientists) has become something of a celebrity in libertarian circles. Authors such as Ben Swann, Josh Tolley, Luke Rudkowski, Bob Murphy, Angela Keaton, Tatiana Moroz and Wendy McElroy have visited the site of his future utopia, and a television production company is pitching a documentary series on the community.

Most buyers so far, he says, are expats or second-home buyers. For Mr Johnson, the appeal is easy to explain. "It's like California, only forty or fifty years ago. Feels like you've stepped back in time." Mr Johnson plans to break ground in 2014, and estimates five years to fulfill his vision of a place where he can "live and let live, thrive and let thrive."

Why does he think his project will succeed where similar schemes have failed? "We're a freedom-minded community, but we're not trying to create a sovereign state," he explains. "We pay our taxes, we obey the law. Our goal is to lessen the effect of the rest of the world without telling the world to go take a flying leap."

As for Ayn Rand, just how much have her ideas influenced the community's design? Mr Johnson admits he never finished "Atlas Shrugged". "I'm not actually much of a reader," he says. "Watched the movie and skimmed the Cliff's Notes, though. Good stuff."

©The Economist Newspaper Limited 2013