Oh, “Lord love a duck!”
I have now spent a good part of 3 days reading and considering this thread and I will here give you some of my thoughts on it. First, I note that pages 1-7 have a set of authors different from pages 8 and 9.
The first set of authors are, I believe, completely unrealistic and idealistic. This is common to the young and to the academic. They seem to be excited by the ideas but ignorant and uninterested in the practice (of the ideas). The second set are much more realistic but the first set did not respond to them, which says even more about the first set. As a teenager some of my favorite authors were Clark, Heinlein, and Asimov. And the island idea might make a good sci-fi.
Today an island without population would exist only because of no potable water or unbearable climate. To get potable water would require a de-salinization plant. To run the plant would require a nuclear generator. To use both would need a distribution system, whose support would require roads (if only graded and compacted). At this point no one lives there and billions (if not trillions) have been spent. I am an active investor and have occasionally taken some big risks, but this project would not get 1 penny from me. So suppose these improvements were all inplace and the first set moved there and homesteaded. As academics they have no skills and must be completely supported by a working population that must be paid and who will outnumber them. As NAPs they must also hire security including, probably, individual bodyguards, although not until they begin earning a sufficient income. There is no culture whatever to hold or guide them on one path. And finally, note that we currently have a government directed and primarily run by academics.
My thoughts here may be unjustly negative, but may spur some response, if only in anger. But I do challenge these first set of authors to take at least 1 class, during their schooling, in a trade. Try welding, woodworking, cooking, cleaning, gardening, shoemaking, gunsmithing, anything. A skilled welder taday earns $USD 200,000 - 250,000 in the Canadian oil sands, non-union. Also I strongly recommend that each of the first set of authors take a gun safety class. These typically last 1 day and don’t cost too much, everything needed is provided, and there is a choice of pistol, rifle, or shotgun safety. See the NRA site for schedules.
I think the second set of authors is not only more realistic but can acturally be accomplished today. But is the commitment really there or is it all talk.
My idea is to do it by means of the currency. Gold coins are not taxed. Did you know that! So if you could create a sub-economy that dealt in gold there would be no taxes, legally. In order to consume the maximum possible of your desired consumption as economically as possible this sub-economy would have to be a physically geographic community - a small town or village. Each Libertarian would purchase a home and live there, hopefully resulting in all contiguous land being so owned. The village would, desirably, be as self-supporting as possible. Realistically most would have jobs outsice the village which earned income on which all taxes must be paid. All remaining income would then be converted to gold. In time the village would grow to be self-supporting. In this way legal secession could be postponed until the village had grown to be large enough and rich enough and therefore powerfull enough to defend itself, and would have other villages started on the same path.
The free-state project of the Libertarian Party has, by vote, selected New Hampshire and when 20,000 members commit to move there, it will be able to vote in the State Legislature, they propose.
I think that Montana is a better choice, for many reasons. The population is 1/2, and the current laws and population are much more supportive today.
I hope you will reply, both sets, please.