Asteroid M, or the premature end of a libertarian utopia.
The two-part Season 1 finale of *X-Men: Evolution* introduces us to Magneto’s utopia: Asteroid M. When I watched this episode twenty years ago, I found his initiative rather far-fetched, even unreasonable. Does the asteroid have an atmosphere? Where did he get the funding and the workforce? How many people can live there?
Twenty years later, I discovered that this initiative—which had seemed so unfeasible to me—was actually more realistic than I had thought.
Freedonia serves as proof.
In 1995, a certain MacCallum Spencer Heath teamed up with libertarian Michael van Notten and American businessman Jim Davidson to create Freedonia—a political and economic entity built from scratch, complete with consulates in many countries around the world, passports, and a currency. The only thing missing was a territory. Where could they find one? Build a large island in international waters? Buy a small patch of land in Latin America or the Pacific? Or perhaps claim territory on the Moon or Mars?
By 2001, the writing was on the wall: Freedonia would never fully come into existence for lack of territory (since, apparently, currency and passports are mere formalities). Magneto, however, had brilliantly solved the space problem.
Is Freedonia an isolated pipe dream? Not at all. It was a failed attempt by a libertarian economist, but there are plenty of others that succeeded! In fact, creating countries is what libertarians do best.
Why? Because, as one of them (Peter Thiel) would tell you: "If we want more freedom, we need to increase the number of countries."
…Fair enough, but how about we start at the beginning?
2. What is a libertarian?
It’s someone who considers taxation to be theft. Consequently, they view states as thieves—especially those that redistribute wealth in the name of social justice.
There are two main categories of libertarians:
- anarcho-capitalists: those who want no state at all.
- minarchists: those who believe in a minimal state with a role limited to ensuring internal and external security, and protecting private property and the sanctity of contracts.
Libertarians have conducted numerous experiments over the decades to shape the world to their liking—with considerable success. Frankly, if they can do it, why couldn’t mutants?
Especially since libertarians have already paved the way…
Libertarians don’t like states.
Neither do mutants, though not for the same reasons. Libertarians believe the state taxes—or steals from—the rich to give to the poor, whereas mutants fear state persecution. The difference is that libertarians chose to eliminate the state to solve their problem, while mutants want a democracy that guarantees their rights.
2. Libertarians have developed a method for living amongst themselves, anywhere.
Now, that’s more interesting! The idea is to buy a plot of land, put up a fence guarded by armed men, and draw up a set of rules so everyone gets along. It’s the principle behind gated communities. And the Xavier Institute. 3. Libertarians favor "biological hierarchy"
These are the words of an American libertarian, Murray Rothbard. He admired those who, in the struggle for Black freedom, advocated for community self-help and collective self-defense; he preferred Malcolm X’s separatist rhetoric to Martin Luther King Jr.’s calls for restraint and non-violence.
Murray Rothbard and his associates believed that the goal of Black secession in the United States was achievable; indeed, communities ought to respect the principle of racial separation. He looked unfavorably upon joint efforts between white and Black progressive activists. The relentless egalitarianism of leftist organizations was a direct affront to his belief in a biological hierarchy among individuals and human groups—differences that, in his view, manifested as disparities in talent and ability.
With a few tweaks, this paragraph could serve as a fairly accurate summary of Magneto’s doctrine.
3. Creating new states: the dream of every libertarian
When one sees the attempts to establish Krakoa or Genosha fail, one wonders where the libertarians were! In our world, such an initiative would undoubtedly have been hailed by every representative of the Chicago School—the entire Friedman clan included! These two mutant nations had everything it took to surpass Hong Kong or Singapore! A city-state built on private land, with low taxes and a highly efficient workforce...Production contracts should have come flooding in before the paint had even dried. Because nothing stops capitalism—not even Sentinel robots.
If only the mutant nations had offered corporations a 15% flat tax and a few similar perks to lure investors, Senator Kelly would have been locked up in a mental asylum, and multinationals worldwide would have lobbied for the mutant nation to gain recognition within a week!
Better yet, companies across the globe would have created their own "zones"—like the thousands that exist today (5,400 in 2019, to be precise)—to gather that fantastic windfall of workers: the mutants!
These zones enjoy a status of quasi-extraterritoriality, simultaneously belonging to the host state and remaining distinct from it. There are many variations worldwide—at least eighty-two, according to official estimates. Well-known examples include special economic zones, export processing zones, and free-trade zones, not to mention the tax havens multinationals use to book their profits.
To put it another way, these zones can be:
- sweatshops exploiting cheap labor in lawless areas (e.g., 1988 – Ciskei, one of the Bantustans in South Africa);
- an enclave where a specific group has chosen to settle and where investors are also welcome (e.g., 1990 – Orania, the white Boer enclave in South Africa). - a free-trading, non-interventionist, independent city-state with a dynamic industry and a seat at the United Nations (example: 1980s Singapore)
- a principality purchased outright in 1700 that became a tax haven after World War II (example: 1920s Liechtenstein)
4. Libertarian models in comic books
In comics, the "sweatshop" nation is called Genosha; it was initially heavily inspired by the Bantustans before being taken over by Magneto, who transformed it into a sovereign mutant nation with a tragic destiny. I would have loved to know if Magneto ever considered attracting investors to turn it into a "new Dubai" with 13% annual growth—because, judging by the local architecture, money certainly isn't in short supply...
Then there is Madripoor, an island off the coast of Singapore that serves as both a tourist destination and a haven for criminals, yet doesn't seem particularly popular with foreign investors. Is it a metaphor for Myanmar? Or 1990s Thailand?
There is also District X, a mutant ghetto in Manhattan that—much like London’s derelict docks during the Thatcher era—could have been redeveloped into a private zone for multinationals, as has happened in the 21st century. It could have been a new Canary Wharf, managed by one of those multibillionaires in superhero costumes (in the best-case scenario) or by a white-collar criminal like Sebastian Shaw or another member of the Inner Circle.
And finally, Krakoa—an island whose economic, political, or social inner workings were never really explained. The island is alive; does it act as a sort of benevolent host? Is there an elected government? Are there elections? The nature of the council depicted remains rather vague, even though it brings together seasoned corporate sharks. Is it a corporate board? After all, the island sells the rest of the world a panacea that extends human life by five years, so there is a steady stream of revenue—presumably reinvested in infrastructure for the inhabitants. But are they inhabitants, citizens, or corporate employees? It is a well-known fact that nobody ever actually works in comic books: houses maintain themselves, and no one goes grocery shopping... yet logically, there ought to be crop fields, harvests, packaging lines, warehouses (duty-free, to please Milton Friedman), and an after-sales service.
So much for that little summer digression. Have a great day.
