Can tech billionaires replace democracy? | BBC News — Transcript

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1. 0:02Liberland was founded by libertarians
2. 0:05and libertarians hate taxes,
3. 0:07regulations, and big government.
4. 0:11Instead of trying to fight the
5. 0:12government in their own countries, the
6. 0:14Liberlanders realized they could use
7. 0:16blockchain technology to just make their
8. 0:19own, replacing pesky politicians and
9. 0:21laws with compliant computer code.
10. 0:24>> Liberland represents a bold vision for
11. 0:28the future. One where sovereignty,
12. 0:31innovation, and the individual's freedom
13. 0:34are at the center of society.
14. 0:37>> This tech-libertarian utopia has
15. 0:39attracted the support of around 30
16. 0:42billionaires, many [music] of them from
17. 0:44the world of crypto.
18. 0:45>> We're building the first decentralized
19. 0:47autonomous government and also the
20. 0:48freest country in the world.
21. 0:50>> When Liberland's [music] president, Vit
22. 0:52Jedlička, found a muddy bit of land in
23. 0:55the Danube River, unclaimed by
24. 0:57neighboring Serbia nor Croatia, he
25. 0:59spotted an opportunity. Thus, Liberland
26. 1:02was born.
27. 1:08But, as that island still has no roads
28. 1:11or electricity,
29. 1:13for the time being, the founding fathers
30. 1:15of Liberland have set up an outpost
31. 1:17[music] called Ark Village just across
32. 1:19the river.
33. 1:25>> So, all we're all in here, yeah?
34. 1:27>> We're all in here.
35. 1:30>> I I I guess it takes a while to build
36. 1:32one of these communities into a
37. 1:34billionaire-suitable
38. 1:38community.
39. 1:39Nice.
40. 1:53Morning.
41. 1:53>> It's Norway, don't worry.
42. 1:57>> Free country, [music] isn't it?
43. 1:59>> Yeah.
44. 2:00It's a free country.
45. 2:00>> I'm looking for your president. Is he
46. 2:02around?
47. 2:03>> Yes, I will bring you to the president.
48. 2:05He's upstairs. We're waiting for you for
49. 2:06breakfast.
50. 2:07>> Come in. Welcome.
51. 2:09>> Thank you. Thank you.
52. 2:09>> To the ark.
53. 2:11>> Right. Yes.
54. 2:11>> All right. Good morning, guys.
55. 2:12>> Hello, Mr. President. Matt.
56. 2:15>> Hey, nice meeting you, Matt. How are you
57. 2:16doing?
58. 2:17>> Good. Good. Thanks so much for having
59. 2:18me.
60. 2:18>> Yeah.
61. 2:19>> Yeah, please please join us for
62. 2:20breakfast, guys.
63. 2:21>> Great.
64. 2:22>> So, we'll sit here.
65. 2:24Yeah, we'll actually show you around the
66. 2:25plots that we bought around this
67. 2:27property where we want to build
68. 2:29longevity clinic and spa. I think
69. 2:31longevity tourism in general will be one
70. 2:33of the key businesses, not just
71. 2:36cryptocurrencies.
72. 2:38Uh not just AI, which we already have
73. 2:40quite a lot.
74. 2:40>> How many companies generally are
75. 2:42registered in
76. 2:43>> Uh I think we've got 200 active
77. 2:44companies right now.
78. 2:45>> Really? Registered in Liberland? Wow.
79. 2:47And is this your son here? Hello.
80. 2:50Are
81. 2:51Are you a citizen of Liberland yourself?
82. 2:53>> Yeah.
83. 2:54>> No.
84. 2:55Check it.
85. 2:56>> [laughter]
86. 2:57>> He's got his passport, of course.
87. 2:59>> Oh, nice. A Liberland passport.
88. 3:01>> Yes.
89. 3:01>> Cool.
90. 3:02>> One question about micronation. Just
91. 3:04this weekend a friend of in Switzerland
92. 3:07of mine, he he sent me a link about
93. 3:09Vertice. Have you heard this? Is it a Is
94. 3:12it a stupid question?
95. 3:14You know that guy there? It's like
96. 3:15another micronation it just opened. I I
97. 3:17never heard about it just this weekend.
98. 3:19Is it not good to ask you?
99. 3:20>> We had special deal they waved that you
100. 3:22will not intervene with in our
101. 3:24conversations and you are still unable
102. 3:26to talk.
103. 3:26>> But I made a deal with you that you will
104. 3:27not intervene in the interview and
105. 3:29that's the first thing you have to and
106. 3:30you cannot help yourself, right? If you
107. 3:32could just leave completely, I would
108. 3:34really appreciate it.
109. 3:35Yes. Yes. Yes.
110. 3:38>> Thank you.
111. 3:42>> This is actually ark like the the main
112. 3:44base of Liberland
113. 3:46for now in the region.
114. 3:48>> Oh, nice. I didn't see any of this stuff
115. 3:50cuz I arrived [music] late in the night.
116. 3:53>> In most modern democracies, everyone has
117. 3:55an equal vote, but things are different
118. 3:58in Liberland. Thanks to a crypto token
119. 4:01called Liberland [music] merits.
120. 4:04>> The elections are every 3 months.
121. 4:05They're taking place on blockchain and
122. 4:08the president is elected with merits.
123. 4:10So, the people that have more merits are
124. 4:13able to have more say in who is going to
125. 4:15be in the leadership of the country.
126. 4:17>> And can you purchase Liberland merits?
127. 4:20>> Yes, yes. Uh
128. 4:21>> This sort of system, it does allow
129. 4:23people with more money to have more
130. 4:25power essentially and pay less tax.
131. 4:27>> You don't pay taxes in Liberland. They
132. 4:29are voluntary. You This will no longer
133. 4:31be Liberland if we start taking people's
134. 4:33money.
135. 4:34And maybe we can actually make a photo
136. 4:36in front of the house together.
137. 4:38>> Nice gathering.
138. 4:40>> Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.
139. 4:42Let's make some 3D scans.
140. 4:44>> Whenever I make agreement with you not
141. 4:46to intervene with something if you can
142. 4:53>> So, will we be able to visit Liberland?
143. 4:55>> There's conditions for visiting
144. 4:56Liberland from Croatian side because
145. 4:59I've got this 5-year ban from Croatia.
146. 5:01>> And what's that for?
147. 5:02>> That's for building Liberland.
148. 5:06>> The problem with [music] starting a tiny
149. 5:07new country is that you sometimes have
150. 5:09to contend with proper countries, ones
151. 5:11with armies and police forces.
152. 5:14Vit and the other Liberlanders have
153. 5:16regularly been apprehended by the
154. 5:18Croatian authorities while trying to
155. 5:20visit the island.
156. 5:22>> Don't touch myself. Don't touch me.
157. 5:25Don't touch me.
158. 5:31>> [music]
159. 5:32>> At the moment, the only option for
160. 5:34visitors like me is to see the island by
161. 5:37boat.
162. 5:44Today, we're going to embark on
163. 5:47a voyage across many borders.
164. 5:50Serbia, Croatia, Liberland.
165. 5:53Fills me with [music] such pride every
166. 5:55time my eyes gaze upon our land.
167. 5:58Here we see Liberty Island.
168. 6:00And it's great to know we have settlers
169. 6:02there right now.
170. 6:03They're braving the elements and putting
171. 6:05up with
172. 6:06constant checks
173. 6:08by the Croatian police.
174. 6:10>> Yeah.
175. 6:10>> But they still
176. 6:12maintain a presence there.
177. 6:14And we really
178. 6:16have to respect and admire their
179. 6:17courage. It's an inspiration to us all.
180. 6:22On the day the border opened, August
181. 6:246th, 2023, I spent 8 days in Liberland.
182. 6:27And it was a dream come true. The moment
183. 6:29I stepped over that imaginary line in
184. 6:32the road leading into Liberland, it was
185. 6:34just magic.
186. 6:36Great. Oh, there's our people right
187. 6:37there.
188. 6:38>> Wow, so these are the permanent settlers
189. 6:40of Liberland down there.
190. 6:45Martin's like your whole kind of
191. 6:47government right now, really.
192. 6:49>> He is He is holding the fort. Hey
193. 6:51Martin, we have to decorate you. We have
194. 6:53two people to decorate today. Martin, we
195. 6:55appreciate your involvement very much.
196. 6:57>> I will hand it over to you during the
197. 6:58Christmas party, during the
198. 7:00constitutional convention.
199. 7:02What is here for you
200. 7:03for the bravery.
201. 7:07>> [applause]
202. 7:09>> This is for you and for your How many
203. 7:11years now?
204. 7:12>> Three.
205. 7:12>> Three years.
206. 7:14Very good service taking care of this
207. 7:16ship. We appreciate your
208. 7:19commitment to building building the
209. 7:21freest country on the planet.
210. 7:23>> Thank you, Mr. President.
211. 7:24>> Let's have some drinks downstairs. Let's
212. 7:26celebrate that little bit and uh
213. 7:27>> I'm ready to die for Liberland.
214. 7:30>> Please don't.
215. 7:36Here's to Liberland to the first
216. 7:37citizen.
217. 7:38Croatian presence. [clears throat]
218. 7:40>> It has become really good these VRs.
219. 7:41Like, you're really like feeling
220. 7:43streaming from from Liberland Wi-Fi.
221. 7:45>> Is this what Liberland's going to look
222. 7:47like?
223. 7:47>> No, this is
224. 7:48>> Oh my god.
225. 7:49>> This
226. 7:49>> I see it. Towering, gleaming skyscrapers
227. 7:52with floating public parks. I see
228. 7:57waterfalls. I see mountains. You're
229. 7:59going to struggle with that one, I
230. 8:00think. Yeah, I think this is This is
231. 8:02going to be pretty expensive, guys.
232. 8:04>> Our former Prime Minister Justin Sun
233. 8:06could easily contribute $100 million.
234. 8:09He wouldn't mind because it's like a one
235. 8:10week of his personal income at the
236. 8:12current current fees.
237. 8:15>> [music]
238. 8:16>> With their new wealthy backers,
239. 8:18Liberland may now actually have the
240. 8:20money to start building. [music]
241. 8:22But to become officially recognized,
242. 8:24they'll also need political support.
243. 8:26>> I see some opportunities for us. There
244. 8:29are some people in the current
245. 8:30administration that are are friendly
246. 8:32towards Liberland.
247. 8:33>> Like who in particular?
248. 8:34>> I would say Director of National
249. 8:36Intelligence Joseph Gabbert, US
250. 8:38Ambassador to the United Nations Mike
251. 8:40Waltz. We we'd met with him.
252. 8:43>> Is Liberland really about liberty for
253. 8:45everyone? Or just people who are really,
254. 8:47really rich? To find out, I'm speaking
255. 8:50with Liberland's [music] Interior
256. 8:52Minister, who has just invited me for a
257. 8:54ride in his brand new Mercedes.
258. 8:59>> The King of Boon [music] likes this car
259. 9:00the most, they say.
260. 9:01>> Really?
261. 9:02>> Mercedes as a brand, yes.
262. 9:03>> Why does he love it so much?
263. 9:05>> It's his favorite brand, they say.
264. 9:06>> Okay.
265. 9:08A man of taste.
266. 9:09>> Yep.
267. 9:10>> And how does he get them in?
268. 9:11>> No.
269. 9:13If you have money,
270. 9:14>> Mhm.
271. 9:17>> you can do whatever you want.
272. 9:20>> Ivan Pernar started his political career
273. 9:23as a controversial Croatian MP who was
274. 9:25notoriously kicked out of parliament for
275. 9:27spreading conspiracy theories.
276. 9:31>> [music]
277. 9:33>> Upon leaving, he met Vit, and shortly
278. 9:36after, became interior minister of
279. 9:39Liberland.
280. 9:41>> My job is to ensure your freedom.
281. 9:44Freedom of choice, freedom of speech,
282. 9:46freedom to say what you believe.
283. 9:50Liberland is is a project
284. 9:53which attracts people
285. 9:55on ideological level.
286. 9:58Uh usually,
287. 9:59people who believe in freedom,
288. 10:01decentralized finances, and so on, they
289. 10:04tend to be from the upper class of
290. 10:07society.
291. 10:07>> That is a certain new elite, isn't
292. 10:09>> Yes. For example, this this is Philip
293. 10:11Patek watch, for example. Very nice rose
294. 10:14gold model, you know. Yeah, in in
295. 10:16England, there there are high taxes on
296. 10:18such luxury items. This is one of the
297. 10:21things why people would like to join in
298. 10:23this project.
299. 10:24>> But only people who you allow to join
300. 10:25the project
301. 10:26>> Yes. If you make no zero selection, and
302. 10:29you say whoever comes on board is
303. 10:31welcome.
304. 10:32>> Yeah.
305. 10:32>> We would end up like UK. We don't want
306. 10:34that.
307. 10:34>> And so, you get to decide who joins
308. 10:36>> Who on board
309. 10:37>> Who who comes into the castle,
310. 10:38basically.
311. 10:39>> Yes.
312. 10:41You have to be picky.
313. 10:42>> So, it's liberty, but um
314. 10:44>> It is for selected few.
315. 10:46>> So, some people have more liberty than
316. 10:48others.
317. 10:48>> Yes.
318. 10:49>> Cuz cuz it does strike me that one of
319. 10:50the main merits that allows you to have
320. 10:52power and influence within Liberland is
321. 10:54money, right?
322. 10:55>> Of course. Of course.
323. 10:56>> Right. Of course. Okay.
324. 10:56>> If you leave a bunch of bums
325. 10:58>> Mhm.
326. 10:59>> in in your country
327. 11:00>> Yeah.
328. 11:00>> without anything, and who just demand
329. 11:02something, then on the other hand,
330. 11:05somebody's got to pay for that.
331. 11:06>> Could
332. 11:07taxation as a redistribution of wealth
333. 11:10be seen as a way to give more freedom to
334. 11:11people, to give more liberty to people?
335. 11:13>> Uh no, because um
336. 11:16Huh.
337. 11:16Th- there was some story about wildlife
338. 11:19res- reservate in America. There are
339. 11:21animals there, and it's written, "Don't
340. 11:24feed the animals."
341. 11:25>> Yeah.
342. 11:25>> Because if you do, they will be
343. 11:27accustomed to that, and they will lose
344. 11:29ability
345. 11:31to feed themselves.
346. 11:32>> All right.
347. 11:33>> To to find the way and the same is with
348. 11:35people.
349. 11:37>> You you like liberty, right? That's
350. 11:38>> Yes, economic liberty.
351. 11:40>> Yes, okay. Well, the system that [music]
352. 11:42you are describing denies more people
353. 11:45economic liberty than the system that
354. 11:47exists in most Western nations today.
355. 11:49>> If that is your opinion,
356. 11:51you can have it.
357. 11:53Although, I would disagree.
358. 11:54>> Is liberty just for the wealthy? You
359. 11:57know, is that really a just way to run
360. 11:59society?
361. 12:00>> Look, um
362. 12:03that's very difficult question.
363. 12:04>> It's a very limited liberty to go
364. 12:06around.
365. 12:06>> Now now now now now you got me in a
366. 12:08situation where I have a hard time to
367. 12:10answer, but I would say correctly, only
368. 12:13people who have economic freedom can
369. 12:16indeed be free.
370. 12:25>> Literally, the the criticisms that most
371. 12:28people have of democracy is that wealthy
372. 12:30people have too much power
373. 12:33and that other people have less
374. 12:34political power. That inequality
375. 12:37is actually written into the
376. 12:39constitution of Liberland.
377. 12:41It might seem like a group of travelers
378. 12:43with a few tents in a
379. 12:45floodplain in the middle of the Danube
380. 12:47River, but the fact that it's tied to 30
381. 12:49billionaires means that
382. 12:52this is actually a future that some of
383. 12:55the most powerful people in the world
384. 12:57envision for all of us.