New Utopia
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The Principality of New Utopia is a new country project (sometimes referred to as a micronation) founded in the mid 1990's by Oklahoma resident Lazarus Long, his family and business associates and sometimes referred to as a scam by individuals who see the overstated claims as being unattainable. It is the latest in a long line of similar unrelated attempts at establishing a sovereign libertarian city-state extending as far back as the 1960s, including such efforts as the Atlantis Project and the Republic of Minerva.
Long was born Howard Turney, and was associated with a number of projects apparently intended to extend the human lifespan prior to legally changing his name in 1996 to that of a fictional character endowed with great longevity created by the science fiction author Robert Heinlein, who was also noted for his libertarian views.
New Utopia is conceived by Long as an artificial island nation in the Caribbean Sea, where the use of the latest technologies and unfettered free enterprise capitalism, within a political environment founded upon libertarian principles will encourage free trade and provide boundless opportunities for its residents - all of whom would fall under the "benevolent rule" of "Sovereign Prince Lazarus".
The site selected for New Utopia is an underwater reef - the Misteriosa Bank - approximately equidistant from Mexico, Honduras and Cuba, with a surface area of over 400 square kilometers with an average depth of 20 meters.
There have been serious obstacles on Mr. Long's path to fund his "principality". In Federal District Court in Oklahoma where Mr. Long maintained his residence at the time, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission charged that Lazarus Long was trying to sell $350,000,000 worth of unregistered bonds. Mr. Long consented to a judgment being entered against him for $24,000, but he was not required to pay these damages as he submitted a sworn statement to the Court that he was a pensioner with no assets. [1] (http://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/lr16425.htm) This of course has had the effect of seriously delaying the start of construction of the "floating islands" that he and his friends are planning. However, "Prince Lazarus" remains resolute in the creation of this so-called "libertarian paradise".
A legal opinion can be found on the New Utopia web site that attempts to answer the question of the legal status and sovereignty of New Utopia written by London based barrister Shay Lotan. However, this opinion is not law, and no one has recognized that the New Utopia idea is anything more than the hope of a few individuals who do not have the resources or financial backers to complete the multi-billion dollar project. While they have written to the United Nations requesting "recognition" the U.N. it appears that the U.N. never responded to their letter. Without territory or any residents living within a territory this project faces serious legal obstacles to its claim of statehood. Neighboring states may also see the attempt at the creation of a new state near their territorial boundaries as a threat to their sovereignity and may attempt to prevent such an undertaking.
Even though the project has not been recognized as an independent state this has not stopped Mr. Long and his colleagues from posting many legal documents on his web site that claim some form of legal authority. On such document is the Constitution of the Principality of New Utopia was signed 20 July, 1999. Signing the document were "H.R.M. Prince Lazarus", "H.R.M. Princess Maureen", his wife, John Howard Long, his son, T.M (Bud) Skillern, Matt Kristof, Jeffrey Schott, Jay Hopcus, Ronald Kimball, Michael McDonnough, and Richard W. Morris who has the title of New Utopia "Attorney General".
Many believe this "project" is actually a fantasy of Mr. Long and his friends. To date the only evidence of this "nation" coming into existence is the placing of a bouy anchored to the seabed of this submerged peak of a sea mountain range that appears to have been claimed by the Cayman Islands. In the many years since Mr. Long has been promoting this project nothing has come to fruition of his plans to commence building of this project though many deadline dates have been set. Many individuals have purchased bonds, passports, currency and other memorabilia related to New Utopia but, to date, there seems little chance that Mr. Long, his family and associates will ever be able to obtain the extensive funding necessary to create or operate their dream.
Planned facilities
- The Anti-Aging Institute
- Dreams of Flight Academy, a private school
- Delphi University, a planned medical school
- an airport, primarily housing Utopian International Airlines
- New Utopia Communication Systems, a multipoint multi-channel distribution service broadband provider, currently accepting bids for ownership
- a publisher, called Hobomok Press
External links
- Official website (http://www.new-utopia.com)
- SEC Press Release on Long (http://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/lr16425.htm)
- Ministery of Science & Technology (http://www.tech-utopia.biz)
- New Utopia Flotilla Company (http://www.nu-flotilla.com)
- Delphi University (http://www.delphiuniversity.net)
- Scam Dog entry on New Utopia (http://www.scamdog.com/freedom_projects/?view=new_utopia)
- Business Week article on SEC crackdown (http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_50/c3711050.htm)
- Wired New article (http://wired.com/wired/archive/8.03/kingdoms.html)