Honduras: Free market city-states?

[kgbsquirrel]

Now imagine a new city that has attracted 100,000 or more people, can you imagine a scenario where such a small force with no heavy armor can push in a take the city against even untrained irregulars? Maybe US troops or Russians or Brits would have a chance but a banana republic military? No.

Reading comprehension much? I didn't say "capture," I said "destroy." You don't need a lot of people to shell someplace into a pile of rubble.

[Scout26]

Yes, but destroying it gets the Honduran .gov bupkus except for a a pile of shell shipping canisters and a pile of rubble which does kind of defeat the whole purpose of the exercise.   But then .gov's have never made much sense to begin with. 

[just Warren]

LOL reading comprehension. Did you miss the very next sentence?

And they don't quite have the number of tubes it would take to level the place before they got sallied upon and lost them.

And that's with a town "militia" of uncertain quality. If they have the foresight to have other security arrangements then the Hondurans have no chance of doing serious harm.

And if the city sees a lot, as in a million or so, people move there then the Honduras government might have to pay protection money to the people who own the city. 

[drewtam]

If they become mildly wealthy city states, why couldn't they hire mercenaries to augment any militia?

[kgbsquirrel]

If they become mildly wealthy city states, why couldn't they hire mercenaries to augment any militia?

Executive Outcomes. Pretty sad too considering they were doing a damned good job in Sierra Leone and Angola. Far better than the UN ever managed and for a fraction the cost. 

[Hawkmoon]

I was thinking more Hong Kong before the handover to the Chinese.

Me too.

[Sergeant Bob]

It's nice of The State to "permit" enterprise zones, isn't it?  So charitable.  Of course they are desperate and need revenues.  But the real power remains where it was.

This right here. In the end the Honduran govt is the one who holds the power to strangle the "city state". They don't have a particularly large military but, it's large enough to make life extremely hard for said city state.

[Jamisjockey]

Think about it. Sell the land.  You then have investors using local labor to build.
As a government charge a low tax rate as military protection.
Leave the city-state to police itself as a free economic zone.
Profit.
Honduras has no incentive to give them a hard time.

[seeker_two]

Kinda reminds me of the Corporate Sector Authority mentioned in Brian Daley's Han Solo novels.....

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Corporate_Sector_Authority

[MicroBalrog]

I can't gather it in me to care. Sure, people will make money, and economic freedoms are very important but I am not a libertarian because of the low taxes.

[just Warren]

JJ nailed it.

I don't remember where I read it but these cities are starting out huge. It's not going to e a case of a trading post turning into a settlement that turns into a village that turns into a town, then a city, then a metropolis. They will start as large cities/metropoli and as such once a million or so folks move in the Honduran military will be impotent.

First, the top guys will have money invested.

Second, family members of the troops are likely to be moving there.

Third, any violence will probably get the perpetrators and indictment in the World Court or even in the sovereign courts of whatever nationality of person is harmed or killed. Or maybe, if it is true that the London Court (or whatever it is called) is going to be in charge of jurisprudence means that a malefactor will have at least Britain coming after them in addition to whatever other angry countries there might be.

This is a very well connected world now. Where will the person that gives the order to launch rockets or bombs at innocent folks going to hide? 

[Sergeant Bob]

Think about it. Sell the land.  You then have investors using local labor to build.
As a government charge a low tax rate as military protection.
Leave the city-state to police itself as a free economic zone.
Profit.
Honduras has no incentive to give them a hard time.

Venezuela.

[AZRedhawk44]

Update:

Lawyer representing the indigenous folks where these cities will be cited, shot dead at a freaking wedding.  5 shots.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/honduras-human-rights-lawyer-who-opposed-private-cities-murdered/2012/09/23/059ff77a-05a5-11e2-9eea-333857f6a7bd_print.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMgp97cODCA#t=2m40s

"De rodillas, hijo de la chingada!"

[lysander6]

Sure, people will make money, and economic freedoms are very important but I am not a libertarian because of the low taxes.

Could you clarify this sentence?

[Blakenzy]

The people who will own these cities probably already "own" the Honduran Government and some international institutions.

If you are an Owner it's a dream come true. If you are a Guest, you will do well if you play your cards right. If you are a servant, well, keep your head down and hope that the masters aren't deranged.

[MicroBalrog]

Could you clarify this sentence?

I believe I am clear.

What will likely happen is that the cities will have lower taxes and regulations, but Honduran authority will be kept with things like gun laws, drug laws, whatnot.

I am not a libertarian because I want to pay less taxes. I am a libertarian because I want to buy guns and do nootropic drugs.

There are plenty of countries that have lower taxes and less business regulations than the US and yet you would never consider moving there.