Shame on you, Wired, for trying to write a piece that makes these sound like some sort of innovative idea and progressive idea. These ideas are nothing more than billionaire wet dreams of reviving company towns, and directly controlling larger population centers. If this was such a good idea that benefits the country or the world at large, then why are they all hiding behind shadow corporations led by known eugenicists and neo-nazis aligned psychopaths with more money than they could ever spend in a lifetime.
What happens when you have to go see the company doctor who has been paid by the town’s management to ignore your health issue when that issue was caused by the town’s negligence. Maybe the town uses chemicals that are known to be toxic, or has eroded safety standards. They’re already trying to neuter workplace safety laws federally.
Americans just go smooth brained at the mention of freedom. This isn’t freedom.
Why pay a doctor to ignore it when you can just not allow him the knowledge what you’re doing to everyone for free? Or just have a general threat to all employees that you can’t blame the company for any wrongdoing?
Au contraire, comrade! This is total doubleplusgood freedom! This is Freedom 2.0 and soooo much better than the kind of freedom you thought you wanted! The dogebags at the Ministry of Efficiency (MOE) has hereby decreed it is so!
We had those. They were called company towns, and you didn't get paid in real money; you got paid in company scrip that only worked in the company store. Anyone who voluntarily gets on board with this clearly needs to read a history book; that part of our history isn't even 100 years old yet.
That's literally state history for me, and we actually learned all about it in WV History class in 7th grade. That was decades ago, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if it's no longer taught.
The frustrating and mind boggling part is that the miners here today are now hard-right and voting in people who want to roll back conditions to what past miners fought so hard against. Like, WTF?
Okay, but these are totally different! They're a fresh new idea! They're not even called company towns! And we'll pay workers in crypto! No one will own anything! Except me! See?! Totally different!
Wouldn't this be secession, and therefore already prohibited by our Constitution (for what that matters anymore)? If this is allowed, what's stopping California from declaring itself a "freedom state" free of government regulation?