Image Source: collage of founder of Bitnation

If there ever was a time to think about creating your own nation, now would be the time, as the assbaggery Trump presidency looms over the American psyche like a nightmarish orange cloud that refuses to dissipate.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and if the fascist clown gets sworn into office, it’s time to really investigate alternative governance in the USA.

Since the internet was born, there have been many attempts to create the concept of an Earth citizen in the digital world. None have really worked to give world citizens an alternative to their geographically-defined nation state governance. Your geographic location defines how you can or cannot interact with the rest of the world. There is no fairness in this respect. Where you’re born determines your quality of life, for the most part.

With the rise of digital nomads, internet-based economic/social lives and huge refugee populations, there is a real need to create alternative forms of governance that are not dependent upon geography.

Think about it, you probably get along better with your digital friends from different countries better than you do with your neighbors. Your geographical location no longer really defines your belief system and this trend will only be increasing into the future. Let's face it, I'm not going to be getting along with some racist asshole who thinks that black people should be lynched. There is really no future for us even trying to get along. And there are plenty of these kinds of people all around me. I avoid them like the plague.

Image Source: Bitbays

I stumbled upon Bitnation a few days ago and became intrigued by the idea, especially in the wake of a sociopath named Donald Trump one foot away from the Oval Office.

So, what is Bitnation?

“It’s the world's first operational Decentralized Borderless Voluntary Nation, a Blockchain Powered Jurisdiction. Bitnation provides the same services traditional governments provide including secure ID/Reputation systems, dispute resolutions, security and insurance.” -Wikipedia

To get a basic idea about Bitnation, watch the video:

Bitnation was founded by Susanne Tarkowski Tempelhof in 2014. It’s powered by the Ethereum blockchain.

Her main premise is she believes people should have a choice of governance. She thinks the idea of a geographically-constrained government model is outdated and not useful anymore in the digital age. She also believes people should be free to create their own nation if they desire to do so. A good example: if vegans want to create a nation that is based on their lifestyle, they can do so with Bitnation.

I took some time to check out Bitnation to understand how it works and what services it offers. You can get a world citizenship ID, Bitnation Bitcoin debit card, citizen security, marriage smart contract, notarized documents and much more. As with all new concepts, nation states won’t recognize some of these contracts, like the marriages, but I think over time, they could. Other contracts they do already recognize. The smart marriage contract acts like a prenuptial agreement, and is designed to create a roadmap in the event that the marriage dissolves. According to Wikipedia, Bitnation did the first blockchain marriage. Bitnation’s app, Smart Love, was recently featured in a Cointelegraph article.

There is a lot to learn about Bitnation. If your own nation state has rules and regulations that do not reflect your own values and reality, then Bitnation could be a great thing for you. Like everything, Bitnation needs to grow and become bigger in order to be competitive with nation states. It already offers a lot of advantages to refugees, so I could see that group being one of the first to really embrace it. Also, smaller countries have a lot to gain with Bitnation.

With the biggest conman of the century about to take over the presidency of the United States, Bitnation might become way more than just an intellectual curiosity. It could gain some real traction and very soon, too. For journalists and others who exercise their free speech in a future fascist Trump presidency, I could see a real need for citizen security protection. Bitnation offers that service.

If you want to get a better idea about Bitnation and how it works, watch this video: