Since the advent of cyberspace libertarians have been mulling over the idea of what the world would behave like if digital borders checked by passwords became more meaningful than physical borders monitored with passports.
We may soon find out.
The Senate is debating the proposed Native Hawaiian Government Reorginazation Act this week. The Wall Street Journal quotes Hawaii's Office of Hawaiian Affairs which says that the bill permits "complete legal and territorial independence from the United States and the re-establishment of a Hawaiian nation-state." for native Hawaiians (although I was unable to find this statement online).
However the bill contains no statement of a territorial claim. So, this nascent state of native Hawaii would be something you join by dint of birth (and choice), not physical location. So, you could move to Hawaii and pay taxes to one government while your neighbor pays taxes to a different one, and the laws could change at the property line.
Stay tuned.
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