I declare myself independent
10 July 2002. 1 comment. Inspired by .
I seem to have started something off in my mind. Following on from Sealand, witness North Dumpling. Dean "Sedgeway" Kamen's finest hour, it's a speck of land in Long Island Sound with a lighthouse on it.
When permission was refused to build a wind-turbine on the island, Kamen seceded it from the US to become an independent state. Although it's never been officially recognised, the non-agression pact he signed with his friend and then-President George Bush Snr (not to mention the numerous medical technology patents he holds) meant that it's never been officially challenged.
Ben and Jerry are official State Joint Chiefs of Ice-Cream, and the nation has its own flag, anthem and one-ship navy. Also, in a moment of pure genius, Kamen declared the value of Dumpling's currency to be that of pi. "You can't make change for it," he told Wired. "It's a transcendental function."
Other independently declared territories with wicked names (though these are no longer in existence) include: the Great Republic of Rough and Ready, The Republic of the Don, Alamut (the independent state of the order of Assassins), Alcatraz Nation and Green Ukraine.
They all existed, albeit not for long...
1 comment
Andrew, I enjoyed reading your piece on Dean Kamen. I occasionally visit Fisher's Island which is very close to North Dumpling. You mention that Kamen's secession from the US has never been officially challenged. However, do you know if Kamen pays taxes to the US for North Dumpling? If he is paying taxes I would argue his secession has indeed been challenged and that North Dumpling is not a independant state. Clearly Kamen has plenty of cash and paying taxes would be a drop in the bucket however the poitical ramifications of not paying taxes could be monumental.