The radical libertarian city builders of the tech-bro set have an audacious new proposal: They want to convert Guantánamo Bay, host to the infamous prison, into the high-tech charter city of their wildest imaginations, which will double as a “proving ground” for migrants seeking to enter the United States. The Charter Cities Institute, or CCI, which has lobbied the Trump administration on setting up so-called freedom cities in the U.S, suggests the president take advantage of Guantánamo’s special legal status to convert the controversial detention camp into “a beacon of 21st-century prosperity.”

CCI promotes the worldwide development of charter cities, semiautonomous zones designed to be exempt from the regulations and taxes of the nations in which they’re located. The freedom cities idea pushed by CCI and other groups fits this mold: tech hubs that would be exempt from some federal laws. Adherents to this movement argue that these arrangements drive innovation and prosperity. But as New Republic contributor J.J. Anselmi explained back in March, there’s not much innovation to be had—freedom cities are little more than spit-shined reboots of the “company towns” of yesteryear. Nevertheless, the president has proven receptive to the idea, and the groups have claimed that his inner circle is engaging with their proposals.

Now they’ve come up with an eye-catching new site for him to consider. “By transforming Guantanamo Bay into a charter city, the U.S. government can catalyze economic growth, manage immigration flows, and project America’s unparalleled capacity for innovation and statecraft—all while requiring no legislation,” claims the CCI proposal from earlier this year.

“This parcel of federal land on the Caribbean coastline presents a striking opportunity to reimagine American governance and reassert U.S. global leadership.”

CCI argues in its proposal that the substantial development it plans to unleash would bypass the “multi-tiered hurdles” of “zoning boards, county regulations, city councils, and environmental legal frameworks” that the group claims is holding........

© New Republic