@Perfect places to re-locate enterprises
Oasis Cities will become a reality once influential people get excited about the economic potential of self-contained, self-governing enclaves
Oasis Cities will become a reality once influential people get excited about the economic potential of self-contained, self-governing enclaves
OACities would give companies in high-wage countries the opportunity to re-locate some of their activities – customer service call centres for example – to lower wage enclaves within their home country. This would avoid the cultural and bureaucratic hassles of out-sourcing to low-wage foreign countries. It would also greatly enhance customer relations as most people prefer not to have to address their service problems to people living in India, the Philippines, or Ukraine.
But don’t get too excited just yet as this would depend on OACities gaining the status of autonomous city states (on territory leased from a host state) as Hong Kong once was
But don’t get too excited just yet as this would depend on OACities gaining the status of autonomous city states (on territory leased from a host state) as Hong Kong once was
From 1898 until 1997 Britain held a 99-year lease of HongKong’s “New Territories”, which consisted of almost everything on the map except HK island itself (ceded to Britain “in perpetuity” in 1841) and a small part of the Kowloon peninsula (ceded in 1860).
Territorial leases make so much sense
It was once universally accepted fact that countries could lease, exchange, or even outright sell parts of their territory. And why not..? Who declared – and why – that a nations borders must be permanently cemented in place and never ever adjusted, even temporarily? Everything else has to change and adapt, so why not national boundaries as long as it is a peaceful process? But, in these politically-correct “anti-colonialist” times, the idea of a country “giving away” – even temporarily – even the tiniest slice of its territory – seems shocking to most people. But what is so shocking about a country leasing some of its territory when, within those same countries, individuals and organisations buy, sell, lease, and exchange land all the time..?
Territorial leases make so much sense
It was once universally accepted fact that countries could lease, exchange, or even outright sell parts of their territory. And why not..? Who declared – and why – that a nations borders must be permanently cemented in place and never ever adjusted, even temporarily? Everything else has to change and adapt, so why not national boundaries as long as it is a peaceful process? But, in these politically-correct “anti-colonialist” times, the idea of a country “giving away” – even temporarily – even the tiniest slice of its territory – seems shocking to most people. But what is so shocking about a country leasing some of its territory when, within those same countries, individuals and organisations buy, sell, lease, and exchange land all the time..?
OACities could be the catalyst for a resurgence in territorial leasing
Self-contained, politically autonomous enclaves could experiment with “business-friendly” economic policies such as…
Low or even zero income tax
Low business taxes
No employer-funded welfare contributions
No “minimum-wage” legislation
Flexible labour laws with no overtime/weekend penalty rates/holiday pay rates, etc
24/7 business operations possible
No bolshie trade unions
Each entity could have its own currency, crypto or real
“One of the simplest and most fundamental economic principles is that people tend to buy more when the price is lower and less when the price is higher. Yet advocates of minimum wage laws seem to think that the government can raise the price of labor without reducing the amount of labor that will be hired.” Thomas Sowell
“One of the simplest and most fundamental economic principles is that people tend to buy more when the price is lower and less when the price is higher. Yet advocates of minimum wage laws seem to think that the government can raise the price of labor without reducing the amount of labor that will be hired.” Thomas Sowell
If you thought the above made OA-Cities sound like a capitalist’s dream, then you might want to think again..
If you thought the above made OA-Cities sound like a capitalist’s dream, then you might want to think again..
No MORTGAGE SLAVERY – apartments will not be for sale, but leased or allocated to employees
OA-Citizens will have much lower financial burdens
REASONABLE RENTS (no property-for-sale means no property speculation)
LONG LEASES with good security of tenure
No MOTORING or other COMMUTING expenses
No COUNCIL TAX – all services included in rent
Smaller living spaces will mean less demand for consumer goods, e.g., furniture might come “built-in”, as in boats, etc.
No need for costly home renovations and building extensions
Fewer visible signs of wealth will mean less social pressure to “keep up with the Jones”
Greater income equality will result in a more contented populace
But, salaries might be 30 to 40% lower, due to….
A DRASTIC REDUCTION IN LIVING EXPENSES
BUT OA-CITIZENS WILL HAPPILY ACCEPT LOWER WAGES
The harmonious and stress-free environment of OACities will create a huge demand for residency, and long waiting lists
High demand will tend to drive down wages
QUALITY OF LIFE and SAFETY – not salaries – will be the main attraction for prospective citizens
No cars, no commuting, no mortgages, low community charges, less furniture and household goods to buy, etc
Citizens will need a lot less money to live, and to live well at that, so logically they will be content with lower wages.
If you find this hard to believe, consider the case of Brits who have moved to Spain…
SUNBURNT BRITSUnlike Spanish people, who move to the UK for its much better job prospects, only a tiny proportion of the 300,000 British people who live in Spain are in the Spanish workforce. Although many are retirees, most of the younger or middle-aged ones do not seek employment due to the high unemployment rate and their lack of Spanish language skills. They start small businesses (usually pubs and bars catering to other Brits) or do some building or service jobs, again catering exclusively to other Brits. The income they make from these enterprises is usually very much lower than they would get in the UK but, because they have (what they perceive to be) a “better quality of life” and a more relaxing lifestyle, they happily accept much lower incomes than they would be satisfied with in the UK.
SUNBURNT BRITS
Unlike Spanish people, who move to the UK for its much better job prospects, only a tiny proportion of the 300,000 British people who live in Spain are in the Spanish workforce. Although many are retirees, most of the younger or middle-aged ones do not seek employment due to the high unemployment rate and their lack of Spanish language skills. They start small businesses (usually pubs and bars catering to other Brits) or do some building or service jobs, again catering exclusively to other Brits. The income they make from these enterprises is usually very much lower than they would get in the UK but, because they have (what they perceive to be) a “better quality of life” and a more relaxing lifestyle, they happily accept much lower incomes than they would be satisfied with in the UK.
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