Free Cities Podcast

163 - Yaron Brook: Why Atlas Shrugged Keeps Happening

Collectivism, Individualism, Objectivism, Statism, Freedom, Ayn Rand, Free Speech, Entrepreneurship, Reason, Transhumanism, Free Cities, Self-Interest, Liberty, Technology, Philosophy - Timothy Allen speaks with Yaron Brook. Yaron is an Israeli American author and commentator best known as the longtime chairman of the Ayn Rand Institute and a prominent advocate of Objectivism. In this conversation we talk about why the core political divide is, in Yaron's view, collectivism versus individualism rather than left versus right, and how growing statism erodes freedom, reason, and human flourishing. Brook argues that modern politics, technology, and even cultural movements increasingly resemble secular religions demanding sacrifice, while genuine liberty, entrepreneurship, and happiness rest on a clear philosophical defense of individual rights, free will, and rational self-interest, which he sees as essential foundations for projects like Free Cities and for resisting the long-term pull of control, conformity, and decline. Enjoy the conversation. - SHOW SPONSOR: Veritas Villages: https://www.veritasvillages.com/freecities - Veritas Villages are building off-grid, energy self-sufficient communities for freedom lovers in Latin America. Bitcoin is accepted at all villages, including for the purchase of property. - Previous interviews with Patrick Hiebert, Founder of Veritas Villages: EP 156: https://fountain.fm/episode/66NqAclTBh7FByIX7lCq EP 107: https://fountain.fm/episode/Fh6uGwZvVtPsYsR53pTI - All the Podcast Links: https://linktr.ee/FreeCitiesPodcast Free Cities Telegram Community: https://t.me/+im6c6r4jQkUzMjU0 Free Cities Conference: https://freecitiesconference.com/ Free Cities Foundation Newsletter: https://free-cities.org/subscribe - DONATE Bitcoin to the Free Cities Podcast: bc1q5jun0nzxzqepch84rqk0jnv0rd8uvns28df7mg - DONATE fiat currency to the Free Cities Podcast: https://buy.stripe.com/5kQ9AT90zeeY5JX7Jv4ow00 - Podcasting apps that support Value 4 Value Bitcoin payments: https://podcastindex.org/apps?appTypes=app - TIMESTAMPS (Audio Version Only) 0:00:30 – Introduction to Episode 0:05:13 – Start of Conversation 0:05:15 – Trump, Authoritarianism, and Principle-less Politics 0:11:13 – Atlas Shrugged, Innovators Withdrawing, and Exit 0:15:43 – Socialism, Israel, and Why Freedom Changes People 0:18:49 – Free Speech, Fear, and the Expansion of Statism 0:20:30 – The False Choice of Left vs Right 0:22:31 – Where Are the Champions of Liberty? 0:26:31 – Do People Actually Want Freedom? 0:30:56 – The Real Political Spectrum: Collectivism vs Individualism 0:35:34 – Human Consciousness vs AI and Free Will 0:40:41 – Transhumanism, Control, and the Risk of Collectivism 0:52:54 – Hierarchy of Values: A Practical Strategy for Freedom 1:16:41 – What Ayn Rand Would Think of the Free Cities Movement - NOSTR: Timothy Allen: npub1gcf9ltaeu42f4tr20z3avkas04dezlx3jaudqsuu87gvmh686xasrvqjg0 Free Cities Foundation: npub1lsj8pmgedqqamt89c27tzjjnlf0wn7q7udjm7j2cl9xxz97eacns2mwpee - LEGACY SOCIAL MEDIA: Yaron Brook: https://x.com/yaronbrook Timothy Allen: https://twitter.com/MrTimothyAllen Free Cities Foundation: https://twitter.com/freecitiesfound - OTHER LINKS: Yaron's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/yaronbrook Yaron's Website: https://yaronbrookshow.com/ Ayn Rand Institute: https://ari.aynrand.org/ Veritas Villages: https://www.veritasvillages.com/freecities Free Cities Foundation: https://free-cities.org/ Become a resident or business owner in Próspera: https://prospera.co/r/freecities

162 - Vladimir Leshko: You Will Live Forever If You Choose To

Longevity, Gene Therapy, Unlimited Bio, Próspera, Regulation, AI, Biohacking, Philosophy, Morality, Spirituality. - Timothy Allen speaks with biomedical engineer Vladimir Leshko about gene therapy, longevity, and why Próspera’s regulatory environment makes human trials possible that are effectively blocked elsewhere. Leshko explains how gene therapy works, why aging is a biological process rather than an inevitability, and explores the ethical, spiritual, and existential implications of choosing radically extended life in an age of AI and abundance. Enjoy the conversation. - SHOW SPONSOR: Veritas Villages: https://www.veritasvillages.com/freecities - Veritas Villages are building off-grid, energy self-sufficient communities for freedom lovers in Latin America. Bitcoin is accepted at all villages, including for the purchase of property. - Previous interviews with Patrick Hiebert, Founder of Veritas Villages: EP 156: https://fountain.fm/episode/66NqAclTBh7FByIX7lCq EP 107: https://fountain.fm/episode/Fh6uGwZvVtPsYsR53pTI - All the Podcast Links: https://linktr.ee/FreeCitiesPodcast Free Cities Telegram Community: https://t.me/+im6c6r4jQkUzMjU0 Free Cities Conference: https://freecitiesconference.com/ Free Cities Foundation Newsletter: https://free-cities.org/subscribe Conference Guide to Prague: https://tinyurl.com/FreeCitiesPragueGuide - DONATE Bitcoin to the Free Cities Podcast: bc1q5jun0nzxzqepch84rqk0jnv0rd8uvns28df7mg - Podcasting apps that support Value 4 Value Bitcoin payments: https://podcastindex.org/apps?appTypes=app - TIMESTAMPS (Audio Version Only) 0:00:30 – Introduction to Episode 0:05:55 – Start of Conversation 0:07:33 – Why Unlimited Bio chose Próspera 0:09:44 – Próspera’s three regulatory tracks explained 0:12:16 – Insurance and why the “do anything” meme in Próspera is wrong 0:13:23 – Gene therapy fear factor: “Frankenstein” intuitions and what it actually is 0:14:07 – Why gene therapy matters: inherited disease, and Vladimir's son’s deafness story 0:18:16 – Embryo editing, embryo selection, and what is (not) possible today 0:19:05 – How gene therapy works in practice: adding corrected DNA without editing the original 0:21:40 – Netherlands vs Próspera, and the clinic partnership model 0:22:16 – The therapy “menu”: VGF now, follistatin next (and what they do) 0:26:44 – Is aging “designed” by evolution, or a side effect evolution ignored? 0:29:52 – Naked mole rats, turtles, and species that seem to “escape” aging 0:43:31 – Near-death experience, psychedelics, and the existential side of living forever 1:10:42 – AI abundance, meaning, and why humans may have to self-impose challenges 1:30:23 – The “mystical scientific problem” of aging - NOSTR: Timothy Allen: npub1gcf9ltaeu42f4tr20z3avkas04dezlx3jaudqsuu87gvmh686xasrvqjg0 Free Cities Foundation: npub1lsj8pmgedqqamt89c27tzjjnlf0wn7q7udjm7j2cl9xxz97eacns2mwpee - LEGACY SOCIAL MEDIA: Vladimir Leshko: https://x.com/vladileshko Timothy Allen: https://twitter.com/MrTimothyAllen Free Cities Foundation: https://twitter.com/freecitiesfound - OTHER LINKS: Unlimited Bio: https://unlimited.bio/ Veritas Villages: https://www.veritasvillages.com/freecities Free Cities Foundation: https://free-cities.org/ Become a resident or business owner in Próspera: https://prospera.co/r/freecities

161 - Swen Lorenz: Demography is Destiny

Sark, Free Cities, Flag Theory, Capital Flight, Geo Arbitrage, Investment, Independence, Relocation, Political Risk, Wealth Mobility, Government Failure. - Timothy Allen speaks with Swen Lorenz. Swen is a Sark resident who was at the centre of the recent bid to rejuvenate the island by buying up the flailing Sark property portfolio of the Barclay family. This episode is an update on the current situation in Sark and the wider issue of confidence in government. In this conversation, Swen reflects on Sark as a microcosm of the wider structural pressures facing small jurisdictions and, increasingly, Europe itself. He offers a sober assessment of an island grappling with stagnation, demographic imbalance, and missed opportunities for renewal, including a high-profile investment effort that ultimately failed to materialise. From Sark, the discussion broadens to questions of capital, mobility, and confidence in the future: why people are beginning to move their money, and themselves, how governments respond when that happens, and what it means to think seriously about where, and how, to build a life and a business in an era of growing constraint. Enjoy the conversation. - SHOW SPONSOR: Veritas Villages: https://www.veritasvillages.com/freecities - Veritas Villages are building off-grid, energy self-sufficient communities for freedom lovers in Latin America. Bitcoin is accepted at all villages, including for the purchase of property. - Previous interviews with Patrick Hiebert, Founder of Veritas Villages: EP 156: https://fountain.fm/episode/66NqAclTBh7FByIX7lCq EP 107: https://fountain.fm/episode/Fh6uGwZvVtPsYsR53pTI - All the Podcast Links: https://linktr.ee/FreeCitiesPodcast Free Cities Telegram Community: https://t.me/+im6c6r4jQkUzMjU0 Free Cities Conference: https://freecitiesconference.com/ Free Cities Foundation Newsletter: https://free-cities.org/subscribe Conference Guide to Prague: https://tinyurl.com/FreeCitiesPragueGuide - DONATE Bitcoin to the Free Cities Podcast: bc1q5jun0nzxzqepch84rqk0jnv0rd8uvns28df7mg - Podcasting apps that support Value 4 Value Bitcoin payments: https://podcastindex.org/apps?appTypes=app - TIMESTAMPS (Audio Version Only) 0:00:30 – Introduction to Episode 0:07:07 – Start of Conversation 0:09:10 – Swen Assesses Sark’s Current State 0:15:05 – Sark’s Problems Mirror Those of Europe 0:20:34 – Reflections on the Failed Investment Bid 0:27:56 – Incentives and Financial Pressures 0:35:30 – Vote With Your Money: Capital Flight 0:38:37 – Capital Controls and Exit Taxes 0:45:55 – Swen’s Advice: Leave Early 0:55:28 – Wealth Is Mostly Created Through Businesses 1:07:10 – Where Is Your Line in the Sand? 1:14:10 – Addendum: More Sark Updates by Timothy Allen - NOSTR: Timothy Allen: npub1gcf9ltaeu42f4tr20z3avkas04dezlx3jaudqsuu87gvmh686xasrvqjg0 Free Cities Foundation: npub1lsj8pmgedqqamt89c27tzjjnlf0wn7q7udjm7j2cl9xxz97eacns2mwpee - LEGACY SOCIAL MEDIA: Swen Lorenz: https://x.com/lorenz_swen Timothy Allen: https://twitter.com/MrTimothyAllen Free Cities Foundation: https://twitter.com/freecitiesfound - OTHER LINKS: Swen's articles cited in the podcast intro: https://www.undervalued-shares.com/weekly-dispatches/sark-whats-next-for-the-little-island/ Swen's 101 Sark explainer episode on this podcast: https://fountain.fm/episode/Ms71CDgrmaZUqJlrWPnB Sark: https://www.sark.co.uk/ Veritas Villages: https://www.veritasvillages.com/freecities Free Cities Foundation: https://free-cities.org/ Become a resident or business owner in Próspera: https://prospera.co/r/freecities

NEWS 001 - Updates on the Honduran General Election & ZEDEs

This NEWS episode of the Free Cities Podcast reviews Honduras’s unresolved presidential election, with Nasri Tito Asfura (National Party) seen as the likely winner over Salvador Nasralla (Liberal Party), and the socialist Libre party effectively sidelined. Jorge Colindres and Alex Ugorji agreed that either leading candidate would be favorable to special zones (ZEDEs), with Asfura having stronger institutional support and Nasralla increasingly pro–private sector. Despite legal uncertainty following a Supreme Court ruling, Jorge argued that acquired rights and international treaties—especially the Honduras–Kuwait treaty—protect the ZEDEs, while Alex noted ongoing practical enforcement risks. Both expect a negotiated settlement with the government in 2026, potentially unlocking major investment, and highlighted growing optimism ahead of the Free Cities conference in Prospera next September. - All the Podcast Links: https://linktr.ee/FreeCitiesPodcast Free Cities Telegram Community: https://t.me/+im6c6r4jQkUzMjU0 Free Cities Conference: https://freecitiesconference.com/ Free Cities Foundation Newsletter: https://free-cities.org/subscribe Conference Guide to Prague: https://tinyurl.com/FreeCitiesPragueGuide - DONATE Bitcoin to the Free Cities Podcast: bc1q5jun0nzxzqepch84rqk0jnv0rd8uvns28df7mg - Podcasting apps that support Value 4 Value Bitcoin payments: https://podcastindex.org/apps?appTypes=app - NOSTR: Timothy Allen: npub1gcf9ltaeu42f4tr20z3avkas04dezlx3jaudqsuu87gvmh686xasrvqjg0 Free Cities Foundation: npub1lsj8pmgedqqamt89c27tzjjnlf0wn7q7udjm7j2cl9xxz97eacns2mwpee - LEGACY SOCIAL MEDIA: Timothy Allen: https://twitter.com/MrTimothyAllen Free Cities Foundation: https://twitter.com/freecitiesfound - OTHER LINKS: Veritas Villages: https://www.veritasvillages.com/freecities Free Cities Foundation: https://free-cities.org/ Become a resident or business owner in Próspera: https://prospera.co/r/freecities

160 - Mark Edge: The Freedom to Leave

Free State Project, Libertarianism, Seasteading, City-States, Proprietarianism, Democracy, Privatized Governance, Immigration, Sovereignty, Liberty Movement, Economic Freedom, Silicon Valley Oligarchs. - Timothy Allen speaks with Mark Edge. Mark is an award-winning radio show host, most famously, one half of 'Free Talk Live' the libertarian radio show he hosted out of New Hampshire with Ian Freeman. In this episode we discuss libertarian projects like New Hampshire’s Free State Project, Liberland, and seasteading as ways to build freer societies, with Mark noting the benefits and limits of concentrating like-minded individuals. We explore privatized city-states, billionaire influence, and the flaws of democracy, advocating proprietarianism where owners prioritize citizens’ well-being. Examples like Bill Gates’ farmland illustrate state and elite impact, while libertarian strategy emphasizes autonomy, freedom, and creating spaces where adults can act freely without harming others. Enjoy the conversation. - SHOW SPONSOR: Veritas Villages: https://www.veritasvillages.com/freecities - Veritas Villages are building off-grid, energy self-sufficient communities for freedom lovers in Latin America. Bitcoin is accepted at all villages, including for the purchase of property. - Previous interviews with Patrick Hiebert, Founder of Veritas Villages: EP 156: https://fountain.fm/episode/66NqAclTBh7FByIX7lCq EP 107: https://fountain.fm/episode/Fh6uGwZvVtPsYsR53pTI - All the Podcast Links: https://linktr.ee/FreeCitiesPodcast Free Cities Telegram Community: https://t.me/+im6c6r4jQkUzMjU0 Free Cities Conference: https://freecitiesconference.com/ Free Cities Foundation Newsletter: https://free-cities.org/subscribe Conference Guide to Prague: https://tinyurl.com/FreeCitiesPragueGuide - DONATE Bitcoin to the Free Cities Podcast: bc1q5jun0nzxzqepch84rqk0jnv0rd8uvns28df7mg - Podcasting apps that support Value 4 Value Bitcoin payments: https://podcastindex.org/apps?appTypes=app - TIMESTAMPS (Audio Version Only) 0:00:30 – Introduction to Episode 0:10:01 – Start of Conversation 0:13:44 – The Free State Project Strategy 0:19:58 – Seasteading and Libertarian Communities 0:21:13 – A Libertarian Place with No Libertarians 0:26:04 – City-States and Silicon Valley Oligarchs 0:31:52 – Democracy Sucks 0:35:09 – The One Freedom: The Freedom to Leave 0:45:33 – Libertarianism Means You Can Do What You Want on Your Property 0:57:11 – Why Democratic Communes Fail 1:06:15 – The Free Private City Model Is the Best One 1:09:00 – Moving Around and Buying/Renting Houses 1:16:05 – Generational Living Has Disappeared 1:23:24 – Neighbours & Friends 1:33:48 – Minimum Wage & Exploitation 1:38:48 – Neighbourly Disputes 1:46:30 – Why is the Free Cities Foundation So Important? - NOSTR: Timothy Allen: npub1gcf9ltaeu42f4tr20z3avkas04dezlx3jaudqsuu87gvmh686xasrvqjg0 Free Cities Foundation: npub1lsj8pmgedqqamt89c27tzjjnlf0wn7q7udjm7j2cl9xxz97eacns2mwpee - LEGACY SOCIAL MEDIA: Mark Edge: http://twitter.com/MarkEdgeShow Free Talk Radio: https://x.com/FreeTalkLive The Free State Project: https://twitter.com/FreeStateNH Timothy Allen: https://twitter.com/MrTimothyAllen Free Cities Foundation: https://twitter.com/freecitiesfound - OTHER LINKS: Mark's previous FCP episode: https://fountain.fm/episode/vBJbslrC2JHUe8abQxQS Free Talk Live: https://blog.freetalklive.com/ Free State Project: https://www.fsp.org/ Veritas Villages: https://www.veritasvillages.com/freecities Free Cities Foundation: https://free-cities.org/ Become a resident or business owner in Próspera: https://prospera.co/r/freecities