Article 25 of the “Don’t Repeat History” series
Community Resilience: Preparing for Natural and Geopolitical Crises
Please note this will be my last regular article in the “Don’t Repeat History” series. I will be publishing a concluding article recapping the entire series.
The Free Republic of Liberland, founded in 2015 on a 7 km² patch of disputed Danube land, embodies libertarian ideals: minimal government, voluntary contributions, property rights, and blockchain transparency. By 2025, Liberland has stabilized governance with blockchain elections, launched a $30 million Danube revitalization plan, and attracted almost 800,000 citizenship applicants, poised for growth from 1,400 citizens. Yet, its diaspora villages and Liberland proper face natural disasters and geopolitical risks, as Croatian disruptions echo Balkan conflicts (Article 12). Pompeii’s collapse under Vesuvius in 79 CE, compounded by societal failures, warns Liberland against unpreparedness. To withstand crises, Liberland must deploy DAO-managed emergency networks, ensuring voluntary resilience without coercion. This supports 2025’s infrastructure and diaspora goals, preserving the “To Live and Let Live” ethos.
Pompeii, a thriving Roman city, prospered through decentralized trade and governance, but Vesuvius’ eruption killed 2,000 and exposed societal weaknesses: elite hoarding left 30% of residents without aid, and no collective response led to collapse. This mirrors the Balkan War displacements (Article 12), warning Liberland: crises amplify inequalities, fracturing communities without preparedness. Centralized disaster plans, like state relief, risk coercion, while no system invites chaos, as in Zomia’s collapse (Article 4). DAO-managed emergency networks offer a voluntary solution: blockchain-based DAOs pool resources for natural or manmade disaster (e.g., floods, terror attacks), voted on equally to prevent elite control.
These networks, integrated into Liberland’s blockchain dashboard, automate aid. For example, a Liberland citizen could fund a DAO flood relief pool, with smart contracts distributing resources based on verified needs, as Article 6 appendix highlights DAOs’ arbitration, however if one is educated in the proper use of such funds the use of arbitration will much more efficient and could be integrated into the civics courses (Article 9). Social incentives—prestige or blockchain credits for contributions—encourage participation. This complements my series’ most critical systems: DAO trusts (Article 3) for inheritance, mutual aid networks (Article 15) for welfare, and trade platforms (Article 23) for economy, preventing cultural collapse. In order for Liberland to be truly successful we must have these DAO systems in place, otherwise we are not truly leading from past history. DAO’s have not existed before and this is the best way to make everything automated and without discrimination towards any one person or group.
In practice, networks support Liberland’s 2025 goals. The $30 million Danube plan can fund crisis-ready infrastructure, like flood barriers, via DAOs, avoiding Pompeii’s unpreparedness. As e-residency scales to hundreds potentially, networks unify communities, preventing Athenian factionalism (Article 7). Croatian disruptions necessitate digital aid; DAOs enable global contributions within 24 hours, complementing blockchain treaties (Article 6). Sunset clauses on network rules—expiring after 5–10 years—ensure adaptability, avoiding rigidity. Blockchain automation reduces costs, unlike state relief, scaling for a global e-citizenry.
Critics may argue networks risk inefficiency, but transparency and incentives ensure effectiveness. Equal-access DAOs prevent elite hoarding, unlike Pompeii’s elites. Without resilience, Liberland risks Balkan-like chaos (Article 12). By fostering DAO networks, Liberland ensures preparedness, supporting its crypto-economy and diaspora growth.
By learning from Pompeii’s societal collapse, Liberland can build a voluntary resilience system. DAO-managed networks, backed by incentives and transparency, ensure crisis readiness, supporting 2025’s elections, Danube plan, and a potential e-residency surge. This makes Liberland a beacon of libertarian resilience, not a cautionary tale of fragility.