Decemberist
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Most foreign powers that are in a position to invade Antarctica have signed a treaty that prevents them for doing so. However, there is no clause preventing a new nation being created on Antarctica's soil. Heathen, design a flag and pack your winter clothes - the ice of Antarctica is waiting only for the step of your boot!
edited 6th Jul '11 7:17:17 AM by MilosStefanovic
The sin of silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
Hey, that might actually work!
Nobody would feel particularly threatened about an anarcho-syndicalist settlement in Antartica, and there's certainly more than enough anarchists around the world to settle a small country.
The world could certainly use another flag of convenience and an Internet domain name 100% free of copyrights or surveillance.
edited 6th Jul '11 7:28:10 AM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
Decemberist
And we can finally make an experiment on the practical plausibility of a contemporary anarchist community. No more pointless internet debates - huzzah!
The sin of silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.
The Shadows Devour You.
Just one question.
What were you guys planning on eating?
EDIT: Scratch that, there's stuff to eat. But man thats a cold place. Even the science stations are seasonal down there.
edited 6th Jul '11 7:30:33 AM by GameChainsaw
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
Lead.
That country is going to be relying a lot of imports since Antarctica has jack squat in terms of natural supplies. Also, have people run around uncontrolled on a giant block of ice that is rather important to keeping the world cool makes me queasy.
The emotions of others can seem like such well guarded mysteries, people 8egin to 8elieve that's how their own emotions should 8e treated.
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
The South Shetlands look settleable.
Yeah, I can see an Internet domain (for torrent sites and direct downloads), a flag of convenience, some sealing and fishing, some hydroponics, a technical school, a medical bay, a dancehall/concert hall, and a tourist resort.
Supplying the science stations with food and booze could also be a revenue source.
If Antartica is seattled at all, the ice-free part will be settled instead. You can't plant crops on ice, and you don't want to lose the ice and doom the Earth either. 
edited 6th Jul '11 7:38:25 AM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
Lead.
Antarctica has a non-ice part? News to me, but you'll still have trouble with crops due to the climate. Also, considering what happened with the lawlessness of the wild west and how people shot buffalo for kicks, this doesn't seem like a good thing for polar bears. And having those utilities that you mentioned available relies on people working together and for some reason, I get the feeling that if anarchists gathered up, the last thing on their mind is to build schools and medical bays, or the necessary tools to produce electricity for them. Not to mention you'd need some fuel for that electricity, seeing as nothing is readily available in Antarctica, and this all still relies on no one being a dick in such a community.
The emotions of others can seem like such well guarded mysteries, people 8egin to 8elieve that's how their own emotions should 8e treated.
Decemberist
There's no polar bears in Antarctica.
The sin of silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.
Lead.
Um, whoops?
The emotions of others can seem like such well guarded mysteries, people 8egin to 8elieve that's how their own emotions should 8e treated.
V
...but there are Penguins — after all, Everything Is Better With Penguins!
EDIT: Damn Ninjas!
edited 6th Jul '11 7:54:47 AM by Greenmantle
Keep Rolling On
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
Of course, the whole thing might be an exercise in sustainable development. Antarctica is windy. That's some electricity going. There's also potential for geothermal, tide, and solar during six whole months.
Energy would be the least concern.
Only problem is, all useable land in Antartica has been claimed. But no passport or visa is needed to get in, and nations can not enforce laws on scientific expeditions in Antartica. You can't mine, though.
Still, under the cover of a scientific expedition, a de facto settlement could be installed. Then it's a claim for independence with 100% of the population in favor. 
edited 6th Jul '11 8:44:14 AM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
They would doubtless find a loophole and send in soldiers to kick you out.
As I recall, the last time something like that was tried was the Minerva project. They declared independence to everyone in the neighborhood, cheered for freedom for a couple of days, and then the Tongan military showed up and kicked them out. Apparently they forgot to bring guns (though I doubt that would matter in Antarctica, seeing as how the guys who came to kick you out would probably either be the French military, the US Marines or angry Russians with furry hats)
You could hypothetically buy one of the Greek islands for sale and set up shop there, though I suspect either the Greeks would come back in a while and "repossess" the island or the Turks would take it over in such a way as to troll the Greeks for maximum effect.
Also, seeing as how you are an anarcho-syndicalist, why can't anyone establish their own currency/free market system? If they can, then what distinguishes it from anarcho-capitalism (in which syndicalists are free to go build their own commune)?
now I only want you gone ~SAVE ME RIBBONZZZ~
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
They could establish their stuff... Who's gonna stop them?
Still, if their workers revolt and try to collectivize we'd probably support'em.
Since you don't have to ask anybody's permission to go to Antartica, a fully functional settlement might be up by the time they noticed. The best part is claimed by the Brits, and they do enforce their claims on land they don't plan to inhabit. Damn Brits.
Best bet would be to settle the Norwegian part of Antartica, if any of it happens to be ice-free. Norwegians wouldn't intervene that far from home, not to evict a buncha settlers.
Of course, as soon as the base is up, to make sure you don't get invaded, you should get WM Ds, biological ones. IF you get invaded you release your bio-weapon into their capital city.
edited 7th Jul '11 1:33:56 AM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
^
That's pretty fucked up, holding millions, if not billions, of innocent people who are not involved hostage for your small ass population is so selfish that you deserve to be thwarted. That's a surefire way to get exterminated in a heartbeat, and for anybody who comes after you who tries to set up a commune to get pre-emptively chewed up and spit out because of your actions.
Shit, what if one country invades you and makes it look like another country is responsible? What if you get invaded by Blackwater or some other unaffiliated group? Gonna just knock out DC for giggles?
You need to think this stuff through man.
That can be the way that you make enough money to import the shit that you need. Of course that involves someone playing the role of an administrator and choosing what to buy with that money.. And a system with which to protect the property of your clients..
edited 7th Jul '11 1:36:38 AM by Barkey
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
As fucked up as evicting a bunch of anarchist settlers that simply wish to peacefully remain outside anybody's jurisdiction.
If the commune's sovereignty is threatened, as much damage as possible should be inflicted.
edited 7th Jul '11 1:38:24 AM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
A few thousand anarchist settlers < a few million people who were also minding their own business.
Just destroy your own city if it's about to be taken over, least you take the enemy out with you.
That's so short sighted and fucking selfish, 99.9 percent of the people you would kill probably didn't even know your commune existed, yeah, you sure showed them and went down without a fight.
edited 7th Jul '11 1:39:40 AM by Barkey
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
And how exactly should the anarchist commune deter invasion?
'Cause them Brits could just go: Nah, we don't want no anarchists in Antartica. Or the States could choose to take it out.
In the event of vastly superior military forces pretty much any other nation could field, what'd you do?
edited 7th Jul '11 1:51:33 AM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
I dislike the idea of anybody running around the Antarctic with no regulation. One of the few relatively pristine environments left on earth, kinda important for world climate. Are anarchists going to care about the environment? Of course they aren't, they'll be out there barbecuing penguins for dinner.
Be not afraid...
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
There is no other place on Earth without government.
If the world doesn't want anarchists there, it should give land elsewhere.
edited 7th Jul '11 2:06:01 AM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
So, they have the right to screw up Antartica for everybody else?
I'd rather not have penguins go extinct, or pollution come floating past my country on the ocean currents, or who knows what else.
Be not afraid...
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
Yes. The lack of any other stateless land gives anarchists the moral right to claim it. I would prefer to claim land elsewhere, but all the nice uninhabited islands in the Pacific are claimed by a major power.
If governments had not claimed land they were not planning to use out of sheer spite, there'd be better options.
It's either Antartica, taking over a small nation, or stealing land from one.
edited 7th Jul '11 2:15:43 AM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
they should buy or rent it, instead of steal one
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
Why?
Most anarchists don't recognize other forms of property than occupancy and use. If the island being colonized is not in use, it's obviously free to homestead. The only qualifier is being able to thwart the local government's attempt to re-take it.
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
Practicality? so they dont get attacked ? Public relation ?
Sounds like some rather unstable equilibrium, people will probably group up due to the benefits that ensue or due to force, meaning that someone bigger and nasty will come along. Also, what if the gangs don't threaten the assumed militant group that might or might exist anyway? They could just run around and pick off the smaller groups like people living solo or families.
The emotions of others can seem like such well guarded mysteries, people 8egin to 8elieve that's how their own emotions should 8e treated.