{"podcast":{"title":"Free Cities Podcast","slug":"free-cities-podcast-5840331","podcast_index_feed_id":5840331,"rss_url":"https://feeds.fountain.fm/0Mh804AKI3yaq86kDWTp","website_url":"http://www.freecities.fm","image_url":"https://feeds.fountain.fm/0Mh804AKI3yaq86kDWTp/files/COVER_ART---DEFAULT---a11ca52f-3e70-413c-a8ed-44e72b949c5b.jpg","author":"Timothy Allen","episode_count":197,"summary":"The Free Cities Podcast is the leading podcast covering alternative governance, new jurisdictions, and the global movement to build freer societies. Hosted by Timothy Allen, the show features long-form, in-person conversations with the people building autonomous jurisdictions and real-world pathways to more freedom. We focus on what actually works, the legal structures, incentives, economics, and business models that turn freedom from an idea into a way of life. Builders and sceptics welcome. Free Cities, Charter Cities, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Network States, Startup Societies, Pioneer Communities, Intentional Communities, Popup Cities, Governance Innovation, Competitive Governance, Governance as a Service, Regulatory Innovation, Polycentric Governance, Geopolitics, Seasteading, Homesteading, Freesteading, Digital Nomadism, Flag Theory, Freedom, Liberty & Bitcoin. We are the official podcast of the Free Cities Foundation . New episodes every Friday.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-17T14:18:37.241251+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/free-cities-podcast-5840331"},"episode":{"title":"167 - Mikkel Thorup: The Global Freedom Map Is Changing","slug":"167-mikkel-thorup-the-global-freedom-map-is-changing","published_at":"2026-01-30T06:00:26+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/free-cities-podcast-5840331/167-mikkel-thorup-the-global-freedom-map-is-changing","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/free-cities-podcast-5840331","url":"https://fountain.fm/episode/trD1QTmuCAShTIli5ixg","audio_url":"https://feeds.fountain.fm/0Mh804AKI3yaq86kDWTp/items/LRiQAFlyQ0zFNiw5tpZz/files/AUDIO---DEFAULT---26bf2561-4838-45ba-a127-a38e05ca1314.mp3","summary":"“How do you get out of this? How do you separate yourself from your government today? How do you protect your wealth and your ability to provide for your family today?” - Timothy Allen speaks with Mikkel Thorup. Mikkel is a long-time expat, offshore consultant, and founder of Expat Money . He has spent over 25 years living outside his country of birth, traveled to more than 120 countries, and works directly with families, entrepreneurs, and high earners looking to reduce friction with the systems they live under. What begins with travel stories from Central Asia and reflections on cultural psychology quickly expands into a deeper conversation about freedom, perspective, and trade-offs. Mikkel challenges Western assumptions about liberty, compares overt and hidden forms of control, and argues that many people do not actually want freedom once responsibility enters the picture. From China and the Middle East to Panama and Latin America, the discussion maps where real-world freedom is increasing, where it is quietly disappearing, and why jurisdictions with territorial tax systems and diversified revenue models are becoming magnets for mobile families. Along the way, Mikkel explains why Panama functions as a de facto city-state, how offshore structures really work in practice, and why physical communities matter more than online movements alone. The second half of the conversation moves into harder territory: public education, UBI, loss of purpose, and why meaning, struggle, and family remain central even in a world of optionality. Rather than offering slogans or hacks, the episode stays grounded in lived experience, trade-offs, and personal responsibility. Enjoy the conversation. - SHOW SPONSOR: Veritas Villages : https://www.veritasvillages.com/freecities - Veritas Villa…","meta_description":"“How do you get out of this? How do you separate yourself from your government today? How do you protect your wealth and your ability to provide for your…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4468,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/free-cities-podcast-5840331/episodes/167-mikkel-thorup-the-global-freedom-map-is-changing/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/free-cities-podcast-5840331/167-mikkel-thorup-the-global-freedom-map-is-changing.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}