project established and operated by Lazarus Long (a.k.a. Howard Turney).
The project was publicised by various media outlets in Europe and the United States. In an article about fake nations, Quatloos.com called "New Utopia" a "fake nation scam". The micronation was also briefly mentioned as a scam in a Business Week e.biz
online article and in a Wired News
piece; the latter noted, however, that "Turney...
"An oasis in the middle of the ocean: Office buildings, hotels, theaters and shopping centers, sitting slightly above the surface of the sea in neat rows surrounded by greenery and flowers, with canals of clear blue water, water taxis and gondolas providing transportation for the inhabitants."
"A new country that has never existed before, which will be built in a moderately tropical sea, a perfect climate, a paradise: Utopia!"
"The International University of Advanced Studies, has been founded and is dedicated to teaching the disciplines and imparting the knowledge that will be needed in the next century for survival on Earth, the colonization of the oceans, and the exploration and colonization of space. Access to classes taught by the University may be obtained over the Internet."
"New Utopia will be managed by a Board of Governors; managing what we believe to be the most perfect city/state ever conceived, blending the philosophies of both Ayn Rand and Robert Heinlein."