6 ms·

This is wonderful news for humanity, in the long term. Bezos is dedicated to expanding humanity into the solar system in a more sensible way than Musk is. O'Nei

This is wonderful news for humanity, in the long term. Bezos is dedicated to expanding humanity into the solar system in a more sensible way than Musk is. O'Neil cylinders are really the way to go for a lot of reasons, and that's the vision that Bezos is dedicated to. More money for that is fantastic. I just wish there was a Bezos/Gates-level billionaire who care as much about life extension via SENS. That's the only thing of equal importance I can think of that needs long term vision and financial support.

door 9y ago
billionaire capitalists are not good news for humanity
- cmahler7 9y ago
  pretty much every technological advancement and the quality of life improvement that came with it is through capitalism. There's a reason that Cuba and Soviet Russia were basically trapped in time
  - aaron-lebo 9y ago
    Capitalism does not require inequality and obscene compensation.
    - cmahler7 9y ago
      people aren't equal so you're going to have inequality unless you regulate things so everything is equal outcome, in which case you will end up with a failed civilization due to there being no reason for talented people to work hard because they get no benefit for doing so.
      - door 9y ago
        theres a difference between inequality in the sense of "a junior developer makes 60k, a senior developer makes 100k" (what you're talking about, and which is totally fine) and the inequality that actually exists, whereby a small number of extraordinarily wealthy people control a massive proportion of wealth while those in poverty lack access to food security, healthcare, childcare, the basic necessities of life.
        slice_of_life 9y ago
        >whereby a small number of extraordinarily wealthy people control a massive proportion of wealth while those in poverty lack access to food security, healthcare, childcare, the basic necessities of life May be a more important question is why those people lack those things you mentioned. If for instance Bill Gates/Jeff Bezos never existed, would it make those poor people richer? You are not addressing the problem when you simply vilify the rich as the cause of the poor's woes. Your argument is intellectually dishonest and I think it stems from unnecessary envy.
  - ionised 9y ago
    In human history?
  - door 9y ago
    nearly all technological improvements are built, at their core, on work that was done by publicly-funded research or volunteer/non-profit work. the internet is a good example
- Karunamon 9y ago
  That seems like the kind of broad brush statement that could never be substantiated.
  - door 9y ago
    it's bad that a single person has unaccountable command over a billion dollars
    - HeyLaughingBoy 9y ago
      A $Billion isn't what it used to be...
- vixen99 9y ago
  Why not? These billionaire capitalists don't force people to work for them nor do they force people to buy their products and services - but people do in large numbers. A sort of democratic vote against your submission. Are the people who don't buy into their products suffering in some way? Explain!
  - cname 9y ago
    Because everyone simply decided to participate in the prevailing social/economic system? I wish I could simply decide to opt out.
    - rukittenme 9y ago
      You can... You can move to a country that has the economic system you want or you can leave society all together.
      - door 9y ago
        i don't want to live in the woods, i want a world in which people who make iphones don't kill themselves
        rukittenme 9y ago
        What a strange condition. Why not I want to live in a world where people aren't hungry? What about a world without suffering? A world without conflict and scarcity? If iPhone manufacturing is your only gripe with this world we find ourselves in, I'd say we've got it pretty good.
        door 9y ago
        i want all those things. my point was "if you dont like the system, leave" is a bad argument
        door 9y ago
        i want all those things. my point was "if you dont like the system, leave" is a bad argument
slice_of_life 9y ago
I agree. Don't forget Amazon still has so much it's doing with its current projects. Bezos has been really impressive. If you haven't read The Everything Store, you should get it - great book.
1_2__4 9y ago
This is possibly one of the most insane comments I've ever read.
StreamBright 9y ago
I think there is no more or less sensible way. The only way is the way that actually works. Right now non of the options are viable. Going to Mars won't make humanity interstellar species because there are much more serious issues to solve than just going there, starting with the lack of geomagnetic field. If we want to change that we need to build space stations with artificial gravity and geomagnetic field so that people living on it are safe. This is probably a better option than trying to go to a desert planet without geomagnetic field.

door 9y ago

billionaire capitalists are not good news for humanity

cmahler7 9y ago
pretty much every technological advancement and the quality of life improvement that came with it is through capitalism. There's a reason that Cuba and Soviet Russia were basically trapped in time
- aaron-lebo 9y ago
  Capitalism does not require inequality and obscene compensation.
  - cmahler7 9y ago
    people aren't equal so you're going to have inequality unless you regulate things so everything is equal outcome, in which case you will end up with a failed civilization due to there being no reason for talented people to work hard because they get no benefit for doing so.
    - door 9y ago
      theres a difference between inequality in the sense of "a junior developer makes 60k, a senior developer makes 100k" (what you're talking about, and which is totally fine) and the inequality that actually exists, whereby a small number of extraordinarily wealthy people control a massive proportion of wealth while those in poverty lack access to food security, healthcare, childcare, the basic necessities of life.
      - slice_of_life 9y ago
        >whereby a small number of extraordinarily wealthy people control a massive proportion of wealth while those in poverty lack access to food security, healthcare, childcare, the basic necessities of life May be a more important question is why those people lack those things you mentioned. If for instance Bill Gates/Jeff Bezos never existed, would it make those poor people richer? You are not addressing the problem when you simply vilify the rich as the cause of the poor's woes. Your argument is intellectually dishonest and I think it stems from unnecessary envy.
- ionised 9y ago
  In human history?
- door 9y ago
  nearly all technological improvements are built, at their core, on work that was done by publicly-funded research or volunteer/non-profit work. the internet is a good example
Karunamon 9y ago
That seems like the kind of broad brush statement that could never be substantiated.
- door 9y ago
  it's bad that a single person has unaccountable command over a billion dollars
  - HeyLaughingBoy 9y ago
    A $Billion isn't what it used to be...
vixen99 9y ago
Why not? These billionaire capitalists don't force people to work for them nor do they force people to buy their products and services - but people do in large numbers. A sort of democratic vote against your submission. Are the people who don't buy into their products suffering in some way? Explain!
- cname 9y ago
  Because everyone simply decided to participate in the prevailing social/economic system? I wish I could simply decide to opt out.
  - rukittenme 9y ago
    You can... You can move to a country that has the economic system you want or you can leave society all together.
    - door 9y ago
      i don't want to live in the woods, i want a world in which people who make iphones don't kill themselves
      - rukittenme 9y ago
        What a strange condition. Why not I want to live in a world where people aren't hungry? What about a world without suffering? A world without conflict and scarcity? If iPhone manufacturing is your only gripe with this world we find ourselves in, I'd say we've got it pretty good.
        door 9y ago
        i want all those things. my point was "if you dont like the system, leave" is a bad argument
        door 9y ago
        i want all those things. my point was "if you dont like the system, leave" is a bad argument

slice_of_life 9y ago

I agree. Don't forget Amazon still has so much it's doing with its current projects. Bezos has been really impressive. If you haven't read The Everything Store, you should get it - great book.

1_2__4 9y ago

This is possibly one of the most insane comments I've ever read.

StreamBright 9y ago

I think there is no more or less sensible way. The only way is the way that actually works. Right now non of the options are viable. Going to Mars won't make humanity interstellar species because there are much more serious issues to solve than just going there, starting with the lack of geomagnetic field. If we want to change that we need to build space stations with artificial gravity and geomagnetic field so that people living on it are safe. This is probably a better option than trying to go to a desert planet without geomagnetic field.