X-Message-Number: 20262
From: 
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2002 10:16:51 +0100
Subject: oligarchy of immortals

> CryoNet - Mon 7 Oct 2002
>
> Message #20256
> From: "Mark Plus" <>
> Subject: "The future of death"
> Date: Sun, 06 Oct 2002 13:47:40 -0700

> http://www.btexact.com/ideas/futurology?doc=21053
>
> The future of death
>  Biological
> death might still be unpleasant, but it need no longer be a career
> barrier.


I found the article an interesting summation of the transhumanist position. 
However,

I found it disturbing that the author considered the main problem with death to 
be
the way it interrupts careers! Perhaps I have misunderstood, or perhaps my

priorities are different and I do not consider a career to be the most important
thing
in life, or the interruption of a career the reason why death is so terrible.


Thinking about the importance of a career lead me to consider the issue of money

and longevity, It is likely that this issue has been discussed at cryonet 
before, but I

am just a recent subscriber so I will air my thoughts. Feel free to direct me to
an
archived discussion of this issue if this is passe.


It seems likely to me that any future people that benefit from extreme longevity
are
going to have to be rich. Like today, longevity treatment/tech is sure to be
expensive; the cost of cryonics, certain drugs and medical treatment, even good

food and the other elements that support good health, will only be available for
the

comfortably rich at best and wealthy at worst. Though I expect treatment/tech to
become cheaper and reach a mass market as it becomes more dated, I am dubious
that immortality will be available for everyone   or even many people.


Is it likely that a wealthy elite of immortals, all with a mono-maniacal 
work-ethic,

political power and tons of excess capital will maintain their hold on wealth 
and
power by living longer and longer? Perhaps this could lead to an enlightened

oligarchy, though this would assume a beneficial relationship between age, 
reason
and wisdom (will greater processing power magically make people more
enlightened? Or more stubborn?). Perhaps instead the world will be home (or a
launch pad, or a resource) to a technological vanguard who will leave behind or

exploit the worlds  mortals. Perhaps by then cultures will have sorted out their

inequalities, but I find this unlikely. Extreme longevity treatments will 
probably
happen soon and it seems likely and strange that our species may succeed in
overcoming the most basic, ancient and constant problem of death, without
succeeding in solving the younger and more variable problems of inequality,
poverty and group violence.


Even if longevity technology could be cheap enough for all to afford it (or at 
least

those not starving in crowded cities or blasted deserts or on welfare or under 
the
heel of war or dictatorship or Western interests), then would those with vested
interests *allow* the spread? Certainly, some transhumanists have claimed
progress in inevitable and unstoppable, but even slowing down these advances
(which so-called pro-life legislation does for example) could be personally
disastrous for the people living and fearing now.

I also couldn't help to comment on this:

> Message #20257
> Date: Sun, 06 Oct 2002 15:40:41 -0700
> From: James Swayze <>
> Subject: Energy and leadership to reach the future
> References: <>
>
> One also wonders how different the middle east situation would be if
> we and the rest of the world could live without their oil. They'd sure
> have less money to fund terrorism with and buy weapons of any level of
> destruction with. Let's take the wind from their sails by weaning
> ourselves from their oil.

Weaning the West from Middle Eastern oil would give "us" less reason to invade,
sanction and generally interfer with the arab nations ie: seize their oil

(http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,786332,00.html). It's not as if 
terrorism
springs from no-where, it is mainly a response to oppression.
(http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=12919)

Anton


---------------------------------------
http://www.noumenal.net/exiles

Bush's close ties with bin Laden:
http://www.observer.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,738196,00.html
American Terrorism: http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=14016

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