"Survival of the Richest" Topic

Tech billionaires are buying up luxurious bunkers and hiring military security to survive a societal collapse they helped create, but like everything they do, it has unintended consequences

Book excerpt at The Guardian: link

I knew, I already read Rushkoff a few years ago, elsewhere:

Survival of the Richest
The wealthy are plotting to leave us behind. – 2018 on OneZero

And the post Covid follow up:
The Privileged Have Entered Their Escape Pods
Technology gave us the dream of a cocooned future. Now we're living it. – 2020 on OneZero

So, is it New Zealand for the tranhumanist techno elite?
New Zealand: The ideal spot to ride out the apocalypse? – On Deutsche Welle

For a minute there I thought this thread was about the UK today.

Well, if you look at what happened in the Roman Empire after the collapse all the money in the world didn't save rich people from resourceful and well armed barbarians – just sayin' – if you think that ex-SEAL team is going to do your biding because you have a vault full of useless money, good luck with that

I was thinking along the same lines, Frederick. If an SHTF event occurs, I expect that the security contractors will take over a significant number of these locations if they think it is in their best interest to do so.

You know Bill, you could probably rig the board so it posted a message saying "the Guardian says all the world's problems are caused by rich Americans" once a week, and save yourself the composition time.

But the point of several of the replies is valid: a government is a monopoly on lethal force, and THE government is whoever the people with guns take orders from. Rule of law, respect for property rights, government and the existing social hierarchy are interconnected: no one will enforce the will of the rich when paper money isn't taken seriously. So that's one bit of good news.

On the even brighter side, a vast number of government-enforced Causes will go away when lawyers and bureaucrats can't call for the cops any more. In their bunker in the Cotswalds, the Guardian's editors will be heartbroken.

They could found a new religion or spin-off from an existing religion, that will protect them.
Transhumanist messiahs' of a post doomsday future with a small private army of fanatical prepper elite nuts.

Now, what is Tom Cruise take on this topic?

@rppb

Guardian editors' Cotswold bunker. Lol:

Broadway Tower – Nuculear bunkah

Actually it used to be the Manchester Guardian – so prolly in the Pennines.

Good point, Stoppage. Pennines it is.

Arjuna, I'm sure Mr. Cruise will will play the fanatic, the fanatic's top-ranking military officer or the human resistance for the right money. But if the end of the world is really imminent, you'll have to pay him in food, weapons and ammunition.

Your security will protect you until they decide you're a useless extra mouth that doesn't need feeding… ;-)

Yea, I'm willing to bet that even the rich guy/gal is at risk in this scenario, since those that are most fit, ruthless, and/or well armed will probably be in charge eventually, just as certain dictators have been throughout time.