society's reaction to "living forever"

[chezlaw]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Basically, the wealthy immortals end up wiping out the poor mortals in self defense.

[/ QUOTE ]
some of the wealthy immortals will side with the poor mortals so this is highly unlikely.

Same as plenty of wealthy people support healthcare for all.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't think it's so unlikely if the situation ultimately comes down to one of self-defense. As a fellow twoplustwo elite [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] I don't care how pro-poor you might be -- if some homeless guy attacks me with a knife, I'm taking him out.

[/ QUOTE ]
but plenty of the poor wont atack you with a knife and some of us wont take kindly to you taking them out because you're afraid they might.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
This isn't a self-defense scenario anymore. But you have a good point that it's basically impossible to take out everyone in a single-act of self-defense. Still, I don't think the poor-supporters really enter the equation here.

[/ QUOTE ]
Its the same as healthcare. We don't have healthcare just because poor people want it. Many of the people who pay more than their fair share want it as well.

The idea of us versus them is far too simplistic.

chez

[Metric]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Basically, the wealthy immortals end up wiping out the poor mortals in self defense.

[/ QUOTE ]
some of the wealthy immortals will side with the poor mortals so this is highly unlikely.

Same as plenty of wealthy people support healthcare for all.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't think it's so unlikely if the situation ultimately comes down to one of self-defense. As a fellow twoplustwo elite [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] I don't care how pro-poor you might be -- if some homeless guy attacks me with a knife, I'm taking him out.

[/ QUOTE ]
but plenty of the poor wont atack you with a knife and some of us wont take kindly to you taking them out because you're afraid they might.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
This isn't a self-defense scenario anymore. But you have a good point that it's basically impossible to take out everyone in a single-act of self-defense. Still, I don't think the poor-supporters really enter the equation here.

[/ QUOTE ]
Its the same as healthcare. We don't have healthcare just because poor people want it. Many of the people who pay more than their fair share want it as well.

The idea of us versus them is far too simplistic.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
How, again, is the concept of using lethal force in self-defense the same as healthcare?

[chezlaw]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Basically, the wealthy immortals end up wiping out the poor mortals in self defense.

[/ QUOTE ]
some of the wealthy immortals will side with the poor mortals so this is highly unlikely.

Same as plenty of wealthy people support healthcare for all.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't think it's so unlikely if the situation ultimately comes down to one of self-defense. As a fellow twoplustwo elite [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] I don't care how pro-poor you might be -- if some homeless guy attacks me with a knife, I'm taking him out.

[/ QUOTE ]
but plenty of the poor wont atack you with a knife and some of us wont take kindly to you taking them out because you're afraid they might.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
This isn't a self-defense scenario anymore. But you have a good point that it's basically impossible to take out everyone in a single-act of self-defense. Still, I don't think the poor-supporters really enter the equation here.

[/ QUOTE ]
Its the same as healthcare. We don't have healthcare just because poor people want it. Many of the people who pay more than their fair share want it as well.

The idea of us versus them is far too simplistic.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
How, again, is the concept of using lethal force in self-defense the same as healthcare?

[/ QUOTE ]
Not that. Whats similar is the idea of us vs them. It wont be the rich immortals vs poor mortals fighting over the 'right' to immortality anymore than its wealthy vs poor over the 'right' to free healthcare.

chez

[Metric]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Basically, the wealthy immortals end up wiping out the poor mortals in self defense.

[/ QUOTE ]
some of the wealthy immortals will side with the poor mortals so this is highly unlikely.

Same as plenty of wealthy people support healthcare for all.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't think it's so unlikely if the situation ultimately comes down to one of self-defense. As a fellow twoplustwo elite [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] I don't care how pro-poor you might be -- if some homeless guy attacks me with a knife, I'm taking him out.

[/ QUOTE ]
but plenty of the poor wont atack you with a knife and some of us wont take kindly to you taking them out because you're afraid they might.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
This isn't a self-defense scenario anymore. But you have a good point that it's basically impossible to take out everyone in a single-act of self-defense. Still, I don't think the poor-supporters really enter the equation here.

[/ QUOTE ]
Its the same as healthcare. We don't have healthcare just because poor people want it. Many of the people who pay more than their fair share want it as well.

The idea of us versus them is far too simplistic.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
How, again, is the concept of using lethal force in self-defense the same as healthcare?

[/ QUOTE ]
Not that. Whats similar is the idea of us vs them. It wont be the rich immortals vs poor mortals fighting over the 'right' to immortality anymore than its wealthy vs poor over the 'right' to free healthcare.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
You're a good sport chez, I'm just giving you a hard time -- I think you're basically right.

[chezlaw]

I guess the big problems will come from the absence of resources/wealth being released when people die - I can't imagine how that will pan out.

Another thought on the poor mortals. The immortals will be unwilling to do anything that might kill them, so they'll need the mortals to do the dangerous jobs. When the wealthy immortals wage war with each other they'll use their armies of poor mortals - bit like now.

chez

[bunny]

My guess is that there would be enormous political pressure to make the technology not-expensive. I would expect governments to be elected on a mandate to copy the exclusive technology (probably ignoring patents) and devote an enormous amount of resources to making it cheaper and affordable to all/more.