As medicine becomes super advanced, and super expensive, the super rich may evolve into a completely different species from everyone else, according to American futurologist Paul Saffo. He thinks medical technology such as replacement organs, specially tailored drugs, and genetic research tools to alert the moneybags of any possible hereditary health dangers, could all lead to a new class of rich, elite, and longer-living humans.
Here are Saffo’s thoughts on the advantages this would give the rich, as reported in the Guardian:
“I sometimes wonder if the very rich can live, on average, 20 years longer than the poor. That’s 20 more years of earning and saving. Think about wealth and power and the advantages that you pass on to your children.”
At the very least, they’ll be able to afford health care—and keep opposing it for the rest of is.
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October 26th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Wouldn’t happen if estate laws/taxes prevented the parents from leaving behind super rich trust funded leeches.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Careful, your political slant is showing through again. In case you missed it — no one’s opposing health care for the rest of you. We just oppose the government controlling it. That route works SO well in Cuba, Britain, etc.
And I, personally, don’t want to pay for YOUR healthcare. I’m managing to pay for my own and would like it to stay that way.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Just when much of the developed world will have minimized racism, we will wake up to a world where all “men” (and women too) will NOT be created equal.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
There isn’t a class of longer-living super rich humans now, despite major (and costly) breakthroughs in medical science that have already been implemented. I don’t see much cause for alarm, though a discussion on the topic might be fun.
@Gafly (#2): You know what’s great? When you accuse someone of putting a political slant on a story, and then expound on your own political beliefs in the same paragraph. You gotta love irony!
October 26th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
This is what the NWO and bilderber group is all about. Soon there will be a VERY expensive drug that will slow aging down allowing those who can afford it to live 50-100 years longer in good health. Within the 50-100 they will have a better drug to increase the longevity of a human another 100-200 and within that a better drug again. Until you have some who can live 1000 years or more. Problem is if everyone can get that drug the earth will not be able to handle all those humans. So some very powerful people are already planning for this event. Think Morlocks and Eloi on a much more sinister scale.
October 26th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Or maybe it’s survival of the fittest. The wealthy can afford better things and so should have them. Those who can’t, shouldn’t.
October 26th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
@Heidi: Lets assume, for example, that a cure for cancer (or aids, etc.), is available, but only for the rich. Now lets assume that this makes such a media fuss that some clever politician takes the opportunity to make a simple democratic consultation: people, do you want to keep this only for the rich or do you want it also for yourselves (the money needed will be obtained by taxing the rich)? What do you think the answer will be?
October 26th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
@bart Just because the voting public thinks it should be one way, doesn’t mean that is the best way to handle, well, anything. Most of the rich have gotten that way for a reason, most of us schmucks stay poor for a reason. Deal with it.
October 26th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
@Heidi, actually I don’t care much about it unless it is about health and education. But talking about social systems, I’m more inclined to “In Praise of Idleness” by Bertrand Russell — normally you can work and buy what you want except some of your own time for the pursuit of intellectual activities, specially when young. One thing is certain, no system is perfect and if the system itself doesn’t evolve then we have a big problem.
October 26th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
“. Most of the rich have gotten that way for a reason”
See, Financial Sector, 2001-2008.
Steve
October 26th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Gadfly, I’m sure your opinion will be the same when you lose your job and the COBRA premium for your family health insurance is $900/mo. (And if you’re not in the tax bracket that would care if either of these problems occurred, try to use your imagination.)
October 27th, 2009 at 10:06 am
I’m disappointed in the direction of this discussion. This article seems to be about something more and something bigger than the problems of the current social, political and economic climate, even class. The article seems to be about a very promising future opportunities. The future is here, it’s just not evenly distributed yet.
The rate of increase of tech and science has been staggering and will continue. How will it affect us seven generations from now will largely be determined by the questions and values we embrace today.
November 3rd, 2009 at 3:49 pm
@Kyle: Publically, I’m pretty sure his opinion would be the same in such a situation. Privately, he’d be singing the blues like the rest of us who’ve been screwed that way.