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UID:10538@uucpa.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20211103T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20211103T210000
DTSTAMP:20211023T160400Z
URL:https://www.uucpa.org/events/tech-billionaires-vs-the-peoples-needs-an
 d-rights/
SUMMARY:Tech Billionaires vs. the People's Needs and Rights
DESCRIPTION:Tech Billionaires vs. the People&#039\;s Needs and Rights  \n 	
 UUCPA Class: Tech Billionaires vs. the People's Needs and Rights\n 	Presen
 ter: Chris Cassell\n 	\nDate: Wednesday Nov.3\n 	\nTime: 7:30 to 9\n\nIn J
 uly 2021 Jeff Bezos flew to the edge of space in a craft designed and buil
 t by his own company. "Bezos took a joy-ride to space on the backs of his 
 oppressed Amazon workers!"\, screamed the progressives. As a progressive m
 yself\, I too am disturbed by the prospect of billionaires having unfetter
 ed control of humanity's future\, and that the current dismal state of inc
 ome and other inequalities will only grow "astronomically" worse as we exp
 and into space. Yet I also share Bezos' vision and belief that human expan
 sion into space is necessary for our continued civilization. Much of this 
 vision goes back to the work of Gerard O'Neill in the 1970's\, and his ico
 nic book "The High Frontier - Human Colonies in Space". I think this is th
 e overarching motivation for Bezos' venture\, even if his short-term busin
 ess interest in "space tourism" is trite and undemocratic. The tech billio
 naires (Bezos\, Musk\, Branson) are moving humanity in a necessary directi
 on\, in my opinion\, in a way that the public sector (NASA\, etc.) seems u
 nable to achieve. But complete economic freedom\, which private enterprise
  craves\, inexorably concentrates wealth and power into fewer hands. How d
 o we balance such freedom with the controls needed to assure that the need
 s and rights of all people are guarded? This is a quandary for which I don
 't have a solution. Let's discuss! Depending on the level of interest\, th
 is could be the first of a series of discussions with the broader scope of
  "Ethical Issues of Technology".\n\nChris Cassell\, Ph.D.\, has had a life
 long interest in space. Career highlights include working on Lockheed Mart
 in's proposal for the James Webb Space Telescope (awarded by NASA to compe
 titor Northrop Grumman) and being a co-founder of Deep Space Industries\, 
 a space startup with the long-term goal of resource extraction from the ne
 ar-Earth asteroids (and which failed as a business in 2018). Chris grew up
  with UU in Maryland and joined UUCPA in early 2020.\n&nbsp\;\n\nMeeting I
 nformation\n\nMeeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89037441528?pwd=Wk16
 WVdIWGZuV09QZE1kbXZyMGk0QT09\n\nMeeting ID: 890 3744 1528\n\nPasscode: 444
 489\n\nCall in by phone\n+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)\n\nQuestions\, plea
 se email areclasses@uucpa.org. 
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CATEGORIES:Adult,Classes,Learning
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