I'd rather have the healthy and energy of a 25 year old and live in a world where there are people far richer than me than be a frail 80 year old where at least I know there aren't any trillionaires.
Another thought I had was that revolutions over inequality almost always happen when there's a large youthful population. The old just don't have the energy or the future-focused outlook for big change. Inequality might be less stable if all adults had the health of their youth.
> I'd rather have the healthy and energy of a 25 year old and live in a world where there are people far richer than me than be a frail 80 year old where at least I know there aren't any trillionaires.
That's a very specific scenario, where everything happens to be going great for you. Do you honestly believe wealth inequality has no negative consequences for those at the bottom?
No, I agree that extreme wealth inequality is not desirable. But the question I'm trying to get at is if we can have medicine that will make people live dramatically healthier lives isn't it worth it even if some billionaires get to hold onto their wealth a little longer?
"But if we cure aging won't that mean that the ultra-rich will never go away??" That's what these conversations always seem to devolve into and it seems to miss the bigger picture.
I think it will be worth it, but we can't just assume that such a medicine will be available for everyone, or ignore the effects it will have on society.
Many medicines and treatments we have today are already basically available only to the wealthy.
Many prominent billionaires are on record spreading overpopulation FUD and anti-natalism, while having multiple children themselves.
In theory - I agree that having some kind of anti-aging treatment that is available for everyone would be awesome, but in practice it could end up as immortality for the very few, while making the vast majority worse off.
Another thought I had was that revolutions over inequality almost always happen when there's a large youthful population. The old just don't have the energy or the future-focused outlook for big change. Inequality might be less stable if all adults had the health of their youth.