Re: “Billionaires driving innovation: Whitby reader”
To the editor:
On Earth, we live in a deeply stricken world: a relentless pandemic which has claimed a number of million lives; a world confronted nearly every day by the devastating results of local weather change; and a world the place a handful of billionaires personal extra wealth than half the world. In accordance with the World Inequality Report 2022, “The poorest half of the worldwide inhabitants barely owns any wealth in any respect, possessing simply two per cent of the whole. In distinction, the richest 10 per cent of the worldwide inhabitants personal 76 per cent of all wealth.”
It's effectively established that numerous numbers die every day from preventable causes.
In 2021, three billionaires, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson, launched themselves into area in gleaming new rockets costing many billions. The letter author sings the praises of those cosmic cowboys, who can simply afford to flee the bonds of a stricken planet. Sure, they could be a tad narcissistic, he says, however we must be praising their galactic endeavours fairly than casting them in a foul mild. Why? As a result of these of us preoccupied with worldly issues will ultimately reap the inevitable advantages of their extraterrestrial extravaganzas, for the reason that competitors between the billionaires will undoubtedly drive technological innovation. After which the prosperous and even the hungry can have extra and higher devices.
Maybe the billionaires may simply determine in some unspecified time in the future in time to share their astronomical wealth with those that are chronically hungry, missing respectable well being care, clear consuming water and housing.
Not but, although — they're busy exploring, competing and innovating.
Mike Byrne,
Oshawa