this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2026
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When AI removes the need for so many jobs and people can't afford purchases and the economy collapses (again), how will the world's governments act? I can't see the US ever introducing universal basic income and the vast majority of countries simply can't afford it. I think AI might be one of those moments where it seemed like a great idea in the zeitgeist, but in retrospect, they just didnt plan for it, because all they wanted to do was just make as much money as possible. The current crop of James Bond baddies at the top of the ladder are happy to see the world burn, because they won't be around to give a shit when it all comes crashing down.
They’ll be around for it, but they’ll be insulated from it because they have more money than God.
All the money in the world cannot render someone immune to kinetic energy
it can, if it buys you a wall o flesh.
Better be paying those security forces top notch pay.
In Douglas Rushkoff’s “Survival of the Richest”, originally published on Medium on July 5, 2018, with the subtitle “The wealthy are plotting to leave us behind.”, Rushkoff describes accepting an unusually well-paid invitation to speak about “the future of technology” at a luxurious private resort. He expected roughly 100 investment bankers, but instead found himself sitting at a table with five extremely wealthy men from the hedge-fund world. Their questions shifted from cryptocurrency to whether New Zealand or Alaska would be safer during a collapse—and then to their bunkers.
A brokerage-house CEO who had nearly finished building an underground bunker asked, “How do I maintain authority over my security force after the event?”
By “the event,” they meant a catastrophe such as environmental collapse, social unrest, nuclear disaster, or an unstoppable virus. They worried that money would become worthless and their armed guards might take over. Rushkoff recounts them discussing combination locks on food supplies, disciplinary collars for guards, and robot security. His response was to treat their security personnel well and build relationships rather than rely on coercion.
They didn't like that answer.
https://archive.rushkoff.com/articles/1094-survival-of-the-richest.html https://www.theguardian.com/news/2022/sep/04/super-rich-prepper-bunkers-apocalypse-survival-richest-rushkoff
No billionaire wants to live in a bunker for the rest of their life. They want adulation, people fawning over them, etc. They'd also need to continue to receive supplies, fresh food (you think they are going to put up with dried rations?), hookers, travel, etc. If they are cut off they will be no better than Hitler in his bunker.
History has shown when the leadership is corrupt everyone around them follows suit. Stealing whenever they can, abandoning their posts at the first chance, incompetence, security goes to whoever pays them the most, etc.
And this is why they're investing so heavily in killer robot technology. The private armies protecting these bunkers, won't be comprised of humans.
Though there will probably be a heavily brainwashed IT guy shackled in a sub-basement Faraday cage beneath each bunker, for just in case there's any crisis that can't be 'reprogrammed' upstairs using the AIs, but these guys are going to be nigh on impossible to get to.
"What? I am going to have to work to build social capital, ridiculous. How do I buy it?"
Don't accept their money. "We've converted all cash to freedom bucks. Your money is no good here."
The new feudal lords will own everything and be super duper kind enough to let the peons and slaves toil the soil and keep 1/100th of the produce. Pretty sure that's literally how they want and expect things to become
Recent polling shows 66% of Americans support Medicare for all. The people will demand UBI once it's needed, the only question is whether the Epstein class will comply peacefully or not.
The US debt is so high now that a UBI would push it over the edge most likely without massive tax increases. Decades of being told all taxes on anyone are evil probably mean people would walk off a cliff before doing that.