Amazon boss Jeff Bezos is the richest person in the world with a current net worth of $125 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. And he’s investing much of his Amazon fortune in the development of space technologies through his aerospace company Blue Origin.
Why? “Because I think it’s important,” Bezos tells Norah O’Donnell of CBS Evening News in an interview which aired Tuesday.
— CBS News
In a CBS Evening News special, Amazon's Jeff Bezos shares with Norah O'Donnell the importance of his space initiatives and his aerospace company Blue Origin. In a passionate voice, Bezos exclaims, "We humans have to go to space if we are going to continue to have a thriving civilization."
He goes on to discuss the world's current state and the danger it's under. From overpopulation, climate change, pollution, and big industry, Bezos proclaims, "We are in the process of destroying this planet. And we have sent robotic probes to every planet in the solar system — this is the good one. So, we have to preserve this planet."
CBS NEWS EXCLUSIVE: @JeffBezos wants his space tourism company Blue Origin to be “an instrumental part” of an American return to the Moon; alongside Amb. Caroline Kennedy, he tells @NorahODonnell that space exploration is critical to our survival. https://t.co/XMXbEkrN86 pic.twitter.com/hNfBVIlF6i
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) July 16, 2019
Bezos isn't the first person to dream about living in space. His goals for using Blue Origin as a catalyst to make his space city possible has undergone much criticism. Perhaps his aspirations are in the right place, but his plans for this "possible future" have created quite the response from the general public. Critics like Fred Scharmen have shared their reactions to Bezos' space city.
According to Bezos, the first step to inhabiting space is allowing people to visit it thanks to his plans for space tourism. Blue Origin has already begun testing this possibility with their space vehicle, the New Shepard.
Watch the Going to Space to Benefit Earth presentation, it's... interesting...
All 10 Comments
Bezos is vying for military contracts. He's already got CIA contracts, and he sits on a Pentagon board. Because you can never have too much money, and it doesn't matter what you do to get it.
I disagree with this assessment. Sometimes capitalism is just about capitalism. He says he wants to go to the moon- because he wants rights to the resources. His need to suppress conflicts with the moon treaty has nothing to do with military contracts, just pure old-fashion settler/colonialism.
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue...
In 2042 Bezos made claim to the precious moon...
Military industry is an essential element of capitalism.
https://www.barrons.com/articles/amazon-microsoft-defense-department-cloud-computing-business-contract-51561563808
I don’t see anything that links that cloud computing contract to resource extraction on the moon or extra-planetary settlements. Furthermore, military participation would only complicate issues with the moon treaty. Why make things harder when pure unabashed expansionist thinking and marketing to investors will do the trick?
Added, please expand on you capital needs argument, or explain the relationship between targets (failed) expansion into Canada and military contracts.
*capital needs military (tiny screen typing)
The Moon Teaty? LOL The US has withdrawn from the INF missile treaty and the ABM (SALT) treaty, among others. Military tech is big business, can't let some stupid treaties get in the way.
The link is Bezos' military and intel connections.
As far as human colonization of space goes, this is just PR spin, like a trillion dollar military for "defense" (not the enforcement of global capitalism). We're not going anywhere.
http://www.globalissues.org/ar...
I’m convinced human kind has made it about as far as we will into space. From here, the cost of sending a human life into space is too great. Robots are probably much cheaper. Artificial Intelligent machines sending Virtual Reality experiences back to earth (whether for mining operations or entertainment) will suffice for humans until the earth is extinguished.
Also, I thought I read an article one time that suggested humans become infertile when they venture into space? Another case for the idea that we won’t make it very far.
#rickitect
Ref: Packing for Mars, by Mary Roach
Watch the Going to Space to Benefit Earth presentation, it's... interesting...
“Military industry is an essential element of capitalism“
Absolute most false statement I’ve read in a very long time. Military industry is a symptom of unchecked taxation and big govt. what period did the military grow enormously out of curiosity? What was the tax rate feeding it? libertarians have been on this before the millionaire billionaire hater Bernie thought it was cool.
Second point, then I will be offline for awhile...let me fix that title...
Jeff Bezos wants to go to space because “small penis”
Economic Freedom is not justification for gluttony anymore than freedom to eat what you want is justification to be 800lbs. Curbing liberty never results in morality, it results in obedience. See China...(pretty big military too). In fact, morality requires the freedom to be immoral. Morality can only exist alongside free will.
I suppose you an-caps were all on the anti-globalization train before the left too huh? :-) Bezos doesn't have a penis complex because the penis size thing isn't actually a thing and most adults know that. It's a joke you kids take seriously. He has a daddy complex and he was probably ruthlessly mocked for being a dork (by girls and people like you) when he was a teen and he got insanely lucky like every rich capitalist pig. Notice all the time he must have spent in the gym in the last decade to make up for his previously pencil-nick physique and male pattern baldness. Look up photos of him from the 90's. You anarcho-capitalists masquerading as the "Cult of Liberty" would have children working in Bezos' concentration camps. Go back to your sci-fi and comic books. Or maybe just don't make negative comments like "Absolute most false statement I've read in a very long time." And/or answer you're own pointless questions.
That doesn’t make any sense.
Commies are duuuummmmb
Brett you put your real name behind that comment?
I would think "an-caps" would be pro globalization.
Branding exercise
Also me-too catch-up with Musk.
Military industry an essential element of capitalism? That does not compute.
PENTAGON CAPITALISM: The Political Economy of War
Permanent War Economy
Global military spending is now an integral part of capitalism
Capitalism Destroyed U.S military capacity
It is now the Corporate Financial Congressional Military Industrial Complex.
Thank you. Reading homework tonight. This conversation does remind me of a statement made by my European friend years - that our (American) economy is built on war.
I think what makes me cringe is the "essential" part of it. As if the American economy would blunder if we were to drastically decrease military spending.
What if he used the money to pay his workers a living wage instead?
It reminded me of a joke from years ago; a guy goes to the doctor, comes out very happy - his friend asks him why - he says " the doctor said I'm impotant!
What if Christopher Columbus had gone to the 'New World' six times but each time all he found was the same large grey barren rock devoid of life?
For the record I think this is great... but couldn't help but notice how the blue origin logo on his jacket was strikingly similar to the box logo from Silicon Valley... (insert laughing emoji here...:D)
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