#105: Escape Fantasies of Tech Billionaires (ft. Douglas Rushkoff)

"The wealthy are plotting to leave us behind". We are joined by the author of the new book 'Survival of the Richest' and host of the Team Human podcast Douglas Rushkoff, who MIT declared as one of the top ten most influential thinkers.

"Five mysterious billionaires summoned Douglas to a desert resort for a private talk. The topic? How to survive the “Event”: the societal catastrophe they know is coming. Rushkoff came to understand that these men were under the influence of The Mindset, a Silicon Valley–style certainty that they and their cohort can break the laws of physics, economics, and morality to escape a disaster of their own making—as long as they have enough money and the right technology."

Psychotherapist Harriet Fraad and Substance Abuse Councillor Ikoi Hiroe discuss all the repercussions of what The Mindset means for our society, the myth of individualism, the embedded values of tech, who gets to decide what's best for us, propaganda vs reality, Timothy Leary and tech bros trying to recreate the womb!

Douglas is a media theorist, writer, columnist, lecturer, graphic novelist, and documentarian. He is best known for his association with the early cyberpunk culture and his advocacy of open source solutions to social problems. Rushkoff is known for coining terms and concepts including viral media (or media virus), digital native, and social currency. He has written ten books on media, technology and culture.

References:

Survival of the Richest - Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60165391-survival-of-the-richest

Team Human podcast: http://teamhuman.fm

Original Medium post: https://onezero.medium.com/survival-of-the-richest-9ef6cddd0cc1

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Harriet’s other shows:

WBAI Interpersonal Update (Wednesdays): https://wbai.org/program.php?program=431

Capitalism Hits Home: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPJpiw1WYdTNYvke-gNRdml1Z2lwz0iEH

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ATTENTION! This is a Boring Dystopia/Obligatory 'don't sue us' message: This podcast provides numerous different perspectives and criticisms of the mental health space, however, it should not be considered medical advice. Please consult your medical professional with regards to any  health decisions or management.