I wonder how many billionaires will just get couped by their security forces once society has collapsed to the point where they wouldn’t expect consequences. Their advantages right now come from society as well as the complexity of organizations and social networks. Transitioning to self-sustaining life in bunkers eliminates the power the billionaires hold over the security forces, like what happened with Roman and Ottoman emperors at various points as they grew more dependent on their security to the point the security ended up holding the keys. Especially if they go out of their way up hire security that will do anything they say.
I think the way to avoid being couped would be to make sure your security forces lived really really well before the collapse, and have everyone live as equals in the bunker. At least that way they’d have some loyalty to you. Problem is that requires sharing and we all know how much billionaires love to do that.
That would avoid “I’m such an asshole, they’d rather do away with me than follow” scenarios but not “turns out I hired a power hungry asshole that just wants to be in charge” ones.
Exactly. In dystopian fiction (Robocop: Prime Directives for example) corporations absolutely use the threat of removing all benefits and pensions to force their underlings to be compliant, as there is absolutely no social safety net.
Edit: In the Roman Empire the praetorian guard was responsible behind a fuckload of assassinations. If a Roman emperor didn’t keep them happy they would remove him.
And for all the right wing shit about thr glory of the Roman Empire I need to mention thay around 60+% of Roman emperors died a violent death. It was an incredibly murderous society.
I wonder how many billionaires will just get couped by their security forces once society has collapsed to the point where they wouldn’t expect consequences. Their advantages right now come from society as well as the complexity of organizations and social networks. Transitioning to self-sustaining life in bunkers eliminates the power the billionaires hold over the security forces, like what happened with Roman and Ottoman emperors at various points as they grew more dependent on their security to the point the security ended up holding the keys. Especially if they go out of their way up hire security that will do anything they say.
This is an open problem for advocates of the Dark Enlightenment theory (Wikipedia) like Peter Thiel and Curtis Yarvin.
One of the most commonly discussed solutions is to surgically implant explosive devices into the bodies of your lead security force.
I think the way to avoid being couped would be to make sure your security forces lived really really well before the collapse, and have everyone live as equals in the bunker. At least that way they’d have some loyalty to you. Problem is that requires sharing and we all know how much billionaires love to do that.
That would avoid “I’m such an asshole, they’d rather do away with me than follow” scenarios but not “turns out I hired a power hungry asshole that just wants to be in charge” ones.
Exactly. In dystopian fiction (Robocop: Prime Directives for example) corporations absolutely use the threat of removing all benefits and pensions to force their underlings to be compliant, as there is absolutely no social safety net.
Edit: In the Roman Empire the praetorian guard was responsible behind a fuckload of assassinations. If a Roman emperor didn’t keep them happy they would remove him.
And for all the right wing shit about thr glory of the Roman Empire I need to mention thay around 60+% of Roman emperors died a violent death. It was an incredibly murderous society.
Yep. “We can protect this guy and all his money and fancy food… or … kill him and share it amongst ourselves…”