Billionaires and their bunkers.
A trending topic amongst the richie rich of the world is their bunkers - that super-secure and luxurious place somewhere in the middle of nowhere that would offer protection - for them and their lifestyles - in the event of an apocalypse.
This 'end of the world' scenario could be triggered, among other things, by a nuclear war, an alien attack, or a massive riot caused by extreme income inequalities.
These bunkers are supposedly guarded by ex-marines. They have provision for well stocked kitchens staffed by Michelin starred chefs, temperature controlled pools, multiple forms of entertainment and other luxuries that money can buy. Private jets are ready 24x7 to transport the owners to these bunkers.
It seems like an almost fool proof plan.
Except for one minor chink that makes it all questionable: the assumption that money will continue to work in an apocalypse scenario - that the marines hired by billionaires will continue to guard their masters faithfully instead of killing them and using the bunkers to save their own lives, and the chefs will continue to dish out delicacies in return for huge amounts of money that they may not even be sure would buy them anything
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Money is a relatively new concept in the vast timeline of human history. For most part of their existence, humans have lived - and died - based on a shared 'social contract'. Without the concept of money.
That social contract is at work when you extend a helping hand to someone in need without expecting anything in return, when a soldier on a battlefield takes the bullet to save his mate, when the sense of duty (also called 'dharma' in Indian philosophy) sits above all other constructs.
Social contract is nurtured over time through mutually shared values bereft of any hierarchy or class divides. It transcends what money can buy. And can definitely not be bought with money.
Any billionaires listening out there?
#money #work #society #apocalypse