Douglas Rushkoff has been an authority on the intersection of technology and culture since before the word "Google" was anything more than baby talk. He joined George to discuss the societal catastrophe the wealthy elite suspect is coming and the Silicon Valley mindset – a belief the elite have that they are more akin to gods than mere mortals. This includes believing that they 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. This extends to efforts by some to become essentially immortal by uploading their consciousness to an AI framework after death.
Doug told George about a private meeting he had with a small group of tech executives who were building their own compounds and bunkers to avoid any future societal breakdown, something he said they see as inevitable; partially because they’ve created the social and environmental problems and understand the depth of them. He said despite their understanding of these problems, one of the things they don’t understand is the importance of rebuilding and creating true community. He said that the average person will be okay for about three days after any societal collapse, and then the impact of that collapse on the supply chain will lead to panic. That’s why the wealthy are building and staffing self-sufficient properties. But, he said, if regular people focus on building strong communities and plans to sustain those communities for several months, then they can help each other weather any coming issues.
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In the second half, Vincent Tolman shared the story of how he was pronounced dead and put in a body bag at the age of 25 after accidentally overdosing on a concentrated nutritional supplement. Nearly an hour later, he miraculously came back to life after a rookie ambulance employee listened to an inner voice telling him, “This one’s not dead.” He said despite protests from the other EMTs, the man – whom Vincent was able to speak with after the incident – unzipped his body bag, found a weak pulse in his femoral artery, and shocked his heart back to a steady rhythm on his third attempt.
He said he was brain-dead for three days in the hospital, and when he woke up, he remembered being in Heaven with a guide who he later discovered was a great-great-great-great-grandfather. “He took me all the way to the place that I would call Heaven, and Heaven is much bigger and deeper than we could ever understand… and I got to learn some amazing things along the way. Life-changing things, that have really impacted my life.” Among the things he’s discovered, he said, is that we are here on Earth “so that we can learn how to make those choices and use our choices, because when we’re in Heaven, when we’re in that home, we don’t need to make choices… because we synchronize with the love our Creator has for us.”
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News segment guests: Lauren Weinstein / Steve Kates