Space.....

[chassis]

Lots of innovations from space engineering programs that find their ways into every day life.

Nylon
Mylar
Kevlar
Gore tex
Teflon
Certain ceramics
Silicones
Efficient radio and data communication
Light and strong metals
Solar energy production
Remote sensing through the entire electromagnetic spectrum

and more…

[dmatre]

Originally Posted by Tommy-G

Do we really need to be sending Billionaires into Space and for what real reason?
I'm no rocket scientist but do we really think there is intelligent life or that we can sustain life on another planet.
To me it seems like one giant waste of money and resources....someone learn me

WE didn't send them - they funded & developed the ability to go into space themselves.

Why would you think that they should be restricted from spending their money as they like?

[dreamingat30fps]

When you say do WE need to send billionaires to space... I would say no. BUT are WE sending this fucker to space or is he sending himself? If he's paying the bill I guess he can send himself wherever he wants.

Is it wasteful?? Well... if it's his money I guess you would have to ask him. One could argue all his mansions, cars etc are also wasteful. Being I poor schmuck I can only imagine what it would be like to have that kind of cash and I would imagine the guy must get pretty bored. I mean he can do and buy whatever he wants whenever. Even as a normy I get bored of cars and stupid shit I buy pretty easily. I have found it better to spend my money on experiences and I'm sure he has experienced pretty much everything... except space.

As far as space exploration in general, I'm all for it, but I love space and anything to do with space so I may be biased.

[Rkt48]

I launch Estes rockets with my kids.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by Rkt48

I launch Estes rockets with my kids.

I used to love building and launching Estes rockets as a kid. That was the extent of my space exploration.

[TiMSport]

Hmmm....

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by dmatre

WE didn't send them - they funded & developed the ability to go into space themselves.

Why would you think that they should be restricted from spending their money as they like?

No shit.

[M-technik-3]

Fact he pays no taxes just makes me upset. So many folks struggling out there and Amazon continues to to work and exist in it's own bubble that even now Walmart has trouble competing with them. Mean while stupid Federal Gov't is deficit spending at a phenomenal rate . WTF. Of and Epstein just was allowed to give all his money away vs it be seized awaiting trial?

[fiveohwblow]

…The final frontier…

[M_Six]

Expedition companies charge $50k-$125k for climbing Everest. A trip that could easily end your life. As you can see below, there is no shortage of people willing to take that risk and spend that money. If Bezos or Branson can develop an aircraft that can hold a couple dozen people and give them a taste of space travel, do you think there will ever be an unsold seat no matter how high the cost?

[6oclockshadow]

When you have that much money and connection, your kicks get more and more extreme. These guys are bored by ordinary thrills.

[Darth One]

I very much agree that things like space travel are what push our boundaries as a species.

But for these three guys? Of course it's about vanity. Brandon and Bezos even got into this stupid little race to be first and the bitch fest about where exactly space is. And I'm sure y'all saw that photo where Bezos is posing with his aviators and flight suit like he's Maverick from Top Gun

It's hilarious. Literally a dick measuring contest with dick shaped rockets

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by chassis

Lots of innovations from space engineering programs that find their ways into every day life.

Nylon
Mylar
Kevlar
Gore tex
Teflon
Certain ceramics
Silicones
Efficient radio and data communication
Light and strong metals
Solar energy production
Remote sensing through the entire electromagnetic spectrum

and more…

When I think of Gore tex…

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

Fact he pays no taxes just makes me upset. So many folks struggling out there and Amazon continues to to work and exist in it's own bubble that even now Walmart has trouble competing with them. Mean while stupid Federal Gov't is deficit spending at a phenomenal rate . WTF. Of and Epstein just was allowed to give all his money away vs it be seized awaiting trial?

Bezos has paid well over a billion in taxes.

[TiMSport]

And what % is that?

[Joekerr]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

Bezos has paid well over a billion in taxes.

Originally Posted by TiMSport

And what % is that?

I'm not certain where Rick is getting his number from, nor have I bothered to find out, but realistically, Rick was replying to a claim that Bezos has paid no taxes.

Which I'm reasonably certain is completely false. Certainly there has been no proof offered to back it up. I bet he has paid a fair number of dollars in taxes actually.

But we can't answer your question without Bezos' tax returns. Because even if you knew how much he paid, you can't then take that number and divide by net worth. A lot of that worth hasn't been taxed yet and is tied up in stock and etc. You'd have to know what he has actually cashed out and taken as income to answer your question. And you won't unless his returns are leaked.

[dreamingat30fps]

Wasn't spacex and Musk the firsts to actually launch people to orbit? Guy is nuts, but not nuts enough to fly up there himself. Shit if I was that rich I sure would be taking good care of myself to make sure I can enjoy my billions as long as possible.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by Joekerr

I'm not certain where Rick is getting his number from, nor have I bothered to find out, but realistically, Rick was replying to a claim that Bezos has paid no taxes.

Which I'm reasonably certain is completely false. Certainly there has been no proof offered to back it up. I bet he has paid a fair number of dollars in taxes actually.

But we can't answer your question without Bezos' tax returns. Because even if you knew how much he paid, you can't then take that number and divide by net worth. A lot of that worth hasn't been taxed yet and is tied up in stock and etc. You'd have to know what he has actually cashed out and taken as income to answer your question. And you won't unless his returns are leaked.

Pffft rather have the rich fucker launch himself into space than have the politicians have that money. Now... if we could only get the politicians to launch themselves into space... I'd volunteer to pay more tax.

[rebekahb]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Now... if we could only get the politicians to launch themselves into space... I'd volunteer to pay more tax.

As long as they were unable to return

[///d]

Don't think about one billionaire spending money to build a rocket to send himself to space, think about it as Blue Origin providing jobs to everyone involved, or SpaceX providing opportunities for young engineers and scientists that would otherwise probably struggle to get a name in with NASA.

Its easy for us to look at it as a waste of money when we just see the final result like its some material object.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

And what % is that?

Originally Posted by Joekerr

I'm not certain where Rick is getting his number from, nor have I bothered to find out, but realistically, Rick was replying to a claim that Bezos has paid no taxes.

Which I'm reasonably certain is completely false. Certainly there has been no proof offered to back it up. I bet he has paid a fair number of dollars in taxes actually.

But we can't answer your question without Bezos' tax returns. Because even if you knew how much he paid, you can't then take that number and divide by net worth. A lot of that worth hasn't been taxed yet and is tied up in stock and etc. You'd have to know what he has actually cashed out and taken as income to answer your question. And you won't unless his returns are leaked.

Information can be found by googling. Even the infamous ProPublica article (written using illegally obtained tax returns) that said he paid zero taxes (referring to two years), also states he paid $1.4 billion in taxes on $6.5 billion on taxable income between 2006 and 2018.

People in the U.S., like most places, are not taxed on unrealized gains. When stock is sold, they pay tax on the realized capital gain, but some like to distort the reality and use the 2 years of no taxes to infer he never paid taxes (despite the same source indicating over $1B were paid), and look at taxes paid as a percentage of increase in wealth (which is mostly through unrealized gains for billionaires). Basically, people like to distort the facts to match their complaint.

[ASAP]

I think from a technological standpoint for humanity it is fantastic... I think the way we are going about it rather absurd.

In a nutshell here is what happened...

Billionaire Amazon co founder goes into space whilst his own employees don't get health benefits, meager wages and his company blue origin as well as amazon receives government funds to help fund his projects... Bezos later gives random journalists on CNN, $100 Million each to spend money as they wish on their own random causes.

Bezos later thanks his own employees / the taxpayer for paying for all of this... Bezon / Amz barely pay taxes lol. I mean if this isn't the definition of absurdity, I don't really know what is.