There are millions of people in Africa and rural areas around the world who have access to the internet because of these satellites. This massively reduces human suffering. Millions of people can now get medical information, farming, manufacturing techniques, talk to experts around the world. Connecting people to the wealth of human knowledge has a huge impact on reducing suffering. It also just directly saves lives by connecting people in an emergency to people who can help. Additionally, Ukraine would have lost the war a long time ago if these satellites didn’t exist. You could go on for a long time listing the ways these satellites reduce suffering.
replyGovernment could be the creator of this just like it was with GPS. We are very tolerant of government innovation and infrastructure when it’s a military resource. But when it’s a pure public good everyone claims it’s wasteful or less efficient than the private sector.
replyWhy do we need to let this be a monopoly controlled by one person. A king in a board room is still a king.
I agree with this. But imo its pretty clear that cheap and easy access to the internet on the entire globe is a clear win.
replyThe guy in charge of it has demonstrated that he'll cut people off from accessing it on a whim, though, so it's not really cheap and easy access for the entire globe. It's access for the selected people.
replyIt came on a whim and you didn't complain about that.
replyYou get what you pay for and the service got paid for ultimately.
If it was important enough, it would have been paid for.
They also have cut off people who paid, though. It's currently being paid for and had another cutoff for Ukraine in early February.
replyEarly February 2026 was at the directive of the Ukrainian government in response to hostile Russian use.
replyPlease just stop this thing you're doing. It's nakedly markedly dishonest
I understand that you want Russia to have access to it without interruption but until there is some sort of "International law" regarding those newer ways of providing Internet, politics will win.
replyKilling Russian access was good, no?
replyDoesn't that hold for all internet providers? I'm not familiar with SpaceX cutting people of, but that doesn't sound out of line compared to industry.
replyOther Internet providers at least have true boards of directors, shareholders with decision power, etc. One person doesn’t have the power to snap their fingers and make decisions based on how much ketamine they’re on at the time.
replyI'm sorry that I don't agree with you that a out of touch board of directors or shareholders are better from the get go than Musk.
replyAlmost all of us already have that, and the rest can as well.
replyThe problem is not 'space' - it's getting ourselves sufficiently organized.
The brief history of the internet suggests to me that this is not a clear win.
replyIt's already pretty cheap, global and universally available.
replyThey don't mean technological advancements.
replyIt's the same neo-liberal aggression couched in rhetorical trickery.