[username223]

> Am I honestly to believe the tech industry can shoot a rocket into space and do any number of miraculous things, but can't create a solvent cab hailing service that pays workers living wages and basic benefits?

Yes. The rocket thing is the current apogee of a (remarkably phallic) ego war between billionaires. Most automation that would truly benefit society is boring, low-margin work. There's no massive ROI in scrubbing out a toilet or mopping a floor, so we continue to pay humans survival wages to do that kind of miserable work. For these Industry Titans, a $2.5 million hypercar just doesn't do it anymore. Robert Mercer's 200-foot, 4-story yacht with an elevator is okay, but Elon Musk's rocket shooting other people off to die on Mars (or likely partway) is a real dominance display.

[jacquesm]

Not exactly a Musk fan but I think that he genuinely believes in his Mars back-up plan. Whether or not it is realistic, feasible at all or just dreaming is another matter but I don't think he's faking it or simply doing it because he's in a pissing match. He'd do it anyway.