[orangecat]

it is largely driven by the desire of extremely wealthy and selfish people to live forever no matter the cost, rather than to extend every person's healthy lifespan incrementally

This is a caricature invented by people who reflexively assume that the "ultra rich" are cartoon villains. When Michael J Fox starts a foundation for Parkinson's research, do you think his goal is to get a cure for himself and ignore everyone else suffering from it?

It's lack of access to affordable healthcare, which would be easy to provide if society weren't so obsequious to the welfare of the most wealthy

Health care is very expensive, especially for old people. This is true across countries with very different funding mechanisms. Being able to slow or prevent aging would make it much more affordable.

[topaz0]

Not assume, rather observe. I think mostly they are just nihilists that don't care what happens to anybody but themselves. Michael J Fox is not in this category, and neither is Parkinson's research "longevity" research. Like I said, I am in favor of medical research, and having a cure for Parkinson's would be a net good for society. The point is that people will still decline and die from Parkinson's because they can't access the cure, just as they still die from many diseases that are preventable today from lack of healthcare access. That's not Michael J Fox's fault, but the point is that treating research as the secret to longevity is misunderstanding the problem.