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There is a brilliant scientist who regularly tangoes with external threats to the planet Earth, where a race referred to as "humaniti" reside. He, along with a team of scientists, operate out of a metropolis city called New York. They regularly develop advanced technology that is beyond anything this species has seen, and has access to off-world tech due to their repeated trips to outer space. Flying cars, teleport devices, bullet-proof armor, speed of light jets, etc, are just some of the kinds of tech they create and have access to. Because they sometimes defend earth from aliens, they get billions of dollars in tax breaks from the city. However, this has begun to provoke the ire of many New Yorkers.

A congresswoman named Alejandra Oscoria Cortez has recently come to prominence in the media, and has used her platform to attack Richards and his team. She argues that, for decades, this group and other oligarchs have kept their discoveries and advances to themselves. These developments have yet to make their way into mainstream society where they can benefit the common people. Instead, these well-paid elitists selfishly hoard them, neglecting to improve their city, or humanity, in the long term while still taking large tax breaks from the government. This shameful behavior is indicative of the wealthy 1% who have more power and control than the other 99% of society.

AOC has begun to make waves among other New Yorkers, and has garnered a large amount of support, which has raised trouble for the superhero community. She is currently running for president of the U.S., and has proposed legislation called "The Green New Deal". This proposal will, among other things, end dependence on fossil fuel emissions, fix infrastructure in the country, and provide new jobs in clean technology. The Green New Deal has gained traction with members in the Democratic Party and other progressives. Its stipulations would be accomplished by forcing Richards as well as other members of the superhero community to submit to governmental regulation in regards to scientific discoveries and force them to be more open and cooperative with the rest of the country.

I need to maintain the status quo of only the superhero community having access to high-tech while the rest of society declines to progress. How can this group justify maintaining control of access to the American public?

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    $\begingroup$ +1 for AOC, GND, and all the other weaving in of modern politics. I hope my mild edits work for you. $\endgroup$
    – Cyn
    Feb 19, 2019 at 17:38
  • $\begingroup$ @Burki that looks like a "frame challenge" answer. You should copy it below. $\endgroup$
    – Aethenosity
    Feb 19, 2019 at 20:11
  • $\begingroup$ Is that supposed to be a fictional version of AOC's name? Because you spelled it wrong if it's not $\endgroup$
    – Azor Ahai -him-
    Feb 19, 2019 at 21:04
  • $\begingroup$ VTC OT:NAW. WB.SE is about your fictional world, not someone else's. Indeed, commercial fictional worlds (such as the Marvel universes) are specifically the province of Science Fiction & Fantasy. Now, you could rewrite the question so it's your world. In that case, you need to read (again, Incognito...) our post about high concept questions because even after a rewrite this is POB because "legal experts come up with a clever tactic using pre-1500 British contract law" and "the supers simply don't allow it" are equally valid and that's no bueno. $\endgroup$
    – JBH
    Feb 19, 2019 at 21:06

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Well, they don't need to be Americans...

Just emigrate to a friendlier country, or better, use that vast technology to create your own raft island and put it in the international waters. (Then, if you're not so hero-like or do not care about PR, extend some gesture towards the demagogue and send them a good "Molon Lave" to go with).

Argument to do this?
"AOC is looking to further her own career by making promises on the basis of technology she knows nothing of and therefore can not estimate the full extent if it were released to the public. If she cared about general well-being, she would offer this technology to the world - with once again, devastating effects. We won't endorse her political carreer, nor shoulder the responsibilities of the aftermaths if those technologies are stolen from us. Therefore, we deeply regret being forced to move out to protect everyone"

(they're serving a bigger purpose than just shielding a country here. They're protecting the world)

Edit 1

Comments (here and on question/other answers) pointed out that the technology could easily leak to other countries and therefore "AOC doest not care about general well being since she didn't speak about sharing" might not be relevant.

I'd like to add two things regarding those points.

First, it's a political and a PR move. AOC wanted to play dirty? Well this can go both way. The answer will shake her position and image, and may rise some opposition to her movement. After all, maybe you're used to have Dr Reeds working next door and tackling the aliens invasions that somehow always target New-York... But what happens if he moves? Will he (and the other supers) be as quick to intervene? Will they be allowed on American ground? What if other countries manage to "recruit them", this could be bad for our geopolitical position, right? And why did this old hag had to say against them, truthfully, they are heroes, they saved my nephew once! (etc, etc). The argument does not need to be 100% impervious to answer to defend your position. Assuming one intention to discredit them is a (dubious) PR move.

Second, give the schematics for an actual processor to someone from the 1950's. They know the science behind it (or most of it) but can they produce it? Answer is no, cause they will lack fundamental machinerie to produce the pieces.

"This is a warp reverse translocator, we use a quantum infibulator to produce them and we're quite proud of... A quantum infibulator. It's a tech we got from the aliens. Only got three in the lab, so they're quite valuable, but we can lend you one to... You don't know how to operate it? Pffttt, go back to play with nuclear fission, you Neanderthal, we don't want you to screw up the multiverse".

Bam. Done. Technology shortage. You may understand it, but are you able to mass-produce it?

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  • $\begingroup$ "she would offer this technology to the world" - what makes you think that she isn't? $\endgroup$
    – Alexander
    Feb 19, 2019 at 18:10
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    $\begingroup$ @Alexander my bad for my previous comment, didn't recognize you were quoting my answer (should not answer in a hurry on mobile device.) The question say "more cooperative with the rest of the country". Nothing said about passing it to other. In addition, the question make AOC sounds strongly like a nationalist, given the argument but it's not a given, I admit. If she is, though, it's highly unlikely she will share. Lastly, she is using PR move to tarnish their reputation. Let her taste her own medicine. $\endgroup$
    – Nyakouai
    Feb 19, 2019 at 18:27
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    $\begingroup$ My point that if such a technology is shared outside of a single company or defense contractors network, there would be no practical way to keep it inside any particular country. If AOC would be asked to further explain her rhetoric, I don't think she would stick to nationalism. $\endgroup$
    – Alexander
    Feb 19, 2019 at 18:52
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Release the tech!

Some of it. Use the advances to achieve the goals of the Democratized Green New Deal. Show that superheroes—and their wealthy supporters—are good global citizens. After all, everybody (including the hero class) benefits from clean air and water, more tech jobs, and improved infrastructure.

But the rest of it, the fancy gear, the advanced weapons, etc, those are for the military. Specifically, the superhero branch of the military. It wouldn't be safe to expand access to those things. What if they got in the hands of criminals? or foreign agents?

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    $\begingroup$ I agree to it as a partially good answer. They should do it, no question. But they should be very careful in what they release. Things like power source, even clean new energy, could well be weaponized. And that won't save them long if AOC is insistant, as she might request the weapons to be seized for national defense, or any other number of reasons. (The question is strongly Marvel inspired, so I'd point to Iron-Man 2 to support this reasonning) $\endgroup$
    – Nyakouai
    Feb 19, 2019 at 20:08
  • $\begingroup$ To be fair, it's a complex issue. Someone could write an entire novel dealing with this one question. That someone is not going to be me. :-D $\endgroup$
    – Cyn
    Feb 19, 2019 at 20:23
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    $\begingroup$ Just pointing out a few caveats (imo) for the OP, but otherwise, it's avery good answer :) $\endgroup$
    – Nyakouai
    Feb 19, 2019 at 20:25
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Smash the Tech

These folks are superheroes. With the exception of Batman and a couple others, they don't really need the tech in the first place. (Even Batman and Iron Man are driven by their super-willpower - they use tech because they can afford it).

Publicly smash all super-tech in AOC's name.

Don't bother keeping secret caches of tech: That's just asking for all kinds of trouble. The genuises among the superhero community will have memorized the tech anyway, and will be able to re-create it at will.

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Move

With teleportation and spaceships, you could build an orbiting space station such as the JL Watchtower This way you're out of any government jurisdiction and with teleportation, you can get to anywhere you need to be (or just want to be) in a heartbeat.

You could also build a hidden moonbase so nobody knows where you live. You could virtually buy a country like Tuvalu who'd be quite happy to have you if you upgrade their power, communication and medical facilities which would also be in your own interest.

To be honest, being in New York would have to be the worst place on the planet for a superhero to live. Everytime you fight a supervillain and even scuff the exterior of a building, you'd end up in court. Forget knocking a bad guy right through a building or dropping a bus on his head. You'd have self appointed ethics committees, Social Justice Warriors ("minions are people too") and local government employees harassing you every second of every day and you couldn't even make a cup of coffee without a mountain of paperwork.

Move Now!

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  • $\begingroup$ Turn Tuvalu into Wakanda..... $\endgroup$
    – Thorne
    Nov 9, 2020 at 0:42
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AOC doesn’t understand that advanced (i.e. "mad") science only works for mad scientists!

This is why Richards is the only one smart enough to turn on his machines even if it comes down to hitting the button. Just like building the machine is one of Reed's powers, so is turning it on.

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It would break the Economy

Teleportation Flying Cars, Flame resistent clothing one of Reeds many inventions

All those inventions will make a lot of people lose there no more uber driver our building cars because everyone can just teleport when and where ever there want. And fier resisted clothing all thouse 3 world country would lose there Jobs if you can develop those clothing in the Lab

It takes time before those people find jobs our study enough to become a engineering of Telportation station

It is to dangerous

Like Time Machines

Why wouldn’t want the Military our the normal citizens a Time Machine to change past mistakes like killing Hitler our stoping a the death of a loved one. Sure it seems Honorable but what if those changes will change the course of History

But Reed could help if he would teach them how to build effectiveness Cars our built cleaner Energy Scorsese

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Argue that the users have to be carefully filtered to ensure they use it properly and then, after some arguing, hand out some gadgets carefully designed to fail impressively but without much harm.

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