longtermism-2
Explanation
This comic satirizes longtermism, the philosophical position that we should prioritize the far future above present concerns. A character asks what longtermists think we should give people in the distant future. The response, "Jack shit," is blunt and dismissive.
When pressed for clarification, the longtermist explains their philosophy in increasingly absurd terms: rather than helping people now (described as being "like a starving war refugee"), they plan to create holographic simulations in the far future where everyone is "happy, rich, and satisfied." When confronted about this approach -- essentially ignoring present suffering in favor of speculative future technology -- the longtermist doubles down.
The comic also takes a jab at the statistical reasoning sometimes used by longtermists: since the potential number of future people vastly outnumbers present people, utilitarian math suggests we should focus resources on the future. The final panel punctures this with the observation that this philosophy conveniently aligns with not having to do anything difficult right now.
The comic is a critique of how longtermist philosophy can be used to rationalize neglecting immediate human suffering in favor of speculative far-future scenarios, and how its abstract utilitarian calculations can produce conclusions that feel morally absurd when stated plainly.