I wouldn't have my job if not for computers.
I wouldn't have my job if not for computers.
As long as the computers are American made, it’s all good.
Wouldn’t want jobs farmed out to cheaper FOREIGN computers now, would we?
How would a political or socioeconomic uprising unfold in a country with millions of Luddites with guns?
Probably with an angry vandalizing/looting march ending in a one-way massacre as they're surrounded by assholes shooting at them from pickups.
This is a point I try to make to people when discussion of automation and/or robots replacing people. Most people think it's just factory workers, or maybe fast food workers, but the reality is a lot of jobs can be done with fewer people now, due to technology. My job probably used to require a small team of people about 10 years ago, as well.
Progress is destructive but also creates new opportunities. That doesn't bode well for unskilled labor, though. That's the only reason I'm not completely revolted by the idea of a Universal Basic Income because it might be the only long term solution for an automated society. We're kind of on the beginning of the track of the people in Wall-E.
Yeah, UBI or an 'adjustment' away from capitalism will be necessary in the future. While new jobs will pop up to support the automations that replace some current jobs, I don't think it'll be 1:1.
I read an article that said not to worry about automation replacing jobs because for every 10 jobs displaced by technology, 6 are created. As if 40% unemployment wouldn't have catastrophic effects.
Birth rate is dwindling all over the world. Every 10 jobs lost, we just might only need 6 more jobs for the next generation... or as a more productive society, we just might be able to absorb more idle hands sitting around just consuming and play video games for the rest of their lives.
Anyway, I really don't think we need to save unskilled labors. Who here really wants to go back to farming or becoming a factory worker even if such job is created for you?
Automation simply alleviate us of the grind and allow us to be more focused on higher level work that needs to be done. Until the day we have the entire universe all figured out with nothing else to discover, we will never run out of those higher next level jobs.
As for the idea of universal basic income? I think that's a bad idea. If society end up sponsoring young folks to just eat, shit, have sex and play games for the rest of their lives, surely that won't be good for anybody.
Recent OP-ED from LA times highlighted how despite CA spending the most to fight poverty, we still end up being the state with the highest poverty rates after adjusting to cost of living. http://beta.latimes.com/opinion/op-e...114-story.html
Main reason is that CA just gives money to the poor and don't really help them to stand on their own feet. CA welfare worker also have no incentives to help people off welfare... because they themselves will get their budgets cut and end up losing their own jobs.
Universal basic income is only a good idea if everyone's still motivated to do something great with their lives. Obviously, it'll be bad idea to continue to give such basic income to a homeless druggie or somebody who's mentally illed, right? Although I'm not a druggie nor do I believe I am mentally illed, but surely if I have a steady stream of money coming into my bank account, I'd probably become lazy and idle with my life too. So just giving money away to all won't be the solution to bridge the gap between rich and poor.
Universal basic healthcare, yes, income, no! People gotta 'earn' their wages somehow. People/families shouldn't starve to death of course, but the social program in place shouldn't just be about feeding the poor, but to help them stand on their own feet. Job displaced? Let's go find another one... or perhaps create a brand new one! Automation shouldn't be blamed.
Last edited by Crazed_Insanity; January 16th, 2018 at 08:50 AM.