General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMornin Joe finally has a discussion of the real devil, "automation".
Scary stats, preparing for 70% of jobless or part time employment.
Remember posting early in the year that the candidate who tackles this problem will win.
MillennialDem
(2,367 posts)while retraining for other jobs, if we even need jobs at all.
CK_John
(10,005 posts)MillennialDem
(2,367 posts)gollygee
(22,336 posts)Capitalism falls apart when you have robots and computer programs rather than people doing the grunt work. Although it doesn't really work that well even when it's people doing the grunt work. But capitalism depends upon having a group of underclass who are desperate to do grunt work for little money. When you don't need people at all, what happens in a capitalist society? Mass starvation and death?
We can't turn back technology, but we can change our economic system.
CK_John
(10,005 posts)only 1 choice, WWIII.
The2ndWheel
(7,947 posts)Seeing as how people came up with economic systems with people sort of at the center of the ideas. Whatever we end up doing, it won't be perfect. Human beings will still be in the equation, so we'll still manage to mess things up.
Like if we have just a basic income for every person alive, which is probably the only way to do things, and machines doing all the difficult work, that will mean that the insatiable appetite of human beings will not be balanced out by effort it takes to get whatever it is that we want. That will amplify our environmental issues. Oil, coal, solar, wind, whatever energy you want to list, already does that. If we throw money at people for simply existing on top of that, and have machines that can work all day and night, we'll just create more of a mess.
There's no real alternative to that thought, other than letting people die, which of course wouldn't go smoothly. It'll be a fun century either way.
My Good Babushka
(2,710 posts)Automation is an excuse. The economy only hurts people because some people want it that way.
CK_John
(10,005 posts)My Good Babushka
(2,710 posts)because automation, or global trade, or "that's just the way it is" while poverty engulfs more and more people are the problem. And they keep it that way because they are the ones reaping the benefits of a lopsided, exploitative economy.
CK_John
(10,005 posts)no food.
We are in a new age, ignoring it will not make it go away.
My Good Babushka
(2,710 posts)I would suggest we stop putting people in charge who think there is nothing that can be done about it.