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Why do we have 50 million people with no marketable skills? Clearly the other 80% of the population was able to gain a skill that is marketable. I'd probably

Why do we have 50 million people with no marketable skills? Clearly the other 80% of the population was able to gain a skill that is marketable. I'd probably start there.

Turing_Machine 11y ago
The thing is that there are a lot of people who, in the past, might have been able to make a living doing simple farm work, or tightening bolts on a car assembly line, or what have you. Those jobs have largely been automated away. Increasingly the only jobs available to that segment of the population are things like fast food. You can afford to pay a decent wage to someone who's turning out $50,000 cars. You can't afford to pay a decent wage to someone who's turning out $2.00 burgers. Education/training can't solve the fundamental problem, which is that a large number of these folks just aren't capable of becoming programmers, or surgeons, or lawyers, or anything else that of that nature. What should we do with them? The problem isn't going to go away.
- JoeAltmaier 11y ago
  Its not clear that education/training can't solve it. There is resistance, as people have been burned by pointless 'education' that takes years. So they drop out/don't go to a college. But we could try to fix that. Its a route that hasn't been tried, in any case.
  - Turing_Machine 11y ago
    No, I'm sorry, it's quite clear that someone whose cognitive abilities are just adequate to tighten the same bolt over and over again is never going to become a neurosurgeon, no matter how much education you provide.
    - JoeAltmaier 11y ago
      That's a form of bigotry against the working class that's all too common. Sorry, everyone who didn't go to your University isn't an idiot. And we don't need endless Neurosurgeons; we need folks who can operate our sophisticated society efficiently and pleasantly. There are a million ways to live better, than being sentenced to a life of burger flipping.
      - Turing_Machine 11y ago
        I grew up in a family with a single mom with five kids. There were extended periods of time when we didn't have electricity or running water. I went to state universities using student loans. You? I notice that you don't mention any of these "million ways to live better". Do you have any specifics?
        JoeAltmaier 11y ago
        Hey me too! I grew up on a farm; went to state school; know hoards of rural folks way smarter than the average Silicon Valley nerd. Better ways to live: Shopkeeper. Mechanic. Concierge. Furniture repair. Pet groomer. Now you try to add some more.

Why do we have 50 million people with no marketable skills? Clearly the other 80% of the population was able to gain a skill that is marketable. I'd probably start there.

Turing_Machine 11y ago

The thing is that there are a lot of people who, in the past, might have been able to make a living doing simple farm work, or tightening bolts on a car assembly line, or what have you. Those jobs have largely been automated away. Increasingly the only jobs available to that segment of the population are things like fast food. You can afford to pay a decent wage to someone who's turning out $50,000 cars. You can't afford to pay a decent wage to someone who's turning out $2.00 burgers. Education/training can't solve the fundamental problem, which is that a large number of these folks just aren't capable of becoming programmers, or surgeons, or lawyers, or anything else that of that nature. What should we do with them? The problem isn't going to go away.

JoeAltmaier 11y ago
Its not clear that education/training can't solve it. There is resistance, as people have been burned by pointless 'education' that takes years. So they drop out/don't go to a college. But we could try to fix that. Its a route that hasn't been tried, in any case.
- Turing_Machine 11y ago
  No, I'm sorry, it's quite clear that someone whose cognitive abilities are just adequate to tighten the same bolt over and over again is never going to become a neurosurgeon, no matter how much education you provide.
  - JoeAltmaier 11y ago
    That's a form of bigotry against the working class that's all too common. Sorry, everyone who didn't go to your University isn't an idiot. And we don't need endless Neurosurgeons; we need folks who can operate our sophisticated society efficiently and pleasantly. There are a million ways to live better, than being sentenced to a life of burger flipping.
    - Turing_Machine 11y ago
      I grew up in a family with a single mom with five kids. There were extended periods of time when we didn't have electricity or running water. I went to state universities using student loans. You? I notice that you don't mention any of these "million ways to live better". Do you have any specifics?
      - JoeAltmaier 11y ago
        Hey me too! I grew up on a farm; went to state school; know hoards of rural folks way smarter than the average Silicon Valley nerd. Better ways to live: Shopkeeper. Mechanic. Concierge. Furniture repair. Pet groomer. Now you try to add some more.