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>Your uncle now has the much easier job of cleaning out the meters, rather than running around all day. And maybe someone gets a skilled-labor job as a parking
by billswift 17y ago
>Your uncle now has the much easier job of cleaning out the meters, rather than running around all day. And maybe someone gets a skilled-labor job as a parking meter repairman?
But there are fewer jobs available in this situation in aggregate. This is a problem with several criticisms of automation that I have seen in liberal and libertarian circles - they claim that automation does not decrease the number of workers since workers are needed to deal with the automation. Apparently they are totally innumerate, since while new jobs are created servicing the automation, the total number of jobs is significantly reduced.
- drinian 17y agoTrue. I suppose that I would consider it a good thing, taking as a given that 1) a smaller global population is important in the long run, and 2) eventually we will find a way to allow most people to live without having to work 40 hours a week.
- billswift 17y agoThe benefit is that the people freed up can do other things, can contribute to the economy in other ways.