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>As we continue to automate things, we reduce the time and effort required to manufacture the things we need. This creates an immense amount of leisure time. T

by wfo 11y ago

>As we continue to automate things, we reduce the time and effort required to manufacture the things we need. This creates an immense amount of leisure time. The first sentence has been very true as we progress with technology and the economy, etc. The second has not followed and there is no reason to believe it will. Less time and less effort will be required to produce, but that will not translate to leisure time for the underclass (it never has -- benefits go to the people who have the power to decide where the benefits go tautologically, i.e. capitalists), it will translate to more profit for the overclass. So long as wealth inequality continues to get worse and we dive wholeheartedly into capitalism progress will just mean centralization of wealth and a stratification of the overlords and the peasantry who work until they drop being paid nothing for someone else's profit. Embracing socialism a little more will help, and failing that the wealthy may realize living surrounded by unwashed hungry angry violent masses is unpleasant and set up some kind of charity for those who behave according to their wishes.

x5n1 11y ago
In the past the over-class needed the peasants and serfs to mind the farms. They no longer need the peasants and serfs for anything. The capitalist class needed them to produce goods they could sell for a profit. We basically need some role for the elites to play to justify giving money to other people that they no longer need.
- FreedomToCreate 11y ago
  I think the cynical thing here is assuming that the Elite class will continue to grow and make the lower economic classes suffer at their expense. The thing is though that being overly rich in a shit world is not much of a benefit to anyone. The Elite could set up there own little world (I'm kind of thinking like Elysium), but even that eventually will break into some elites who have more than other elites, and the cycle repeats. The system will improve once we democratize resources more and more.
  - chishaku 11y ago
    > The system will improve once we democratize resources more and more. Where do you see evidence of this happening?
    - FreedomToCreate 11y ago
      To use a tech example, look at computers. Just 20 years ago they were extremely expensive and out of the hands of many people, especially schools in poorer communities. Through manufacturing processes, we have driven there price extremely low (ex raspberry pi) enabling even the poorest communities to have access to learning programming and creating things. This would not be possible without the democratization of technology. Another example is food. Advances in science and agriculture have enabled us to create vast amounts of fruits, vegetables, etc... and our distribution system allows for these resources to reach even the smallest of communities; And this can be done at extremely low costs. Here is a way to put it into perspective. 50 years ago you couldn't go to a rural community in Northern Canada and get a pomegranate without paying a huge premium to have it delivered there from a warm country where it is grown, thus only rich people in that community could enjoy a pom. Now, Poms are growing readily and moved around the world, so for a couple dollars anyone can enjoy one. That is the power of democratization of technology and resources, and the next big step is democratizing our financial systems and marketplaces to distribute wealth better.
  - indians_pro 11y ago
    if that were to be true (elite not 'growing' at the masses' expense) it would have already happened. modern world is essentially what u describe, elites, lesser elites and then the struggling commons.
indians_pro 11y ago
>it never has -- benefits go to the people who have the power to decide where the benefits go tautologically, i.e. capitalists so it is a tautology by choice. they could decide to send the benefits of faster and increased production to the masses.

by wfo 11y ago

x5n1 11y ago

In the past the over-class needed the peasants and serfs to mind the farms. They no longer need the peasants and serfs for anything. The capitalist class needed them to produce goods they could sell for a profit. We basically need some role for the elites to play to justify giving money to other people that they no longer need.

FreedomToCreate 11y ago
I think the cynical thing here is assuming that the Elite class will continue to grow and make the lower economic classes suffer at their expense. The thing is though that being overly rich in a shit world is not much of a benefit to anyone. The Elite could set up there own little world (I'm kind of thinking like Elysium), but even that eventually will break into some elites who have more than other elites, and the cycle repeats. The system will improve once we democratize resources more and more.
- chishaku 11y ago
  > The system will improve once we democratize resources more and more. Where do you see evidence of this happening?
  - FreedomToCreate 11y ago
    To use a tech example, look at computers. Just 20 years ago they were extremely expensive and out of the hands of many people, especially schools in poorer communities. Through manufacturing processes, we have driven there price extremely low (ex raspberry pi) enabling even the poorest communities to have access to learning programming and creating things. This would not be possible without the democratization of technology. Another example is food. Advances in science and agriculture have enabled us to create vast amounts of fruits, vegetables, etc... and our distribution system allows for these resources to reach even the smallest of communities; And this can be done at extremely low costs. Here is a way to put it into perspective. 50 years ago you couldn't go to a rural community in Northern Canada and get a pomegranate without paying a huge premium to have it delivered there from a warm country where it is grown, thus only rich people in that community could enjoy a pom. Now, Poms are growing readily and moved around the world, so for a couple dollars anyone can enjoy one. That is the power of democratization of technology and resources, and the next big step is democratizing our financial systems and marketplaces to distribute wealth better.
- indians_pro 11y ago
  if that were to be true (elite not 'growing' at the masses' expense) it would have already happened. modern world is essentially what u describe, elites, lesser elites and then the struggling commons.

indians_pro 11y ago

>it never has -- benefits go to the people who have the power to decide where the benefits go tautologically, i.e. capitalists so it is a tautology by choice. they could decide to send the benefits of faster and increased production to the masses.