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I bring learning from a distant shore! Over in India we've found an economic use for all those who will be useless! https://www.chrisstucchio.com/blog/2016/rob

I bring learning from a distant shore! Over in India we've found an economic use for all those who will be useless! https://www.chrisstucchio.com/blog/2016/robots_didnt_take_our_jobs.html https://www.chrisstucchio.com/blog/2016/robots_didnt_take_ou...

pjlegato 10y ago
So the solution is that the US should abolish the minimum wage and make it possible to cheaply bribe your way out of following regulations, so that middle class people can afford servants again?
- yummyfajitas 10y ago
  Yes, we should abolish the minimum wage, and if necessary directly subsidize the poor with EITC and similar programs. That will reduce disincentives. Of course, if we really cared about reducing poverty and inequality, we'd just skip the EITC and open our borders - but obviously the massive amounts of inequality between an American and an Indian are far less important than the relatively small amounts of inequality between two Americans. Another solution is a basic job - basically a basic income, but you need to work for it (e.g., fixing our crumbling infrastructure and providing free child care for working mothers).
  - unprepare 10y ago
    >Another solution is a basic job - basically a basic income, but you need to work for it (e.g., fixing our crumbling infrastructure and providing free child care for working mothers). So you want to nationalize the construction and child care industries? This is radically more communist than any basic income scheme i've ever heard of.
    - yummyfajitas 10y ago
      When did I say that? All I propose is putting people on welfare to work on all the left wing's favorite projects. This will save money (we can reuse the existing pool of welfare money rather than finding new money to pay Davis-Bacon wages) and reduce work disincentives (either do a sucky government job or go be a maid).
      - unprepare 10y ago
        You are talking about the government providing jobs to citizens in private companies? How does that work? The government interviews you and places you with a construction company who has no say in who is hired? Thats nationalization of an industry
        yummyfajitas 10y ago
        I'm proposing to have them work directly for the government, FDR style. You go to the government and say you can't find work, and they say "go to X location and do what the foreman says, you get paid $7.25 x 8 hours at the end of the day".
whichfawkes 10y ago
Well this is a great way to go from "some poor people have jobs and can barely afford rent" to "Why is everybody homeless now?".
- yummyfajitas 10y ago
  Step 1: Poor person produces something useful, rather than simply consuming. Step 2: ??? Step 3: Everyone is homeless? Could you fill in step 2 for me? I'm not following your logic.
  - imtringued 10y ago
    Poor person accepts job paying 1$/hour to compete with indian wages.
    - sokoloff 10y ago
      Absent coercion, I'd assume that was that person's free choice and that taking whatever state subsidy was implied plug $40/week is better than just the state subsidy. (Work provides a way to fill the time, have social interactions, and a sense of purpose and accomplishment, in addition to the financial aspect.)
    - yummyfajitas 10y ago
      See my other comment - if you want to transfer wealth to the poor you can do this with EITC or other programs that don't discourage work. A job guarantee is my preferred policy. (And keep the borders closed - poor brown people don't even count for 3/5.) Also, you seem to be imagining that if landlords of poor people would rather get $0/month in rent (with houses going vacant) than reduce rents. When did landlords become so non-greedy?

pjlegato 10y ago

So the solution is that the US should abolish the minimum wage and make it possible to cheaply bribe your way out of following regulations, so that middle class people can afford servants again?

yummyfajitas 10y ago
Yes, we should abolish the minimum wage, and if necessary directly subsidize the poor with EITC and similar programs. That will reduce disincentives. Of course, if we really cared about reducing poverty and inequality, we'd just skip the EITC and open our borders - but obviously the massive amounts of inequality between an American and an Indian are far less important than the relatively small amounts of inequality between two Americans. Another solution is a basic job - basically a basic income, but you need to work for it (e.g., fixing our crumbling infrastructure and providing free child care for working mothers).
- unprepare 10y ago
  >Another solution is a basic job - basically a basic income, but you need to work for it (e.g., fixing our crumbling infrastructure and providing free child care for working mothers). So you want to nationalize the construction and child care industries? This is radically more communist than any basic income scheme i've ever heard of.
  - yummyfajitas 10y ago
    When did I say that? All I propose is putting people on welfare to work on all the left wing's favorite projects. This will save money (we can reuse the existing pool of welfare money rather than finding new money to pay Davis-Bacon wages) and reduce work disincentives (either do a sucky government job or go be a maid).
    - unprepare 10y ago
      You are talking about the government providing jobs to citizens in private companies? How does that work? The government interviews you and places you with a construction company who has no say in who is hired? Thats nationalization of an industry
      - yummyfajitas 10y ago
        I'm proposing to have them work directly for the government, FDR style. You go to the government and say you can't find work, and they say "go to X location and do what the foreman says, you get paid $7.25 x 8 hours at the end of the day".

whichfawkes 10y ago

Well this is a great way to go from "some poor people have jobs and can barely afford rent" to "Why is everybody homeless now?".

yummyfajitas 10y ago
Step 1: Poor person produces something useful, rather than simply consuming. Step 2: ??? Step 3: Everyone is homeless? Could you fill in step 2 for me? I'm not following your logic.
- imtringued 10y ago
  Poor person accepts job paying 1$/hour to compete with indian wages.
  - sokoloff 10y ago
    Absent coercion, I'd assume that was that person's free choice and that taking whatever state subsidy was implied plug $40/week is better than just the state subsidy. (Work provides a way to fill the time, have social interactions, and a sense of purpose and accomplishment, in addition to the financial aspect.)
  - yummyfajitas 10y ago
    See my other comment - if you want to transfer wealth to the poor you can do this with EITC or other programs that don't discourage work. A job guarantee is my preferred policy. (And keep the borders closed - poor brown people don't even count for 3/5.) Also, you seem to be imagining that if landlords of poor people would rather get $0/month in rent (with houses going vacant) than reduce rents. When did landlords become so non-greedy?