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An article on HN last week discussed the idea of a class of people called the Unnecessariat (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11765581 https://news.ycombina
by simonbarker87 10y ago
An article on HN last week discussed the idea of a class of people called the Unnecessariat (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11765581 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11765581) where a large swatch of people no longer have a place in society thanks to declining manufacturing jobs (and potentially the automation of farming) in the middle of America and as such these people have been left to die by the state as they are surplus to requirements in the modern economy. This is less of a factor in European countries potentially because they are geographically smaller, have a lower population and more left/socialist leaning that the US.
- distances 10y agoThe Unnecessariat also linked to a Washington Post article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2016/04/08/we-dont-know-why-it-came-to-this http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2016/04/08/we-dont...) describing the life and death of one of those who died too young, in rural Oklahoma. A good read, while of course so very sad that we can't see a solution to this phenomenon.
- simonbarker87 10y agoRead that one as well from the link. Both those articles combines for a very sad hour of reading. Reminded a little of the The Unexotic Underclass[1] - not totally the same but both areas of society not necessarily benefiting from advances in technology. [1] http://miter.mit.edu/the-unexotic-underclass/ http://miter.mit.edu/the-unexotic-underclass/
- ddebernardy 10y agoIt's less of a factor in the EU because the average Joe here hasn't voted their own safety nets away (yet).