4 ms·
You jest, but I actually wonder sometimes if this type of thing would be better for society. The dream of automation and technology was always to "let the machi
by QuadrupleA 9y ago
You jest, but I actually wonder sometimes if this type of thing would be better for society. The dream of automation and technology was always to "let the machines do the work so we're free to enjoy life and pursue our dreams" but in a capitalist economy it ends up benefiting the owners of the machines primarily, like Walmart and Amazon, not necessarily society at large (though obviously they enable people to buy things cheaper and thus improve quality of life too, at least if people still have some source of income to afford it).
I'd like to think anybody out of a job can just be smart and entrepreneurial and create some other new value people are willing to pay for, but I'm not sure everyone's cut out for that, or how much interest markets have for most of that kind of stuff. Many more small business fail than succeed. Maybe keeping some dumb, honest jobs around would help keep the balance.
- joe5150 9y agothe answer of course is "less capitalism" not "more drudgery"
- cgmg 9y agoWhat do you mean by 'less capitalism'?
- douglaswlance 9y agoAnyone can own machines. Go buy one. Automate some stuff. Make some money. Stop being a stick in the mud and get with it.
- slivym 9y agoStep one: be rich enough to afford to significantly invest in automation. Step Two: Get Richer. The problem is that to get that initial investment money you need to work, and the jobs that you're doing to earn that money are disappearing due to automation. So you fall one side of the divide or the other - if you're already rich you'll get richer, if you're not rich your opportunities to become rich are disappearing.
- 52804375092485 9y agoYou know a huge portion of the American population is living paycheck to paycheck with no savings right? Most people can't "just" buy a robot and magically join the capitalist class.
- jpindar 9y agoDoesn't have to be automated, even. Lots of people start out by owning one snowplow. Or one power washer or one lawn mower.
- Noos 9y agoTry opening a landscaping business. You'll see why this fails.