4 ms·

Automation is not a magic wand that means no labor, thought, decisions, or resources are used in the production of goods. Automation makes people more producti

Automation is not a magic wand that means no labor, thought, decisions, or resources are used in the production of goods. Automation makes people more productive, given the same inputs, but requires knowledge to operate. It will be hundreds or thousands of years before automation is advanced enough to resemble a magic wand in the way you are describing, where no person is involved at any step of making shoes. Even then, there will be two kinds of people: those who are given magic wands and learn/are taught how to use them and keep them working, and those who need help obtaining and using magic wands. I don't think I have to tell you that there will still be a power dynamic.

jMyles 8y ago
> It will be hundreds or thousands of years before automation is advanced enough But is there no gradient to be observed during that time? Aren't we already deep enough into automation to have this discussion? Did we have to ship those jobs to China? In a more just world, might the Chinese laborers be spared exposure to benzene sooner than a thousand years? > Even then, there will be two kinds of people: those who are given magic wands and learn/are taught how to use them and keep them working, and those who need help obtaining and using magic wands. There are two kinds of people in this world: people who try to convince everyone to think of things as simple dichotomies with no middle ground, and those who do not.
- jerkstate 8y ago
  automation is clearly not sufficiently advanced that no Chinese laborers need be exposed to benzene to sate the global appetite for cheap sneakers. the trouble with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money; modern socialism tries to get around this problem by positing that there will eventually be infinite resources thanks to automation, so we should just start acting like that's already the case.

jMyles 8y ago

> It will be hundreds or thousands of years before automation is advanced enough But is there no gradient to be observed during that time? Aren't we already deep enough into automation to have this discussion? Did we have to ship those jobs to China? In a more just world, might the Chinese laborers be spared exposure to benzene sooner than a thousand years? > Even then, there will be two kinds of people: those who are given magic wands and learn/are taught how to use them and keep them working, and those who need help obtaining and using magic wands. There are two kinds of people in this world: people who try to convince everyone to think of things as simple dichotomies with no middle ground, and those who do not.

jerkstate 8y ago
automation is clearly not sufficiently advanced that no Chinese laborers need be exposed to benzene to sate the global appetite for cheap sneakers. the trouble with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money; modern socialism tries to get around this problem by positing that there will eventually be infinite resources thanks to automation, so we should just start acting like that's already the case.