3 ms·

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came_.. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came_...

toxican 8y ago
I struggle to think of a less applicable situation for that quote.
- musage 8y ago
  "Struggle". I don't believe you even tried. This is "not applicable", yet the top comment just causally is "putting aside the Automation/Job Replacement fears". Working in a call center is basically the last easy to get job for people who aren't very intelligent, it's the one job where a physically handicapped but attentive person can get treated like a normal human being. And they all just get tossed in there, "trained" by people who don't know their ass from their elbow either. They don't exactly have it good as is. But let's "put that aside", because they are not eloquent enough to post here, and the few who think of them in earnest can be easily ignored. And then double think and "struggle" to think how putting someone else's suffering aside could have anything to do with this. > If machines produce everything we need, the outcome will depend on how things are distributed. Everyone can enjoy a life of luxurious leisure if the machine-produced wealth is shared, or most people can end up miserably poor if the machine-owners successfully lobby against wealth redistribution. So far, the trend seems to be toward the second option, with technology driving ever-increasing inequality. -- Stephen Hawking There is no "struggle". There is no "try." Think.
- kaybe 8y ago
  I can. Just imagine someone talking about getting icecream and giving them the quote in response. After all we're talking about job loss, which can and probably will hit most of professions at some point in the future. The gp seems to want us to speak out about that? Maybe like this: > First they came for the Loom Weavers, and I did not speak out — > Because I was not a Loom Weavers. > Then they came for the Factory Line Assemblers, and I did not speak out — > Because I was not a Factory Line Assemblers. > Then they came for the Truck Drivers, and I did not speak out — > Because I was not a Truck Driver. > Then they came for me — and there was no one with Work (Influence) left to speak for me. where 'they' is either the robots themselves or the ones controlling the robots, and work is inherently worthy or necessary for a human to live. (and without work you are without influence on what happens)
  - throwaway9980 8y ago
    This is pretty spot on what I was thinking when I posted that quote. Not being able to work is a disenfranchisement. Today it’s the call center employees, tomorrow it’s the truck drivers, and perhaps in 20 years it’s the software engineers. Yes, we survived the industrial revolution and a tiny single digit percentage of the population works on farms and maybe this shift is similar. I suppose we will find out one way or the other. There’s a really good sibling comment to your’s that is now marked dead and hidden by default. Unfortunately disagreement on HN leads quickly to censorship.
dang 8y ago
Please don't do this here.

toxican 8y ago

I struggle to think of a less applicable situation for that quote.

musage 8y ago
"Struggle". I don't believe you even tried. This is "not applicable", yet the top comment just causally is "putting aside the Automation/Job Replacement fears". Working in a call center is basically the last easy to get job for people who aren't very intelligent, it's the one job where a physically handicapped but attentive person can get treated like a normal human being. And they all just get tossed in there, "trained" by people who don't know their ass from their elbow either. They don't exactly have it good as is. But let's "put that aside", because they are not eloquent enough to post here, and the few who think of them in earnest can be easily ignored. And then double think and "struggle" to think how putting someone else's suffering aside could have anything to do with this. > If machines produce everything we need, the outcome will depend on how things are distributed. Everyone can enjoy a life of luxurious leisure if the machine-produced wealth is shared, or most people can end up miserably poor if the machine-owners successfully lobby against wealth redistribution. So far, the trend seems to be toward the second option, with technology driving ever-increasing inequality. -- Stephen Hawking There is no "struggle". There is no "try." Think.
kaybe 8y ago
I can. Just imagine someone talking about getting icecream and giving them the quote in response. After all we're talking about job loss, which can and probably will hit most of professions at some point in the future. The gp seems to want us to speak out about that? Maybe like this: > First they came for the Loom Weavers, and I did not speak out — > Because I was not a Loom Weavers. > Then they came for the Factory Line Assemblers, and I did not speak out — > Because I was not a Factory Line Assemblers. > Then they came for the Truck Drivers, and I did not speak out — > Because I was not a Truck Driver. > Then they came for me — and there was no one with Work (Influence) left to speak for me. where 'they' is either the robots themselves or the ones controlling the robots, and work is inherently worthy or necessary for a human to live. (and without work you are without influence on what happens)
- throwaway9980 8y ago
  This is pretty spot on what I was thinking when I posted that quote. Not being able to work is a disenfranchisement. Today it’s the call center employees, tomorrow it’s the truck drivers, and perhaps in 20 years it’s the software engineers. Yes, we survived the industrial revolution and a tiny single digit percentage of the population works on farms and maybe this shift is similar. I suppose we will find out one way or the other. There’s a really good sibling comment to your’s that is now marked dead and hidden by default. Unfortunately disagreement on HN leads quickly to censorship.

dang 8y ago

Please don't do this here.