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> Isn’t that exactly what the gig economy does? No. Inequality is increasing every year. > What would Uber drivers be doing if uber ceased to exist? Depends

> Isn’t that exactly what the gig economy does? No. Inequality is increasing every year. > What would Uber drivers be doing if uber ceased to exist? Depends on the reason for Uber ceasing to exist. If Uber went bankrupt, they would probably be riding a bike to deliver food in big cities or being micromanaged by computer programs for 12 hours at a time in some warehouse, being cogs in a machine that provides outstanding customer service to those lucky enough to be able to live in less dystopic conditions. In a scenario where big companies and rich people are finally forced to pay their taxes and respect human rights, they might be applying for stable jobs as the baby boomers once did, or taking advantage of grants (that would become possible because of said taxation) to further their education. They might be engaged in something meaningful that improves our collective condition, instead of helping make some of us a bit more comfortable while we deplete our natural resources and destroy our own habitat.

andrenth 8y ago
> Inequality is increasing every year. This is a non sequitur. Inequality doesn’t need to go down for workers to get better living conditions. > they would probably be riding a bike to deliver food [...] or being micromanaged by computer programs [...], being cogs in a machine [...] So Uber does make their life better. > In a scenario where big companies and rich people are finally forced to pay their taxes and respect human rights How much money should Uber give to politicians to spend inneficiently or to be lost in corruption before you consider them to be respecting human rights? > They might be engaged in something meaningful that improves our collective condition Providing comfort is a service that improves our collective condition.
- TelmoMenezes 8y ago
  > This is a non sequitur. Inequality doesn’t need to go down for workers to get better living conditions. Even if this was true, and there is a mountain of empirical data suggesting it isn't, do you really believe inequality can just keep increasing and everything will be fine? > So Uber does make their life better. Well, Uber drivers are cogs in a machine and micromanaged by computer programs, but at least they drive a car. Perhaps biking would be healthier for them, but on the other hand there are some who have to live in the car, so I guess you're right. > How much money should Uber give to politicians to spend inneficiently or to be lost in corruption before you consider them to be respecting human rights? Whatever the law of each country they are operating on says + respecting the local labor laws instead of pretending that their employees are not employees. It's not for Uber of any other company to decide weather the politicians and the laws they enact are good or not. That's the job of the voters. > Providing comfort is a service that improves our collective condition. Seems like a bit of a zero-sum game to me. Some people's lives become less comfortable so that other's can become more comfortable. But comfort is pretty irrelevant in face of the real existential threats that we are facing, in part being caused by the current infinite growth economical paradigm.
  - andrenth 8y ago
    > Even if this was true, and there is a mountain of empirical data suggesting it isn't, [...] On the contrary, it's pretty clear that living conditions have been historically getting better worldwide. See, for example, Hans Rosling. > Whatever the law of each country they are operating on says [...] Why are there any Uber drivers then? Why don't they choose to work instead of traditional jobs instead of being, according to you, a micromanaged cog with no human rights? > Some people's lives become less comfortable so that other's can become more comfortable. Are they less comfortable driving an Uber than they would be in the job they would get in case there was no Uber? > in part being caused by the current infinite growth economical paradigm If you want the quality of life of people living in undeveloped countries to increase, there's no alternative to economical growth. You probably live in a country which has already been through this process, but preventing others from growing in the name of supposed existential threats is condemning their population to poverty.

andrenth 8y ago

> Inequality is increasing every year. This is a non sequitur. Inequality doesn’t need to go down for workers to get better living conditions. > they would probably be riding a bike to deliver food [...] or being micromanaged by computer programs [...], being cogs in a machine [...] So Uber does make their life better. > In a scenario where big companies and rich people are finally forced to pay their taxes and respect human rights How much money should Uber give to politicians to spend inneficiently or to be lost in corruption before you consider them to be respecting human rights? > They might be engaged in something meaningful that improves our collective condition Providing comfort is a service that improves our collective condition.

TelmoMenezes 8y ago
> This is a non sequitur. Inequality doesn’t need to go down for workers to get better living conditions. Even if this was true, and there is a mountain of empirical data suggesting it isn't, do you really believe inequality can just keep increasing and everything will be fine? > So Uber does make their life better. Well, Uber drivers are cogs in a machine and micromanaged by computer programs, but at least they drive a car. Perhaps biking would be healthier for them, but on the other hand there are some who have to live in the car, so I guess you're right. > How much money should Uber give to politicians to spend inneficiently or to be lost in corruption before you consider them to be respecting human rights? Whatever the law of each country they are operating on says + respecting the local labor laws instead of pretending that their employees are not employees. It's not for Uber of any other company to decide weather the politicians and the laws they enact are good or not. That's the job of the voters. > Providing comfort is a service that improves our collective condition. Seems like a bit of a zero-sum game to me. Some people's lives become less comfortable so that other's can become more comfortable. But comfort is pretty irrelevant in face of the real existential threats that we are facing, in part being caused by the current infinite growth economical paradigm.
- andrenth 8y ago
  > Even if this was true, and there is a mountain of empirical data suggesting it isn't, [...] On the contrary, it's pretty clear that living conditions have been historically getting better worldwide. See, for example, Hans Rosling. > Whatever the law of each country they are operating on says [...] Why are there any Uber drivers then? Why don't they choose to work instead of traditional jobs instead of being, according to you, a micromanaged cog with no human rights? > Some people's lives become less comfortable so that other's can become more comfortable. Are they less comfortable driving an Uber than they would be in the job they would get in case there was no Uber? > in part being caused by the current infinite growth economical paradigm If you want the quality of life of people living in undeveloped countries to increase, there's no alternative to economical growth. You probably live in a country which has already been through this process, but preventing others from growing in the name of supposed existential threats is condemning their population to poverty.