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Is Software Eating the Useless Class? The Story of Marc Andreessen
- SlipperySlope 8y agoLow USA tariffs on imported goods and services mean that domestic workers compete with the world's lowest cost labor. Free Trade == World Wide Leveling Every country should enact high tariffs to protect local industries - not for cheap products but for high wages.
- veritas_veritad 8y agoThe cant of this article is kind of grossing me out. I don't disagree with the predictions of this, but I reject the notion of people as being "useless" because they can't interface with technology. Such a position is a paperclip maximizer (https://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Paperclip_maximizer https://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Paperclip_maximizer) of efficiency. There are other worthwhile things. Are artists useless unless they can produce design? Are "idiot" friends who make us laugh but are generally low-achieving "useless"?
- TechWriterTom 8y agoThey are economically useless - not useless as people. In fact, that's kind of the point. Here's a quote from Andreessen that highlights that potential: “Imagine six, or 10 billion people doing nothing but arts and sciences, culture and exploring and learning. What a world that would be.”
- jimrhods23 8y ago“Imagine six, or 10 billion people doing nothing but arts and sciences, culture and exploring and learning. What a world that would be.” This kind of reminds me of the people I've met that want to start a company, but don't seem to realize that 99% of it is going to involve tasks that are not fun or enjoyable. For a successful society, we need people doing work that nobody else wants to do, so we have can have successful artists and people that want to explore.
- TechWriterTom 8y agoI think being a great scientist or artist revolves around doing repetitive tasks that aren't not fun or enjoyable. I believe people want to do difficult jobs, as long as they're meaningful.
- jimrhods23 8y agoTrue, but what about the jobs that aren't meaningful, but still need to be done? and what about the people that aren't capable of being an artist or a scientist?
- TechWriterTom 8y agoAny job that matters is meaningful. But that still leaves many working a bullshit job. That's no fun. As for people who aren't capable of becoming artists or scientists, which I think would be a small % of people, well I hope they have UBI and can live happily.
- veritas_veritad 8y agoThanks for the clarification
- owlofwis3 8y agoIf history has taught us anything, the problems that technology creates - it solves. What's the worry?
- hackerhit 8y agothere's no worry for anyone working in tech
- aznpwnzor 8y agowhy do people need "jobs"? Does a person playing xbox and smoking weed all day not have the same value?
- TechWriterTom 8y agoCompared to the people creating art, furthering science, and improving our society?
- aznpwnzor 8y agoyes. why is an individual's value tied to what he contributes in a close to post scarcity world?