4 ms·

I think one blindness we have is seeing the question of what to do with these workers as pertaining to the future. But it's hard not to look at things like "bul

I think one blindness we have is seeing the question of what to do with these workers as pertaining to the future. But it's hard not to look at things like "bullshit jobs"[1][2], or entire sectors that are parasitic (advertising, credit cards, sales, etc.) and see that we're already decades into this problem. As we've automated much of our work, we've largely failed to move most people to other productive jobs. Instead have been funneling an ever growing part of the population into careers where they're only helping to extract wealth from the ever dwindling percent of the population that actually produces useful things, if they're actually doing anything at all. [1] https://jacobinmag.com/2018/06/bullshit-jobs-david-graeber-work-service https://jacobinmag.com/2018/06/bullshit-jobs-david-graeber-w... [2] https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/may/04/i-had-to-guard-an-empty-room-the-rise-of-the-pointless-job https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/may/04/i-had-to-guard...

ako 7y ago
You should be happy with all these bullshit jobs: if we would scale down to only productive essential jobs, most people would be siting at home doing close to nothing. The assumption that we can have productive jobs for everyone is just unrealistic
- kruczek 7y ago
  I'd phrase it differently: If we would scale down to only productive essential jobs, most people would be siting at home doing whatever they like. So no, I am not happy that people do bullshit jobs just for the sake of having a job at all.
  - ako 7y ago
    With no money from a job, sitting at home will be something people will not like. Doing what you like usually costs money, so you need a job. Any job. How are you going to pay for a home anyways, without a job?
    - kruczek 7y ago
      > How are you going to pay for a home anyways, without a job? For example, with UBI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_income https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_income

ako 7y ago

You should be happy with all these bullshit jobs: if we would scale down to only productive essential jobs, most people would be siting at home doing close to nothing. The assumption that we can have productive jobs for everyone is just unrealistic

kruczek 7y ago
I'd phrase it differently: If we would scale down to only productive essential jobs, most people would be siting at home doing whatever they like. So no, I am not happy that people do bullshit jobs just for the sake of having a job at all.
- ako 7y ago
  With no money from a job, sitting at home will be something people will not like. Doing what you like usually costs money, so you need a job. Any job. How are you going to pay for a home anyways, without a job?
  - kruczek 7y ago
    > How are you going to pay for a home anyways, without a job? For example, with UBI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_income https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_income