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do we need that labor pool considering we are progressing in technology? 100 years ago there were no factories we see today etc. But day by day with technologic

do we need that labor pool considering we are progressing in technology? 100 years ago there were no factories we see today etc. But day by day with technological advancement we are automating lot of things. So I really don't think we need that much labor we required yesterday. Is population problem really a big deal considering we already have a big elephant in room already like climate change, scarcity of resources, poverty, water crisis?

paxys 5y ago
While technology has definitely made things better over the last few decades, we are still very, very far from the post-scarcity society that we like to envision. The majority of people on the planet today are still doing back breaking labor in order to survive.
- jay_kyburz 5y ago
  I always thought that when our western governments talk about this problem, they are not concerned with the back breaking work that needs doing, but the amount of tax being paid by younger generations not enough to cover pensions and all the expensive medical conditions old people have. I think its mostly a financial problem, not a physical labor problem.
  - wallacoloo 5y ago
    > I think its mostly a financial problem, not a physical labor problem. what does this mean? i assume in your picture, the taxes (finance) are paying for the labor. if not, what is it that we’re struggling to finance?
    - jay_kyburz 5y ago
      Most people over the age of ~65 are given $967.50 a fortnight. (its means tested - but the family home is not counted). They spend that on whatever they like. I shudder to think how much goes into the pokies. Old people like to visit the GP, like every week, to chat about the weather and that weird pimple that's been growing in weird places. That's also paid for by the government. Here is a breakdown of where one Australians Tax Money goes. https://imgur.co/NmCZa5V https://imgur.co/NmCZa5V I'm of the opinion that the aged pension should be no different to unemployment benefits given we have free healthcare as well.
      - jay_kyburz 5y ago
        On readit, somebody posted a breakdown for UK taxes. Welfare (23.8%) Health (19.9%) State Pensions (12.8%) Education (12%) National Debt Interest (6.1%) Defence (5.3%) Public Order and Safety (4.3%) Transport (4.3%) Business and Industry (2.9%) Government Administration (2.1%) Housing and Utilities, like street lighting (1.6%) Culture, like sports, libraries, museums (1.6%) Environment (1.6%) Overseas Aid (1.2%) UK Contribution to the EU Budget (0.7%)
closeparen 5y ago
We're automating a lot of things, but not healthcare. There we're inventing treatments that enable the dying to receive more and increasingly sophisticated care over longer periods of time. This is the issue that became known as "death panels" in the Obama-era healthcare debate. We're pretty committed to not solving it.

paxys 5y ago

While technology has definitely made things better over the last few decades, we are still very, very far from the post-scarcity society that we like to envision. The majority of people on the planet today are still doing back breaking labor in order to survive.

jay_kyburz 5y ago
I always thought that when our western governments talk about this problem, they are not concerned with the back breaking work that needs doing, but the amount of tax being paid by younger generations not enough to cover pensions and all the expensive medical conditions old people have. I think its mostly a financial problem, not a physical labor problem.
- wallacoloo 5y ago
  > I think its mostly a financial problem, not a physical labor problem. what does this mean? i assume in your picture, the taxes (finance) are paying for the labor. if not, what is it that we’re struggling to finance?
  - jay_kyburz 5y ago
    Most people over the age of ~65 are given $967.50 a fortnight. (its means tested - but the family home is not counted). They spend that on whatever they like. I shudder to think how much goes into the pokies. Old people like to visit the GP, like every week, to chat about the weather and that weird pimple that's been growing in weird places. That's also paid for by the government. Here is a breakdown of where one Australians Tax Money goes. https://imgur.co/NmCZa5V https://imgur.co/NmCZa5V I'm of the opinion that the aged pension should be no different to unemployment benefits given we have free healthcare as well.
    - jay_kyburz 5y ago
      On readit, somebody posted a breakdown for UK taxes. Welfare (23.8%) Health (19.9%) State Pensions (12.8%) Education (12%) National Debt Interest (6.1%) Defence (5.3%) Public Order and Safety (4.3%) Transport (4.3%) Business and Industry (2.9%) Government Administration (2.1%) Housing and Utilities, like street lighting (1.6%) Culture, like sports, libraries, museums (1.6%) Environment (1.6%) Overseas Aid (1.2%) UK Contribution to the EU Budget (0.7%)

closeparen 5y ago

We're automating a lot of things, but not healthcare. There we're inventing treatments that enable the dying to receive more and increasingly sophisticated care over longer periods of time. This is the issue that became known as "death panels" in the Obama-era healthcare debate. We're pretty committed to not solving it.