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> Automation should be encouraged, not taxed I actually agree with you on this if taxation is framed as a way to discourage something. But the goal is to encou
by teucris 5y ago
> Automation should be encouraged, not taxed
I actually agree with you on this if taxation is framed as a way to discourage something. But the goal is to encourage automation but ensure it benefits society, not just a wealthy few, so…
> because it makes society wealthier and more productive.
It does not. It makes some people ridiculously wealthy and makes everyone else poorer.
- missedthecue 5y agoWould you say that the tractor for instance has only made John Deere wealthy, or has it made the world better off? Has the motor vehicle only improved the life of the Ford family or would I be better off with a horse and carriage? Have personal computers only made Bill Gates and Michael Dell richer or have they benefited the human race as a whole? All of these are examples of automating laborious processes. All of them have made inventors wealthy and the world a nicer place to live. The economy isn't zero sum where to make one person richer another must necessarily become poorer.
- teucris 5y agoYou are correct that the economy is not zero sum. It is not black and white, but the primary beneficiaries of automation are those who have the investment capital to leverage automation at scale. The rest get a better world sometimes, but our benefits pale in comparison.