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Refusing to utilize automation is what all those people refusing to use automated self-checking counters in supermarkets are doing. They say things like: "I wa

Refusing to utilize automation is what all those people refusing to use automated self-checking counters in supermarkets are doing. They say things like: "I want to be served by a real human", while basically condemning people serving them to standing behind checkout counters all day in a very dehumanizing and unhealthy task. These people are either getting their kicks out of subservience of other people, or what they actually want is to provide a living to working class people. If whatever people need is provided by automation, then that is just great and we can increase more humane pursuits which aren't driven by profit. Things like UBI and similar will solve the issue of our societies' wealth distributions being based on labor where labor is becoming less necessary. That is highly preferable to defending continuations of the existing economic models which force people to toil their lives away in unimportant tasks.

xyzzy123 4y ago
I agree that banning automation generally reduces "abundance" and is generally "wrong" without good reason. On the other hand, I don't see demand for manual labour as wrong - as long as it's a free exchange and the transaction is at a mutually agreeable price. I don't think it's morally wrong to want hand-made furniture when ikea exists. Likewise manicures, shelf-stacking or typing code into an IDE by hand.
notahacker 4y ago
> They say things like: "I want to be served by a real human", while basically condemning people serving them to standing behind checkout counters all day in a very dehumanizing and unhealthy task. > These people are either getting their kicks out of subservience of other people, or what they actually want is to provide a living to working class people. Or they prefer the faster, less confusing experience of having their goods swiped for them and not having to stand around waiting for a human to come and validate they're old enough to buy alcohol or correct the automated checkout freaking out over an item being marginally below the expected weight or explain they need to select the payment method before trying to use their card.

xyzzy123 4y ago

I agree that banning automation generally reduces "abundance" and is generally "wrong" without good reason. On the other hand, I don't see demand for manual labour as wrong - as long as it's a free exchange and the transaction is at a mutually agreeable price. I don't think it's morally wrong to want hand-made furniture when ikea exists. Likewise manicures, shelf-stacking or typing code into an IDE by hand.

notahacker 4y ago

> They say things like: "I want to be served by a real human", while basically condemning people serving them to standing behind checkout counters all day in a very dehumanizing and unhealthy task. > These people are either getting their kicks out of subservience of other people, or what they actually want is to provide a living to working class people. Or they prefer the faster, less confusing experience of having their goods swiped for them and not having to stand around waiting for a human to come and validate they're old enough to buy alcohol or correct the automated checkout freaking out over an item being marginally below the expected weight or explain they need to select the payment method before trying to use their card.