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We don't just want economic growth, we want livable communities too. My worry with the above model is it puts a huge economic group at the whim of the welfare s

by ehnto 3y ago

We don't just want economic growth, we want livable communities too. My worry with the above model is it puts a huge economic group at the whim of the welfare system by default, as we are saying that they shouldn't expect to be able to work. That's a huge change, and would rely on a level of fairness from goverment that I have never seen before. I am pro welfare, pro UBI even, but I think it's a dangerous spot to put our communities in as automation is privatised, and we are relying on it to pay the taxes that pay for the public welfare. Ignoring the farce that is current corporate taxation and assuming again, a level of fairness not seen from corporations either.

KRAKRISMOTT 3y ago
Most of the reasons for reshoring manufacturing are because of supply chain and strategic concerns. The economic benefits have always been secondary. That's why building manufacturing plants in Mexico is encouraged even when the automation/technology level is very low. The focus on automation has primarily been for the sake of making it cost effective for corporations, supposed benefits to local communities were never a priority. It's been hard enough getting companies to reshore, taxing automation will destroy the past half a decade of progress. Face it, the jobs are not coming back.
Closi 3y ago
It just seems silly to me that in a world where we have robots that can screw bolts on a car, and in a world where humans hate screwing bolts onto cars for 40 hours a week, we would want to put a policy that makes the human the more attractive option (notwithstanding that it also raises costs and makes production less efficient). It feels very similar to the 'cutting grass with scissors' concept - why work in a less-productive way (i.e. ban lawnmowers) just to raise total employment, rather than work in the most productive way possible and then find alternative uses for the humans? Also the policy is only really useful if the number of humans outstrip the number of jobs available, but we haven't reached that point yet. You are right that clearly the corporation tax issues will have to be solved, that's a no-brainer.
dguest 3y ago
If the only think keeping robots out of the workforce is tax or other government incentives you still have communities depending on the government. I guess the crux of the argument is that dropping public welfare could happen overnight, while dropping the robot tax and refurbishing the factory to replace workers, or just closing down the factory and buying from a supplier that uses fewer workers, would take a bit longer.

by ehnto 3y ago

KRAKRISMOTT 3y ago

Most of the reasons for reshoring manufacturing are because of supply chain and strategic concerns. The economic benefits have always been secondary. That's why building manufacturing plants in Mexico is encouraged even when the automation/technology level is very low. The focus on automation has primarily been for the sake of making it cost effective for corporations, supposed benefits to local communities were never a priority. It's been hard enough getting companies to reshore, taxing automation will destroy the past half a decade of progress. Face it, the jobs are not coming back.

Closi 3y ago

It just seems silly to me that in a world where we have robots that can screw bolts on a car, and in a world where humans hate screwing bolts onto cars for 40 hours a week, we would want to put a policy that makes the human the more attractive option (notwithstanding that it also raises costs and makes production less efficient). It feels very similar to the 'cutting grass with scissors' concept - why work in a less-productive way (i.e. ban lawnmowers) just to raise total employment, rather than work in the most productive way possible and then find alternative uses for the humans? Also the policy is only really useful if the number of humans outstrip the number of jobs available, but we haven't reached that point yet. You are right that clearly the corporation tax issues will have to be solved, that's a no-brainer.

dguest 3y ago

If the only think keeping robots out of the workforce is tax or other government incentives you still have communities depending on the government. I guess the crux of the argument is that dropping public welfare could happen overnight, while dropping the robot tax and refurbishing the factory to replace workers, or just closing down the factory and buying from a supplier that uses fewer workers, would take a bit longer.