6 ms·

Labor is becoming a liability. Expect much more automation, outsourcing, and shipping jobs overseas.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
xbpx 3y ago
This is a hilarious comment. It's exactly the comment that was made in the 70s when workers had a larger share of national income and when average salaries could afford a house. Indeed, soon thereafter in the late 70s we saw rounds of union busting, neoliberalism, Thatcherism and Regan and drastic cuts to taxes and employment security. Inequality spiked, wages stagnated, many millionaires and billionaires produced and the growing frustration and malaise in the working classes generating the rise of nationalist and populist movements the world over. It's becoming a bipartisan realization we went too far with both Republicans and Democrats calling for reshoring, investment in industry and yes, worker protection. The most minimal watered down corporate friendly worker protection. This is 10% of what any radical would wish for. And already this comment. The reactionary spirit has been embedded deeply.
- Aloha 3y ago
  The pendulum swings. Those things were reactions in many cases to overreach and an oversized role of the state, and a status quo that failed to innovate. Now we're (for good reason) going to go the other way. I think its a natural cyclic cycle, the market is now out of good new ideas, and now we need innovation from someplace else, and to rebalance social equity too
randyrand 3y ago
you’re downvoted, but it’s true. Hiring should be avoided if you can get away with automation or slower growth.
- toomuchtodo 3y ago
  We’ll come to tax the automation next as a society. As long as democracy functions and the fiat hits a regulated endpoint (ie a bank), the majority can wag the minority seeking to maximize returns with automation and offshore labor. Attempts to evade these mechanisms could use punitive measures resulting in exclusion from a market.
kadoban 3y ago
Labor has _always_ been a liability for rich amoral capitalists. Should one assume by you saying this in response to this story that labor should race to the bottom, becoming just as cheap and disposable as a machine? Sounds like a bad world to live in, and it also wouldn't even work.
- asu_thomas 3y ago
  > Labor has _always_ been a liability for rich amoral capitalists Just capitalists. It doesn't matter how rich or amoral they are.
- autoexec 3y ago
  Exactly. Companies will replace human workers with AI or robots or whatever else as soon as it's possible no matter what happens. Even if companies paid their workers nothing at all (slavery) it would still be worth it to get rid of their human employees because AI won't want vacations or family leave or call in sick or infect coworkers. Robots never show up late, or steal, or end up dragging the company into sexual harassment lawsuits. Machines don't have to sleep and most importantly they don't say no. All human workers should fight for a living wage. Times are likely only going to get harder and when the robots do finally and inevitably replace us lowly human workers we'll be much better off after having fought for fair wages.
- ETH_start 3y ago
  Wages increase the fastest in countries with the most market freedom and security of private peoperty. Capitalists generate capital, which is the basis for all wage growth and improvements in quality of life.
  - olddustytrail 3y ago
    > Capitalists generate capital Why of course they do! When I buy shares in a company, it's me that's generating all the capital, not those idle workers who just sit around making things!
    - 3y ago
FreshStart 3y ago
Unfortunately for employers, the robots software Abo has unionized and raised the price to extract maximum value.
MrBuddyCasino 3y ago
This new rule is simply a power grab for leftists. It will be cheered on by everyone too dimwitted to realize there are huge negative externalities to unions and minimum wage laws, which ironically affect the working class the most.
colinwilyb 3y ago
Labour is often most costly part of running a business. Once people can be reliably replaced they will be. One can only guess that cost, availability, or proficiency, of machines is still not matched by machines.
UncleMeat 3y ago
I think it is fascinating how employers have the gall to call themselves "job creators" and talk about their contribution to society through employment while this is so obviously happening.
- toomuchtodo 3y ago
  You project a narrative to meet your needs.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

xbpx 3y ago

This is a hilarious comment. It's exactly the comment that was made in the 70s when workers had a larger share of national income and when average salaries could afford a house. Indeed, soon thereafter in the late 70s we saw rounds of union busting, neoliberalism, Thatcherism and Regan and drastic cuts to taxes and employment security. Inequality spiked, wages stagnated, many millionaires and billionaires produced and the growing frustration and malaise in the working classes generating the rise of nationalist and populist movements the world over. It's becoming a bipartisan realization we went too far with both Republicans and Democrats calling for reshoring, investment in industry and yes, worker protection. The most minimal watered down corporate friendly worker protection. This is 10% of what any radical would wish for. And already this comment. The reactionary spirit has been embedded deeply.

Aloha 3y ago
The pendulum swings. Those things were reactions in many cases to overreach and an oversized role of the state, and a status quo that failed to innovate. Now we're (for good reason) going to go the other way. I think its a natural cyclic cycle, the market is now out of good new ideas, and now we need innovation from someplace else, and to rebalance social equity too

randyrand 3y ago

you’re downvoted, but it’s true. Hiring should be avoided if you can get away with automation or slower growth.

toomuchtodo 3y ago
We’ll come to tax the automation next as a society. As long as democracy functions and the fiat hits a regulated endpoint (ie a bank), the majority can wag the minority seeking to maximize returns with automation and offshore labor. Attempts to evade these mechanisms could use punitive measures resulting in exclusion from a market.

kadoban 3y ago

Labor has _always_ been a liability for rich amoral capitalists. Should one assume by you saying this in response to this story that labor should race to the bottom, becoming just as cheap and disposable as a machine? Sounds like a bad world to live in, and it also wouldn't even work.

asu_thomas 3y ago
> Labor has _always_ been a liability for rich amoral capitalists Just capitalists. It doesn't matter how rich or amoral they are.
autoexec 3y ago
Exactly. Companies will replace human workers with AI or robots or whatever else as soon as it's possible no matter what happens. Even if companies paid their workers nothing at all (slavery) it would still be worth it to get rid of their human employees because AI won't want vacations or family leave or call in sick or infect coworkers. Robots never show up late, or steal, or end up dragging the company into sexual harassment lawsuits. Machines don't have to sleep and most importantly they don't say no. All human workers should fight for a living wage. Times are likely only going to get harder and when the robots do finally and inevitably replace us lowly human workers we'll be much better off after having fought for fair wages.
ETH_start 3y ago
Wages increase the fastest in countries with the most market freedom and security of private peoperty. Capitalists generate capital, which is the basis for all wage growth and improvements in quality of life.
- olddustytrail 3y ago
  > Capitalists generate capital Why of course they do! When I buy shares in a company, it's me that's generating all the capital, not those idle workers who just sit around making things!
  - 3y ago

FreshStart 3y ago

Unfortunately for employers, the robots software Abo has unionized and raised the price to extract maximum value.

MrBuddyCasino 3y ago

This new rule is simply a power grab for leftists. It will be cheered on by everyone too dimwitted to realize there are huge negative externalities to unions and minimum wage laws, which ironically affect the working class the most.

colinwilyb 3y ago

Labour is often most costly part of running a business. Once people can be reliably replaced they will be. One can only guess that cost, availability, or proficiency, of machines is still not matched by machines.

UncleMeat 3y ago

I think it is fascinating how employers have the gall to call themselves "job creators" and talk about their contribution to society through employment while this is so obviously happening.

toomuchtodo 3y ago
You project a narrative to meet your needs.