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It's absolutely a win for society (in the longer term), but in the meantime a lot of people's lives were upended, devasted, and even ended due to the upheavel.
by dukeyukey 3y ago
It's absolutely a win for society (in the longer term), but in the meantime a lot of people's lives were upended, devasted, and even ended due to the upheavel. Maybe we can avoid that this time, but I doubt it. You can't tell someone who's children are starving that it's all worth it.
- andrewmutz 3y agoWere they? Or did their children move to the city and learn different skills, while they bought machines to replace the lost labor? Was the tractor actually bad for the farmer?
- throwaway632 3y ago[flagged]
- dukeyukey 3y agoIf only I lived in the Bay Area. Or California. Or North America.
- throwaway632 3y agoWhere do you live? Are there other economic opportunities there for a smart, motivated ex-programmer? Many programmers are good enough generalists to displace people in other jobs if the work dries up. Just like Teach for America college grads displace and outperform professional classroom teachers.
- dukeyukey 3y agoI'm in London, where I earn enough to rent a 2-bed 700sqft flat. Not exactly retraining for years money. But in any case, I think I'll be fine, it's others I'm worried about. I grew up in a poor rural area - I've seen what sudden unemployment does to people, even if they are smart and motivated.
- rsanek 3y agoEvery 4th or 5th person makes at least $200k/yr in the Bay Area. It's hard to believe but the percentiles are radically different vs. US-wide. https://vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov/indicators/income https://vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov/indicators/income