>Second, because despite the constant threat of automation levied against working class people, we really do seem to be hitting the limits, at least in present

>Second, because despite the constant threat of automation levied against working class people, we really do seem to be hitting the limits, at least in present technology, of what we can make machines do. This is the real problem society has, especially with subdued and declining fertility rates. Most societies have promised people benefits based on 7%+ annual returns, and those returns need to come from somewhere. Without the high fertility rate, the returns were coming from automation and massive economies of scale. However, there has been a plateau in automation for many high touch businesses (food, healthcare, construction/trades), so those cost increases are being as political fighting over who gets what from society’s productive. And old people control most of the political and economic capital, as they, along with their heirs, have an interest in maintaining their expected share of the economy’s productivity, even though it means younger people get less.