4 ms·
what do you do with those hundreds, who can no longer create any wealth a machine can't do better? The snarky answer would be "wait for the revolution". Howev
by gloob 17y ago
what do you do with those hundreds, who can no longer create any wealth a machine can't do better?
The snarky answer would be "wait for the revolution". However, more realistically, the odds of rebellion would depend on whether or not someone somewhere (most likely some combination or other of government + industry, as has been pretty much standard for most of human history) would succeed in keeping the Unwashed Masses more or less content with the way things are.
Mind you, by taking away anything even resembling an excuse for people to say "I am having a non-negligable, tangible effect on the world around me," that would probably be rendered a tad tricky.
On the other hand, remember how back in the 50s the plan was that all Americans would eventually have, e.g. a 25-hour work week, due to the massive productivity gains technology would bring about? Remember how that turned out? Never underestimate people's ability to waste their own time.
- camccann 17y agoNever underestimate people's ability to waste their own time. That would be the bureaucratopian scenario, where 29% of the people are managers, 70% are employed to handle the paperwork generated by the managers, and 1% of the people do all the actual work to support the whole system. I just don't see that as a long-term sustainable solution absent heavy government interference (read: crushing regulatory burdens) in an environment where technology exists to allow a couple hackers and some salesmen to spin up a company that provides, not another social media platform, but all the fundamental necessities of life--an idea that is not particularly far-fetched.