The Long-Term Jobs Killer Is Not China. It’s Automation.

[Emjay]

That's the problem we face. How are people supposed to support themselves (and, perhaps even more importantly for the long-term future of humanity, their families) when labor, the ages-old way of doing so, is no longer a viable way to do it?

Normally this would mean a return to subsistence living, but access to land would be a huge obstacle to that.

C'mon, Jim.  How many people do you think want to return to subsistence living even if they could get access to land.

None of the technological advances of the past have ended up hurting the economy.

[Emjay]

People don't even want to make their own sandwiches anymore.  Why do you think Subway and Arby's are successful.

Dagwood may have been the only dude to make his own sandwich.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

People don't even want to make their own sandwiches anymore.  Why do you think Subway and Arby's are successful.

Dagwood may have been the only dude to make his own sandwich.

Clearly we need to ban jars of mayonaisse and packages of sliced deli meat, otherwise there won't be work for sandwich makers.


People won't be able to work and they will starve to death.

[Emjay]

Clearly we need to ban jars of mayonaisse and packages of sliced deli meat, otherwise there won't be work for sandwich makers.


People won't be able to work and they will starve to death.

I know.  Oh, the humanity.

[Cripplecreek]

C'mon, Jim.  How many people do you think want to return to subsistence living even if they could get access to land.

None of the technological advances of the past have ended up hurting the economy.

One more reason we need to spread beyond the earth. The periods of greatest economic growth are directly tied to the growth of mankind overall.

We naturally look at something like asteroid mining as a spectacularly skilled and specific job and it is only because it isn't common. In 100 years it may be as common as being a construction worker. Still skilled labor but not as out of reach as being an astronaut is today. Society as a whole learns and becomes acclimated to the technology around us.

My great great grandfather was born in the 1870s but by the end of his life in the 1950s he had flown a DC3 or whatever was the common passenger plane of the period. He began his life plowing fields with a horse and an ox and by the end he flew a plane in an era where flight had become common. He was able to do so because the technology was born and evolved around him.

His daughter, my great grandmother was the same way. She saw great technological advances in her lifetime (1900 to 1996) but in the 20 years since her death the tech has advanced so much that it would be alien to her. If I were to travel back to 96 and hand  her my smart phone she would probably use it as a coaster and put a coffee cup on it. However I wouldn't have been much more adept at using the tech then.

Here I am today and I'm completely comfortable with a smart phone or computer and I've never taken a lesson.

[HonestJohn]

That's the problem we face. How are people supposed to support themselves (and, perhaps even more importantly for the long-term future of humanity, their families) when labor, the ages-old way of doing so, is no longer a viable way to do it?

Normally this would mean a return to subsistence living, but access to land would be a huge obstacle to that.

This would be a nice fantasy:

The Midas Plague
by Frederik Pohl

https://archive.org/stream/galaxymagazine-1954-04/Galaxy_1954_04#page/n7/mode/2up
(it's the entire short story)

[Emjay]

This would be a nice fantasy:

The Midas Plague
by Frederik Pohl

https://archive.org/stream/galaxymagazine-1954-04/Galaxy_1954_04#page/n7/mode/2up
(it's the entire short story)

OMG.  My brother had a huge collection of all those old Sci Fi magazines.  I think my sister-in-law burned them when he died.  I would have loved to have them.  But then I left all my books to move to Maui so....

[Suppressed]

That's the problem we face. How are people supposed to support themselves (and, perhaps even more importantly for the long-term future of humanity, their families) when labor, the ages-old way of doing so, is no longer a viable way to do it?

Normally this would mean a return to subsistence living, but access to land would be a huge obstacle to that.

The smart way would be for Americans to own the means of production and just use cheap foreign labor for the few jobs required.

[HonestJohn]

OMG.  My brother had a huge collection of all those old Sci Fi magazines.  I think my sister-in-law burned them when he died.  I would have loved to have them.  But then I left all my books to move to Maui so....

This should also have digital copies of all the old copies.

[Emjay]

This should also have digital copies of all the old copies.

Do you remember the story about aliens had invaded, conquered and were marching through the streets when an enterprising guy walks up and talks to one of the soldiers.  He soon realizes the guy is really stupid and proceeds to con him.  The civilization is advanced but the population is retarded by our standards.

And there was one about the Martians have landed and are trading advanced technology for things that appeal to them on earth.  It was cow pies.  A whole industry arose with farmers breeding cows for their ability to produce cow pies.  But then, calamity.  The Martians lost interest in cow pies ... and I can't remember what they got interested in next.

Lots of interesting concepts in those old Sci Fi stories.

[Cripplecreek]

Do you remember the story about aliens had invaded, conquered and were marching through the streets when an enterprising guy walks up and talks to one of the soldiers.  He soon realizes the guy is really stupid and proceeds to con him.  The civilization is advanced but the population is retarded by our standards.

And there was one about the Martians have landed and are trading advanced technology for things that appeal to them on earth.  It was cow pies.  A whole industry arose with farmers breeding cows for their ability to produce cow pies.  But then, calamity.  The Martians lost interest in cow pies ... and I can't remember what they got interested in next.

Lots of interesting concepts in those old Sci Fi stories.

Love this Harry Turtledove short story.

The Road Not Taken

http://pastebin.com/aJQfubrK

We're so sure a wildly advanced alien civilization would bowl us over like nothing but who is really advanced?

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Love this Harry Turtledove short story.

The Road Not Taken

http://pastebin.com/aJQfubrK

We're so sure a wildly advanced alien civilization would bowl us over like nothing but who is really advanced?

Nice.  I was going to bring that one up, but couldn't remember the name.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

And there was one about the Martians have landed and are trading advanced technology for things that appeal to them on earth.  It was cow pies.  A whole industry arose with farmers breeding cows for their ability to produce cow pies.  But then, calamity.  The Martians lost interest in cow pies ... and I can't remember what they got interested in next.

Maple syrup?

[Life Free or Die by John Ringo]

[Cripplecreek]

@Emjay @InHeavenThereIsNoBeer

The Gutenberg project has lots of the vintage sci fi stuff for free.

http://www.gutenberg.org/

[Emjay]

Thanx !!!

[kevindavis007]

One more reason we need to spread beyond the earth. The periods of greatest economic growth are directly tied to the growth of mankind overall.

We naturally look at something like asteroid mining as a spectacularly skilled and specific job and it is only because it isn't common. In 100 years it may be as common as being a construction worker. Still skilled labor but not as out of reach as being an astronaut is today. Society as a whole learns and becomes acclimated to the technology around us.

My great great grandfather was born in the 1870s but by the end of his life in the 1950s he had flown a DC3 or whatever was the common passenger plane of the period. He began his life plowing fields with a horse and an ox and by the end he flew a plane in an era where flight had become common. He was able to do so because the technology was born and evolved around him.

His daughter, my great grandmother was the same way. She saw great technological advances in her lifetime (1900 to 1996) but in the 20 years since her death the tech has advanced so much that it would be alien to her. If I were to travel back to 96 and hand  her my smart phone she would probably use it as a coaster and put a coffee cup on it. However I wouldn't have been much more adept at using the tech then.

Here I am today and I'm completely comfortable with a smart phone or computer and I've never taken a lesson.

I remember hearing stories about my Grandfather working at a factory for almost 30 years. Those days are over. I remember 20 years ago touring a Caterpillar factory seeing how at least 20 - 30 percent of the work is done by automation.  I imagine that percent is greater now..