This point is continuously overlooked by all of those who worry themselves to death about the loss of "manufacturing jobs". It's not jobs we're after, it's output. Build me a machine that will totally automate building a car without human intervention and the price of cars will plummet. Now build me a machine that builds those machines, also without human intervention. That will cause massive unemployment in the automobile sector. But is that a bad thing? If anyone thinks so they should go to Washington DC and get loan to start up a buggy whip factory that will employ thousands of members of the Buggy Whip Workers Union.
And there is always plenty of work to do somewhere. If the government would just get out the way those seeking work would find those jobs that really need to be done. We don't need as many people making buggy whips these days and we don't need as many working in manufacturing. So are we out of work? I don't think so.
The issue isn't the "machine" per say, IT'S WHERE THE "MACHINE" IS LOCATED.
Exactly.
And there is always plenty of work to do somewhere. If the government would just get out the way those seeking work would find those jobs that really need to be done. We don't need as many people making buggy whips these days and we don't need as many working in manufacturing. So are we out of work? I don't think so.
Yes. Humans are quite ingenious at coming up with new forms of work for themselves, as new kinds of products and services are constantly being invented or improved upon. So long as the government stays out of the way and lets entrepreneurs do their thing, we won't be running out of jobs anytime soon. The record of economic history is a demonstrable testament to this.