I completely oppose socialism, big government, or government charity. I don't want a welfare state. However, if the machines do most of the work, then how are YOU going to get a pay check? If you don't need to work, then how are you going to put food on the table?
Once upon a time (early 1800s) the world found that it had too many farm workers -- so people moved off the farms and into cities, and they worked in factories.
Once upon a time (mid 20th century) the US found that it had too many manufacturing workers -- so people moved out to the suburbs and commuted to their jobs in cubicle-land.
At some point, there won't be anywhere to go. We will be producing "stuff" -- but there won't be an obvious justification to give you a pay check so that you can buy the "stuff".
Then what happens?
Robots don't have unions who'll strike, shut down production, and demand more. They don't need Obomacare. They don't need vacation days. They don't need disability payments. They don't need unemployment insurance.
For industry, robotics are a business saving miracle. They don't have to deal with the wanting anymore. People have wanted themselves right out of a job.
This is the biggest and most important issue of our time, and absolutely nobody is talking about it.
Automation results in greatly increased productivity, and historically this has allowed people to move out of drudge or manual labor jobs and up into those requiring greater skill and that receive higher pay.
Those who, IMO, live in the past assume that modern automation and future will always have the same effect.
Unfortunately, many of those displaced by this latest wave of automation are not mentally capable of performing the higher-order skills that remain in demand.
What this means is that more and more people are literally falling out the bottom in our society. There is no economic demand for their services, in any meaningful sense. As such, they are and can only be a net drag on the economy. In other words, if they all disappeared tomorrow, the economy would only be improved in the long run.
As automation continues and accelerates, a larger number of people each year will fall out the bottom. Eventually the only real economic demand will be for very high skill levels, which only a small percentage of the population is capable of performing.
In such a condition, it seems clear to me, that at some point free market principles, which have had a fantastic 400+ year run, start losing their applicability. At least if your goal is the good of society as a whole, and not just the top few percent.
This whole issue is discussed at length in The Bell Curve, which is looking more and more prescient every year.
Interesting... perhaps the manufacturing sector will return to USA. But not the assembly jobs. But new jobs will be created to service the robots and move the raw materials/products as well of think of new ones.
In a few years, we'll be the number one producer of manufactured items and energy providing the politicians don't screw things up.
Two words: Post Office
I for one welcome our new robot overlords.
If we can keep the government and Luddites at bay, automation will continue to give us greater access to more products while simultaneously creating NEW job opportunities which yes require new skills and new people to teach those skills.
The sewing machine is automation but should we go back to everyone sewing everything by hand?
The modern printing press has increased speeds from 1 page per 10 seconds to thousands of impressions per hour yet even in an age of diminished hard copy printing more people have more access to more printed material and once again new jobs were created requiring new skills and people to teach those skill.
The killer in all of this has been and always will be those with the government control mindset. The founder knew it and we used to know it until unionized teachers deconstructed our history.
The big problem is that it takes BRAINS to build an maintain these machines. We still have an education system that is the laughing stock of the world...so can we compete, despite this handicap?
Interesting to see the NY Slimes take on this subject.... and pretty revealing as well. I work in manufacturing and see millions of dollars in robots working every day. I also see the men and women who work with them and are needed to make them work correctly.
Robots provide reliability and consistency in terms of manufacturing processes, but they also come with skilled people who program, maintain, install, and support them on a daily basis. These workers are educated and generally well compensated.
However, from a very pro-Union media outlet like the Slimes, these robots represent a threat to unions and their overwhelmingly liberal voting base. The elimination of low skilled, repetitive process intensive workers means the unions will lose this essential core element to their membership.
The worst thing possible to unions and their existence are educated workers who don’t need to rely on unions and their thugs to extort management. This shows their true colors, in my opinion. Unions would rather companies depend on low-skilled uneducated workers, who they need to fill their union coffers, rather than see people become educated and succeed on their own. Another, typical example of how liberals want people to become dependent on society, rather than prosper.
In previous centuries, many people were followers and personal servants of the rich and powerful.
In a modern economy there will probably be equivalent slots, although no one wants to call himself a retainer. They will be walking the dogs, taking care of the kids, and helping the old folks. Robots can’t do that.
If you like complex machinery and heavy construction check out this railroad rail laying machine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4aALRa9jjg
It will be all about the energy needed to power the robots, and in wartime, all you have to do is disable the energy source, then you are truly screwed. Nobody will know how to do anything by hand anymore, and very quickly things will return to a medieval existence.
I wonder if a robot could replace my dentist.
Liberal unionist response: Whine about the loss of jobs.
Conservative worker’s response: Learn to program, maintain and repair robots.
The half-wits that can’t cut it are called peasants. It won’t be like we are intentionally enslaving them. We run the only system that works and if that’s the way it ends up for some people, that’s the way it is. I just don’t plan on being one of them.
This article discusses possible employment areas even after robots take over manufacturing.
http://tamarawilhite.hubpages.com/hub/The-Great-Shift-and-the-Future-of-Employment