Forum Post: More and more economists are talking about technology eliminating jobs...
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 7, 2011, 5:29 p.m. EST by mrahoffman
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Paul Krugman, The Economist Magazine and other economists are saying how soon there may be a real BIG worry about technology eliminating jobs. THINK before you support new technology as to how it will impact yourself and others. Don't contribute to the unemployment and I personally feel we need to have a diverse economy with people at ALL pay scales with people having the means to better themselves. Also, vote with your wallet and if you don't need it, don't buy it and if you DO need it try to buy from a local, independent store.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2011/11/artificial-intelligence
If technology eliminates jobs why are there more jobs now than in 1900?
Hinder the advancement of society? No thanks.
Cannibals that eat with knife and fork is hardly 'advancement'. It's a good idea to think about how you use the most dangerous weapon (money) leveraged with easy credit
But what if "advancement" hinders society?
Adapt.
I will never support slowing down or stopping great thinking and innovation. We wouldn't be where we are if that was the case. It drives the world into tomorrow.
but all the stagecoach builders are going to be put out of work!
The ugly truth. America's wealth is STILL being concentrated. When the rich get too rich, the poor get poorer. These latest figures prove it. AGAIN.
According to the Social Security Administration, 50 percent of U.S. workers made less than $26,364 in 2010. In addition, those making less than $200,000, or 99 percent of Americans, saw their earnings fall by $4.5 billion collectively. The sobering numbers were a far cry from what was going on for the richest one percent of Americans.
The incomes of the top one percent of the wage scale in the U.S. rose in 2010; and their collective wage earnings jumped by $120 billion. In addition, those earning at least $1 million a year in wages, which is roughly 93,000 Americans, reported payroll income jumped 22 percent from 2009. Overall, the economy has shed 5.2 million jobs since the start of the Great Recession in 2007. It’s the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression in the 1930’s.
Another word about the first Great Depression. It really was a perfect storm. Caused almost entirely by greed. First, there was unprecedented economic growth. There was a massive building spree. There was a growing sense of optimism and materialism. There was a growing obsession for celebrities. The American people became spoiled, foolish, naive, brainwashed, and love-sick. They were bombarded with ads for one product or service after another. Encouraged to spend all of their money as if it were going out of style. Obscene profits were hoarded at the top. In 1928, the rich were already way ahead. Still, they were given huge tax breaks. All of this represented a MASSIVE transfer of wealth from poor to rich. Executives, entrepreneurs, developers, celebrities, and share holders. By 1929, America's wealthiest 1 percent had accumulated 44 percent of all United States wealth. The upper, middle, and lower classes were left to share the rest. When the lower majority finally ran low on money to spend, profits declined and the stock market crashed.
Of course, the rich threw a fit and started cutting jobs. They would stop at nothing to maintain their disgusting profit margins and ill-gotten obscene levels of wealth as long as possible. The small business owners did what they felt necessary to survive. They cut more jobs. The losses were felt primarily by the little guy. This created a domino effect. The middle class shrunk drastically and the lower class expanded. With less wealth in reserve and active circulation, banks failed by the hundreds. More jobs were cut. Unemployment reached 25% in 1933. The worst year of the Great Depression. Those who were employed had to settle for much lower wages. Millions went cold and hungry. The recovery involved a massive infusion of new currency, a World War, and higher taxes on the rich. With so many men in the service, so many women on the production line, and those higher taxes to help pay for it, some US wealth was gradually transferred back down to the majority. This redistribution of wealth continued until the mid seventies. By 1976, the richest 1 percent held less than 20 percent. The lower majority held the rest. This was the recovery. A partial redistribution of wealth.
Then it began to concentrate all over again. Here we are 35 years later. The richest one percent now own over 40 percent of all US wealth. The upper, middle, and lower classes are sharing the rest. This is true even after taxes, welfare, financial aid, and charity. It is the underlying cause. No redistribution. No recovery.
The government won't step in and do what's necessary. Not this time. It's up to us. Support small business more and big business less. Support the little guy more and the big guy less. It's tricky but not impossible.
For the good of society, stop giving so much of your money to rich people. Stop concentrating the wealth. This may be our last chance to prevent the worst economic depression in world history. No redistribution. No recovery.
Those of you who agree on these major issues are welcome to summarize this post, copy it, link to it, save it, show a friend, or spread the word in any fashion. Most major cities have daily call-in talk radio shows. You can reach thousands of people at once. They should know the ugly truth. Be sure to quote the figures which prove that America's wealth is still being concentrated. I don't care who takes the credit. We are up against a tiny but very powerful minority who have more influence on the masses than any other group in history. They have the means to reach millions at once with outrageous political and commercial propaganda. Those of us who speak the ugly truth must work incredibly hard just to be heard.
Technology has been with us since the invention of fire. We will be fine. We just have to decide that the people who check us out at the grocery store, and deliver our pizzas are worth more than $7.25 an hour. And, that isn't hard to do. We just all need to get behind an increase in the minimum wage.
We could double the MW right now and not lose one job because most manufacturing jobs that could be shipped overseas or to Mexico already pay more than $14.50 an hour. Unemployment would go up a half percet for about 6 months. Then it would fall at least 3 points because millions of people would be spending billions of dollars they didn't have before.
If it were not for technology, I would not have a job. (I design circuit cards and program software.)
Boycott Technology
It needs to be a demand
Farming and especially fish farming is a good business to get into for the unemployed
Do you have any idea how much capital it takes to get into farming? Fish farming?
I know it's bad, and that is how the banks control business. The government should provide interest free loans for the unemployed to raise food for the rest of us. Food has gone through the roof. All the unemployed could be working on profitable farms. We must change this.