7 ms·

This sort of article should really serve as a wake up call to this community. There was another article here recently: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=123

This sort of article should really serve as a wake up call to this community. There was another article here recently: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12329255 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12329255, where some comments mentioned that people should retrain once jobs become available for consistent automation. Lets take the simple example of the machine that picks apples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBcWZcjXr-I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBcWZcjXr-I Typically immigrants do this work, low educated immigrants. They do it because they can't get any other work in higher skilled professions. Sure they could be a driver, oh wait soon that will be autonomous. They could work in a warehouse, oh wait Amazon is doing it's best to disrupt that. They could be a cleaner? Oh wait, companies like Roomba and Dyson are working to disrupt that. The point I'm trying to make here, is for all the poorly/low educated people and lets be really, seriously honest are in the tens of millions. What are they going to do? I've traveled all over the world, all the continents. There are segments of the population that can't read, can't write, can't even grasp basic maths. They are the ones who depend on these low end jobs. Are you going to tell me with a straight face they they can re-train, go back to school and work in STEM? It's just not feasible. Also, who is going to pay for all these millions to retrain for years. Remember, they'll probably have to restart their education, basic maths, basic science, then college, then university. That's what 7 years? Who will pay for their living expenses for them and their family? There is a ticking time-bomb coming soon. Where we'll have an OMEGA man type of situation. All sorts of jobs will be automated and people won't have anything to do. What are the solutions? 1) Do we implement 1 child per couple policy? To lessen the burden on the state? 2) Do we provide free schooling with a zero-tolerance on NO child left behind? So that they can go on to STEM fields? 3) Are there enough places in STEM fields for those who do retrain to move into? Is this another thing for government to throw money at? 4) Does society move from a capitalist to a socialist/communist system? But what happens when government runs out of money? What are we going to do? Just saying people will retrain is just utter folly. There is a time-bomb ticking and some of you just don't realise it. Want to know the result of no jobs, low educated populous, government with no money, socialism failed. Oh yeah. Greece. How's that doing for the last 10 years? It will be like that for another 25.

Pamar 10y ago
Are you sure that "no jobs, low educated populous" really describes Greece? Especially "Greece 10 years ago"? I know plenty of highly educated Greek engineers or other professionals (e.g.: archeologists) and not being Greek myself I met them through international working groups, so I suppose they qualify as "educated-enough" outside their own borders, too. On top of that, the current economical situation of Greece is due to some decisions taken outside of Greece itself and it is debatable if the current state of Greece was really the only possible outcome for them.
- gotchange 10y ago
  Setting his/her rant aside, Greece is suffering from a serious case of "Brain Drain" that their brightest people had fled the country a long time ago even before this latest economic crisis hit them, and after that it accelerated this trend and became more pronounce to the point that it really drags their economic recovery. I know some Greek expats and they told me about this problem and the dilemma that they're facing now between returning to the country and facing the mounting challenges there, or staying put and watching their country go through this difficult time from faraway. So, certainly Greek people is not a low-educated populace or whatever he/she said.
  - Pamar 10y ago
    Yes, brain drain is an issue for sure (it is also an Issue in Italy, for example, even if the country is bigger and economy is somehow in a better situation, at least for now). I am an (Italian) expat myself, so I know the dynamics very well.
    - gotchange 10y ago
      All the countries in the Mediterranean basin suffer from that phenomenon to a varying degree and the two Italian profs interviewed in the article is just another example for that phenomenon and the state of affairs in these countries. So, blaming all the shortcomings it wholly on education or culture in general is unfair and misleading.

Pamar 10y ago

Are you sure that "no jobs, low educated populous" really describes Greece? Especially "Greece 10 years ago"? I know plenty of highly educated Greek engineers or other professionals (e.g.: archeologists) and not being Greek myself I met them through international working groups, so I suppose they qualify as "educated-enough" outside their own borders, too. On top of that, the current economical situation of Greece is due to some decisions taken outside of Greece itself and it is debatable if the current state of Greece was really the only possible outcome for them.

gotchange 10y ago
Setting his/her rant aside, Greece is suffering from a serious case of "Brain Drain" that their brightest people had fled the country a long time ago even before this latest economic crisis hit them, and after that it accelerated this trend and became more pronounce to the point that it really drags their economic recovery. I know some Greek expats and they told me about this problem and the dilemma that they're facing now between returning to the country and facing the mounting challenges there, or staying put and watching their country go through this difficult time from faraway. So, certainly Greek people is not a low-educated populace or whatever he/she said.
- Pamar 10y ago
  Yes, brain drain is an issue for sure (it is also an Issue in Italy, for example, even if the country is bigger and economy is somehow in a better situation, at least for now). I am an (Italian) expat myself, so I know the dynamics very well.
  - gotchange 10y ago
    All the countries in the Mediterranean basin suffer from that phenomenon to a varying degree and the two Italian profs interviewed in the article is just another example for that phenomenon and the state of affairs in these countries. So, blaming all the shortcomings it wholly on education or culture in general is unfair and misleading.