7 ms·

Averages are nice, but I'll be interested to see what happens to the workforce that depends upon them entirely, as mentioned above: truckies, taxis, FedEx, etc.

Averages are nice, but I'll be interested to see what happens to the workforce that depends upon them entirely, as mentioned above: truckies, taxis, FedEx, etc. I say, leave it for a year to lull the companies into a false sense of security, then tax the hell out of companies using them for a few years to pay for some re-education for the old employees.

tetomb 14y ago
Why on earth should the responsibility (of those that will become redundant) fall on the early adopters of a new technology? If I had become a fax machine expert would it be fair to charge a tax on those that began to use email to support me? People should take responsibility for themselves and their own actions.
- BinaryAcid 14y ago
  You should be used to this kind of talk by now. It's the modus operandi of socialism and the Democratic party. Who ever heard of personal responsibility?
  - toomuchtodo 14y ago
    Let them eat cake?
    - Jach 14y ago
      Let them bear the consequences (unforeseen or not) of their decisions.
      - toomuchtodo 14y ago
        How dare that person get cancer, become unemployed because of unforseen shifts in the job market, etc. Social safety nets exist for a reason. You may opt out by moving somewhere else if you would prefer not to participate in a society with said safety nets. I say this as someone in a $200K/year+ household. People who preach personal responsibility are oblivious to the realities of the world.
        tetomb 14y ago
        Well every one knows that becoming severely ill is a possibility for anyone, that's what insurance is for. Can't afford insurance? Give up unhealthy habits to lower your rates, get a better job, look after family so that they will support you if you need help. Get made redundant due to unforeseen shifts in the job market? Educate yourself, get a better job, work harder. Innovate, invent, think, mow your neighbors lawns. Use your brain and don't embark on a dead end career. I agree that some social safety nets are needed for a civilized society (No one that is ill should go without out treatment if they don't have any money etc) but at the same time there are limits and I think paying for people who lose their jobs because of new technology is way past that line. We need to encourage people to be smarter, not dumber. "People who preach personal responsibility are oblivious to the realities of the world." I live in South Africa and government handouts do nothing but keep the poor oppressed and uneducated. They are used as a tool for control by populist politicians. People will have more children just for another R250/month from the government instead of creating value. Socialism is a huge threat to everyone everywhere. It keeps the populous dumb and gives governments way too much power. Please don't preach about the realities of the world from your $200K/year+ household pedestal. Socialism is obviously working out great for you.
        modernshoggoth 14y ago
        >I live in South Africa and government handouts do nothing but keep the poor oppressed and uneducated. I live in Australia, one of the best examples of how government handouts can ruin a race, and I'm saying this as someone coming from a low-income family with poor education and working+educating myself to a $100k/y job before I'm 30. >I think paying for people who lose their jobs because of new technology is way past that line. I think completely supporting them would be a bad idea, but as said in my original post, assistance in re-education should be partially paid for. I am always of the opinion that education should be at least partially subsidised - full subsidy encourages a poorer quality of education. Example: You're 26 and have just spent $80k and 8 years of toil studying furiously for a degree, and the market for your chosen field evaporates. Sure, you've got the rest of your life ahead of you, but now you're significantly in debt because of something you had no control over. This is a difficult analogy to compare with taxi drivers, but I hope you see the point - and over the next 10-40 years we will see this happen more and more as machine intelligence replaces more and more jobs.
- modernshoggoth 14y ago
  Easy on the pitchforks, man. Maybe it's because I'm Australian and have got used to the free ride of healthcare and education, but I'd gladly take a minor tax increase if it means a significant portion of the population gets into an entirely new career quicker, instead of remaining unemployed and being MORE of a strain on the economy. Career is a strong word, though. The sorts of people we're talking about usually have no other option, and education can change that.

tetomb 14y ago

Why on earth should the responsibility (of those that will become redundant) fall on the early adopters of a new technology? If I had become a fax machine expert would it be fair to charge a tax on those that began to use email to support me? People should take responsibility for themselves and their own actions.

BinaryAcid 14y ago
You should be used to this kind of talk by now. It's the modus operandi of socialism and the Democratic party. Who ever heard of personal responsibility?
- toomuchtodo 14y ago
  Let them eat cake?
  - Jach 14y ago
    Let them bear the consequences (unforeseen or not) of their decisions.
    - toomuchtodo 14y ago
      How dare that person get cancer, become unemployed because of unforseen shifts in the job market, etc. Social safety nets exist for a reason. You may opt out by moving somewhere else if you would prefer not to participate in a society with said safety nets. I say this as someone in a $200K/year+ household. People who preach personal responsibility are oblivious to the realities of the world.
      - tetomb 14y ago
        Well every one knows that becoming severely ill is a possibility for anyone, that's what insurance is for. Can't afford insurance? Give up unhealthy habits to lower your rates, get a better job, look after family so that they will support you if you need help. Get made redundant due to unforeseen shifts in the job market? Educate yourself, get a better job, work harder. Innovate, invent, think, mow your neighbors lawns. Use your brain and don't embark on a dead end career. I agree that some social safety nets are needed for a civilized society (No one that is ill should go without out treatment if they don't have any money etc) but at the same time there are limits and I think paying for people who lose their jobs because of new technology is way past that line. We need to encourage people to be smarter, not dumber. "People who preach personal responsibility are oblivious to the realities of the world." I live in South Africa and government handouts do nothing but keep the poor oppressed and uneducated. They are used as a tool for control by populist politicians. People will have more children just for another R250/month from the government instead of creating value. Socialism is a huge threat to everyone everywhere. It keeps the populous dumb and gives governments way too much power. Please don't preach about the realities of the world from your $200K/year+ household pedestal. Socialism is obviously working out great for you.
        modernshoggoth 14y ago
        >I live in South Africa and government handouts do nothing but keep the poor oppressed and uneducated. I live in Australia, one of the best examples of how government handouts can ruin a race, and I'm saying this as someone coming from a low-income family with poor education and working+educating myself to a $100k/y job before I'm 30. >I think paying for people who lose their jobs because of new technology is way past that line. I think completely supporting them would be a bad idea, but as said in my original post, assistance in re-education should be partially paid for. I am always of the opinion that education should be at least partially subsidised - full subsidy encourages a poorer quality of education. Example: You're 26 and have just spent $80k and 8 years of toil studying furiously for a degree, and the market for your chosen field evaporates. Sure, you've got the rest of your life ahead of you, but now you're significantly in debt because of something you had no control over. This is a difficult analogy to compare with taxi drivers, but I hope you see the point - and over the next 10-40 years we will see this happen more and more as machine intelligence replaces more and more jobs.
modernshoggoth 14y ago
Easy on the pitchforks, man. Maybe it's because I'm Australian and have got used to the free ride of healthcare and education, but I'd gladly take a minor tax increase if it means a significant portion of the population gets into an entirely new career quicker, instead of remaining unemployed and being MORE of a strain on the economy. Career is a strong word, though. The sorts of people we're talking about usually have no other option, and education can change that.