Does people-replacing technology and socialism go hand in hand?

[Jonathan Bailey]

Here is a theory of mine, is it correct?

Technology makes people much less valuable.

It replaces human hands and human minds and many folks are put out of work.

When people are jobless, they rely on the tit of the system for life support.

It creates a socialist Democratic government where most people are kept in
cages like rats and fed rabbit food until they die

Whom do the robots benefit?

Billionaires and multi-millionaires only.

The American Dream is impossible under socialism.

 

[Thanda]

Here is a theory of mine, is it correct?

Technology makes people much less valuable.

It replaces human hands and human minds and many folks are put out of work.

When people are jobless, they rely on the tit of the system for life support.

It creates a socialist Democratic government where most people are kept in
cages like rats and fed rabbit food until they die

Whom do the robots benefit?

Billionaires and multi-millionaires only.

The American Dream is impossible under socialism.

Agreed. We need to think carefully about the social consequences of making humans obsolete.

 

[Heyo]

You shouldn't blame the robots. They are just mindless tools (for now) and not a proper target of blame. Every power tool you use frees you from manual, stupid labor.
If robots would pay taxes (or the "employers" of robots to be precise), human citiizens wouldn't have to. The more robots there are, the more benefits for humans could be offered by the government at no cost. Free health care, free education, free internet, you name it.
Get as many robots as you can - and tax them.

 

[Jonathan Bailey]

You shouldn't blame the robots. They are just mindless tools (for now) and not a proper target of blame. Every power tool you use frees you from manual, stupid labor.
If robots would pay taxes (or the "employers" of robots to be precise), human citiizens wouldn't have to. The more robots there are, the more benefits for humans could be offered by the government at no cost. Free health care, free education, free internet, you name it.
Get as many robots as you can - and tax them.

So, you don't see a robot as a threat to your job, if you are let's say, a truck driver?

Do you want to get all this FREE stuff from the gubmint while living poor like a caged rat on your measly welfare or SSI check until you die? Is this what Our Founding Father's notion of freedom is all about? Is this your American Dream to live poor on the tit? Are you a monk?

I don't want some machine to threaten my prospects of owning my own house, my own new car or going boating or hunting or on a cruise to Rome or doing whatever humans did for pleasure in the 20th century. Playing with a smartphone like a zombie while waiting in a welfare office is not my dream.

Now if the VA Pension benefit were to pay me $100K tax-free a year to live on disability for life and NOT work, that would be another horse of another color.

 

[Heyo]

So, you don't see a robot as a threat to your job, if you are let's say, a truck driver?

Do you want to get all this FREE stuff from the gubmint while living poor like a caged rat on your measly welfare or SSI check until you die? Is this what Our Founding Father's notion of freedom is all about? Is this your American Dream to live poor on the tit? Are you a monk?

Do you want to live a life without much government intervention and free of robots? There are countries in Africa that would suit you well.

I don't want some machine to threaten my prospects of owning my own house, my own new car or going boating or hunting or on a cruise to Rome or doing whatever humans did for pleasure in the 20th century. Playing with a smartphone like a zombie while waiting in a welfare office is not my dream.

Compare any two groups, countries, towns, whatever you like. One uses robots to assist in their production, the other doesn't. Which one is going to produce more wealth?
The question is, is the wealthier community distributing its wealth fairly?
And if you personally dislike socialism and want to go the capitalist route, go capitalist. Don't blame the robots, buy one. Let it work for you and others and charge for its service. Buy more robots from the profit. Those robots can produce much more than you can with your hands. Don't let your job be stolen by a robot - steal the jobs of others.

Now if the VA Pension benefit were to pay me $100K tax-free a year to live on disability for life and NOT work, that would be another horse of another color.

There are not enough robots in the US to produce that much wealth.

 

[Jonathan Bailey]

Do you want to live a life without much government intervention and free of robots? There are countries in Africa that would suit you well.

Compare any two groups, countries, towns, whatever you like. One uses robots to assist in their production, the other doesn't. Which one is going to produce more wealth?
The question is, is the wealthier community distributing its wealth fairly?
And if you personally dislike socialism and want to go the capitalist route, go capitalist. Don't blame the robots, buy one. Let it work for you and others and charge for its service. Buy more robots from the profit. Those robots can produce much more than you can with your hands. Don't let your job be stolen by a robot - steal the jobs of others.

There are not enough robots in the US to produce that much wealth.

You sound like you are talking through your hat.

Technology puts people out of work. It takes many more jobs away than it provides. Or it makes working people poorer. When people are poorer, they have less money to spend. Technology doesn't sound like an economy simulator to me. The only person who will win is the CEO of the robot corporation. Capitalism and the American Dream works best when MANY human hands are still priceless.

The country with the most human hands and/or minds working best distributes wealth for the most people. Driving a truck is still done best by a human who is well-trained and who is not a careless idiot. Most truck wrecks happen because of idiots who don't slow down in the fog or on ice.

Now something like Toyota Safety Sense radar might be OK in a truck to stop it in an emergency should the driver not see traffic ahead in the fog.

Scott M1 week ago
Humans make the economy work not just by making money but by spending it. Robots don't go to the store and buy **** so good luck selling all the goods being hauled by robots if millions of people are out of work because they've been replaced by robots. These tech nerds don't have it all thought out

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Aren't robots a capitalist solution to increase profits for capitalists by decreasing worker expenses?

Modernism predicted the opposite: that technology could improve human lives by replacing the need for labor and humans could be free to indulge in art, science, philosophy, and leisure without the time and energy wasted on menial chores.

Which would require socialism. And that would require all of humanity profiting instead of a few.

 

[PureX]

Here is a theory of mine, is it correct?

Technology makes people much less valuable.

It replaces human hands and human minds and many folks are put out of work.

When people are jobless, they rely on the tit of the system for life support.

It creates a socialist Democratic government where most people are kept in
cages like rats and fed rabbit food until they die

Whom do the robots benefit?

Billionaires and multi-millionaires only.

The American Dream is impossible under socialism.

The problem is not the technology, it's that we make all our societal decisions based on monetary profitability, rather than on the well-being of the humans involved in, and effected by, those decisions. So while the rich keep getting richer, to the point of absurdity, the overall quality of life for everyone else continues to diminish.

I don't mind technology taking over labor. What I mind is our allowing this to happen with no concern whatever for the well-being of the laborer being put out of work. The greed of the wealthy investor class has become such a dominant socioeconomic force that even human life itself has become a secondary consideration. And there are many folks reading this post right now who approve of this ideology, support it, and who happily live by it.

 

[Heyo]

Technology puts people out of work. It takes many more jobs away than it provides. Or it makes working people poorer. When people are poorer, they have less money to spend. Technology doesn't sound like an economy simulator to me. The only person who will win is the CEO of the robot corporation. Capitalism and the American Dream works best when MANY human hands are still priceless.

When you think that, I have a solution for that, too. Sell your truck (which is basically a robot) and hire some jobless people to pull the trailer.

 

[stvdv]

So, you don't see a robot as a threat to your job, if you are let's say, a truck driver?

The work is done (money is made), by robot or human. So humans can relax and chat on RF or whatever.

If this goes wrong, then it's only through greediness of certain people who abuse robots and humans.

Robots can be a blessings
Humans are the cause if it goes wrong

 

[Polymath257]

Here is a theory of mine, is it correct?

Technology makes people much less valuable.

It replaces human hands and human minds and many folks are put out of work.

When people are jobless, they rely on the tit of the system for life support.

It creates a socialist Democratic government where most people are kept in
cages like rats and fed rabbit food until they die

Whom do the robots benefit?

Billionaires and multi-millionaires only.

The American Dream is impossible under socialism.

As I see it, the capitalists use technology because it is cheaper and they get more profits. That means the workers get paid less and then have a harder time making ends meet. Since they can't get jobs, they turn to the government to redistribute the wealth.

So the problem is capitalism and not socialism. In fact, it is socialism that supplies the support system and the regulation that keeps it possible for people to survive in spite of the capitalists wanting to get rid of the workers.

 

[BSM1]

As I see it, the capitalists use technology because it is cheaper and they get more profits. That means the workers get paid less and then have a harder time making ends meet. Since they can't get jobs, they turn to the government to redistribute the wealth.

So the problem is capitalism and not socialism. In fact, it is socialism that supplies the support system and the regulation that keeps it possible for people to survive in spite of the capitalists wanting to get rid of the workers.

In your stereotypical description of capitalism you leave out one very important fact: the success of capitalism depends on customers and consumers. Profit is non-existent if their is no one to by the goods and products. It seems most non-capitalists depend on the Hollywood version of the robber barons to view all capitalist endeavors.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Here is a theory of mine, is it correct?

Technology makes people much less valuable.

It replaces human hands and human minds and many folks are put out of work.

When people are jobless, they rely on the tit of the system for life support.

It creates a socialist Democratic government where most people are kept in
cages like rats and fed rabbit food until they die

Whom do the robots benefit?

Billionaires and multi-millionaires only.

The American Dream is impossible under socialism.

As others have pointed out, the capitalists are the ones who gain from robots/automation (maximising profits). You seem to have it the wrong way around - since Socialism seemingly has the welfare of the majority as its aim unlike those who gain from and exploit technology to gain more wealth.

 

[Polymath257]

In your stereotypical description of capitalism you leave out one very important fact: the success of capitalism depends on customers and consumers. Profit is non-existent if their is no one to by the goods and products. It seems most non-capitalists depend on the Hollywood version of the robber barons to view all capitalist endeavors.

So they need to keep a certain minimum overall wealth while paying their workers a minimum. The tendency is to rely on *other* capitalists to pay enough to support *their* wealth.

 

[BSM1]

So they need to keep a certain minimum overall wealth while paying their workers a minimum. The tendency is to rely on *other* capitalists to pay enough to support *their* wealth.

Ridiculous...

 

[Polymath257]

Ridiculous...

Look at the evidence from real companies and how they treat their labor force. Except for those who are trained to deal with the technology, most of the workers are paid so little they can't survive on one job.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Here is a theory of mine, is it correct?

Technology makes people much less valuable.

It replaces human hands and human minds and many folks are put out of work.

When people are jobless, they rely on the tit of the system for life support.

It creates a socialist Democratic government where most people are kept in
cages like rats and fed rabbit food until they die

Whom do the robots benefit?

Billionaires and multi-millionaires only.

The American Dream is impossible under socialism.

Look at who people are forced to be dependent on through various government programs once they lose their jobs and means and capability of making a living.

The core objective is to keep it that way. Dependent people will perpetually vote for the party that "ahem" 'takes care of them'.

It's called entrenchment.

So yeah it's socialist oriented as it keeps people under control and regulated and will always vote for the same party in perpetuity.

Then the socialist Democrats can spin it as saying how popular and helpful they are. " They're on your side"...

Once you see the forest through the trees you start getting the overall picture.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Ridiculous...

It's economics 101.

For every wealthy person there must be so many poor people.

 

[BSM1]

It's economics 101.

For every wealthy person there must be so many poor people.

Good grief....

 

[Revoltingest]

Here is a theory of mine, is it correct?

Technology makes people much less valuable.

It replaces human hands and human minds and many folks are put out of work.

When people are jobless, they rely on the tit of the system for life support.

It creates a socialist Democratic government where most people are kept in
cages like rats and fed rabbit food until they die

Whom do the robots benefit?

Billionaires and multi-millionaires only.

The American Dream is impossible under socialism.

Instead of socialism, I say that this tech goes hand in hand with more social welfare benefits.
- As people become unemployable.
- As ability to support unproductive people increases.