-- Posted by JohnTheNormalOne at 3:37 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 With the on-going automation of everything (using robots, computers, etc.) there are less and less work places. But there are more and more people. And that's quite a bad combination. So what do you think will happen with human society?? If we don't do something about it, it will cause massive unemployment which would be devastating for millions of people. So I guess some change is needed in the whole work-your-ass-off-to-get-money-to-live approach. Any ideas?? I posted a similar topic recently, but this time I'd like to focus on this question only. -- Posted by xJosex at 3:38 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 I've been looking for a job for about 2 months. Still nothing. -- Posted by Troll1000 at 3:39 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 Thank god I have a job, even if it is shit -- Posted by rawrr at 3:40 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 Quote: from xJosex at 3:38 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 I've been looking for a job   for about 2 months. Still nothing. well you're just not applying to enough places, i bet you're avoiding applying at certain places cause you dont want to work there, but if you really needed a job you could get one. -- Posted by Skip at 3:42 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 Quote: from xJosex at 6:38 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 I've been looking for a job   for about 2 months. Still nothing. dude didnt you get a job -- Posted by xJosex at 3:42 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 Quote: from Skip at 6:42 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 Quote: from xJosex at 6:38 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 I've been looking for a job  for about 2 months.    Still nothing. dude didnt you get a job I thought i did. -- Posted by Skip at 3:43 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 Quote: from xJosex at 6:42 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 Quote: from Skip at 6:42 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 Quote: from xJosex at 6:38 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 I've been looking for a job       for about 2 months.   Still nothing. dude didnt you get a job I thought i did. lmao -- Posted by JohnTheNormalOne at 3:49 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 Just for the note: stuff you ppl wrote has nothing to do with the original post. Is anyone going to answer the original post? -- Posted by Skip at 3:54 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 Quote: from JohnTheNormalOne at 6:49 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 Just for the note: stuff you ppl wrote has nothing to do with the original post. Is anyone going to answer the original post? nope -- Posted by Neodymie at 12:35 am on Sep. 6, 2008 America is now a service based society. It will just become more and more like that. -- Posted by Bud2400 at 1:18 am on Sep. 6, 2008 Quote: from neodymie at 12:35 am on Sep. 6, 2008 America is now a service based society. It will just become more and more like that. Even some services have started becoming automated.  Ever been to Fred Meyer and seen those self check out machines they have?  Over time, they're going to get rid of those guys who check out all your items and have you do it yourself and all those guys who are laid off will now need to find a new job.  Generally, though, the more education a service job requires, the less likely it is to become obsolete. Fact is, though, with new technology comes people who need to maintain it, people who will design, produce, and improve it, people who will distribute it, etc.  High tech industries which design those things would have a huge boom and greater demand for labor.  While you'll see unemployment rates increase at first, society will adapt over time. The same type of thing often works for outsourcing, too.  A production job is outsourced, and in its place, a service job is created.  Thing is, those jobs usually require more education, which can be troublesome on many without the means to go back to college.  So it's really a toss up. -- Posted by Neodymie at 1:59 am on Sep. 6, 2008 Quote: from Bud2400 at 1:18 am on Sep. 6, 2008 Quote: from neodymie at 12:35 am on Sep. 6, 2008 America is now a service based society. It will just become more and more like that.   Even some services have started becoming automated. Ever been to Fred Meyer and seen those self check out machines they have? Over time, they're going to get rid of those guys who check out all your items and have you do it yourself and all those guys who are laid off will now need to find a new job. Generally, though, the more education a service job requires, the less likely it is to become obsolete. Fact is, though, with new technology comes people who need to maintain it, people who will design, produce, and improve it, people who will distribute it, etc. High tech industries which design those things would have a huge boom and greater demand for labor. While you'll see unemployment rates increase at first, society will adapt over time. The same type of thing often works for outsourcing, too. A production job is outsourced, and in its place, a service job is created. Thing is, those jobs usually require more education, which can be troublesome on many without the means to go back to college. So it's really a toss up. Definitely. It will almost always take people to fix said machines and such though. I would think that by the time we get to a point where machines do all the work we wouldn't really need jobs anymore... A machine does everything but the machines wouldn't have interest in the fruit of their labors so they just give it to us. Here's to wishful thinking ;) -- Posted by dragonking at 7:30 am on Sep. 6, 2008 Socialism in which everyone can have a job and has to work less.  So instead of having to work 5 days a week 8 hours a day you could be able to work half as much.  That would give others work and people more free time to do things they like other than work. -- Posted by Elm at 8:01 am on Sep. 6, 2008 Quote: from JohnTheNormalOne at 3:37 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 With the on-going automation of everything (using robots, computers, etc.) there are less and less work places. But there are more and more people. And that's quite a bad combination. So what do you think will happen with human society?? If we don't do something about it, it will cause massive unemployment which would be devastating for millions of people. So I guess some change is needed in the whole work-your-ass-off-to-get-money-to-live approach. Any ideas?? I posted a similar topic recently, but this time I'd like to focus on this question only. Thats not a real issue, as production related jobs decline service related jobs increase.  We didn't have "wedding coordinators" thirty years ago and now we do - as just one example. We've been automating since the early twentieth century and we haven't had a spike in unemployment related to it so I see no reason to expect one.  It just means the jobs will switch types and people will need to adapt and retrain if they want jobs in the growing service sector. -- Posted by Neodymie at 12:04 pm on Sep. 6, 2008 Quote: from dragonking at 7:30 am on Sep. 6, 2008 Socialism in which everyone can have a job and has to work less. So instead of having to work 5 days a week 8 hours a day you could be able to work half as much. That would give others work and people more free time to do things they like other than work. Meh, answer the question instead of spouting socialist crap. -- Posted by Elm at 12:41 pm on Sep. 6, 2008 Quote: from dragonking at 7:30 am on Sep. 6, 2008 Socialism in which everyone can have a job and has to work less. So instead of having to work 5 days a week 8 hours a day you could be able to work half as much. That would give others work and people more free time to do things they like other than work. That ignores some very basic tenets of economics.  It isn't like you can support an infinite population on less and less work with equal pay.  Pay is a measure of production and if you reduce production overall you obviously can't give out the same pay. If I work half as much I produce half as much if everyone does that it means there is half as much to go around.  Which means the cost of everything will double so you just made everyone work half as much for half as much...except you did it by force and the people who wanted to work the same to keep the same didn't have the option. -- Posted by GeneCosta at 1:20 pm on Sep. 6, 2008 Quote: from JohnTheNormalOne at 3:37 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 With the on-going automation of everything (using robots, computers, etc.) there are less and less work places. But there are more and more people. And that's quite a bad combination. So what do you think will happen with human society?? If we don't do something about it, it will cause massive unemployment which would be devastating for millions of people. So I guess some change is needed in the whole work-your-ass-off-to-get-money-to-live approach. Any ideas??   I posted a similar topic recently, but this time I'd like to focus on this question only. Automation will be devastating for a market economy.   Fact is, though, with new technology comes people who need to maintain it, people who will design, produce, and improve it, people who will distribute it, etc.  High tech industries which design those things would have a huge boom and greater demand for labor.  While you'll see unemployment rates increase at first, society will adapt over time. Maintaining technology isn't labor intensive in terms of sheer numbers. Compare the number of people working for the auto industry to the number of mechanics and you'll see a large disparity. Furthermore, it too can one day become automated. Dragonking does have a point. When such conditions do hit us, socialism is an inevitability. The market becomes a hindrance. -- Posted by Acid World at 1:30 pm on Sep. 6, 2008 I haven't read the topic, but I read the OP. With the right combination of events, it could cause the further speciliazation of the populace and a more skilled populace. With the wrong combination it could just cause alot of unemplyoment. The right combination is accessible 4 year colleges and trade schools. With a lack of labour jobs due to machines or foreign work, U.S. workers will simply be FORCED to become specialized in jobs only human beings can do or organize for the machines, such us Science fields and Technology fields. Of course that is only the positive of probably several ripple effects of said topic. -- Posted by Elm at 6:16 pm on Sep. 6, 2008 Quote: from GeneCosta at 1:20 pm on Sep. 6, 2008 Quote: from JohnTheNormalOne at 3:37 pm on Sep. 5, 2008 With the on-going automation of everything (using robots, computers, etc.) there are less and less work places. But there are more and more people. And that's quite a bad combination. So what do you think will happen with human society?? If we don't do something about it, it will cause massive unemployment which would be devastating for millions of people. So I guess some change is needed in the whole work-your-ass-off-to-get-money-to-live approach. Any ideas?? I posted a similar topic recently, but this time I'd like to focus on this question only. Automation will be devastating for a market economy. Fact is, though, with new technology comes people who need to maintain it, people who will design, produce, and improve it, people who will distribute it, etc. High tech industries which design those things would have a huge boom and greater demand for labor. While you'll see unemployment rates increase at first, society will adapt over time. Maintaining technology isn't labor intensive in terms of sheer numbers. Compare the number of people working for the auto industry to the number of mechanics and you'll see a large disparity. Furthermore, it too can one day become automated. Dragonking does have a point. When such conditions do hit us, socialism is an inevitability. The market becomes a hindrance. You need people to program the automation, you need people to service the machines, you need people to fabricate the parts, to insure, underwrite, design, you need people to sell the machines and install them, you need people to manage the payroll of the production company, and you need to hire advertising people, you need people to engineer new materials if you want to continually improve. Instead of making cars you make robots, instead of designing the brake system you design the hydraulic feed of the robot.  Or maybe instead of welding something a million times you start your own business, go back to school, get a job as a teacher.  The only danger is being stagnant and thinking becuase a skill you have is in demand it will always be in demand. -- Posted by Acid World at 12:34 pm on Sep. 7, 2008 I forgot to add, but thats one of the more basic fundamentals of macroeconomics. More often than not jobs are not created, they are moved. When you destroy a job by replacing it with a machine, the new job of making the machine, or supervising the machine, or whatever comes into play. Jobs are constantly shuffled around. -- Posted by Elm at 4:37 pm on Sep. 7, 2008 Thats why we aren't glutted with unemployed wagon wheel makers, outhouse designers, hoop skirt salespeople, and dodo hunters.