As the workforce becomes increasingly automated, we will reach a point where massive unemployment is inevitable. The need for human for human labor will simply diminish and new industry that can’t be automated will not be able to keep up.
This will leave us with a few choices as a society:
- Massive unemployment, homelessness, starvation, and increasing strain on welfare systems as larger and larger chunks of society are unable to find employment.
- Government mandates forcing businesses to hire human workers, heavily reducing profit and productivity.
- A Basic Income system with a robust corporate tax system, allowing large portions of society to live comfortably without working, keeping money in circulation, and exploring higher education, creative and non-profit pursuits
The question isn’t IF this will happen. The question is when, how quickly, which option, and will we eat the rich first.
Another option: Seize the means of production and put them under democratic workers’ control. Have a planned economy based on need rather than profit.
That still doesn’t address the fundamental issue of human labor simply being unneeded. If we made the move to full communism, do we keep the automation? Do we make people do jobs that robots could do? What happens to all the people who don’t need to work/can’t get work?
I mean, I think the goal should be to aim for full/close to full automation and start moving away from a currency based society. Everybody gets what they need to survive and thrive
Very Star Trek. I like.
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