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Comment Re:It's My rant (Score 1) 615

I did not even think of avoiding anything. I simply disagree with the static modeling of economics. No adjustments, no adaptation, never-before-seen circumstances (I also disagree with that, the industrial revolution is a great analog worthy of your study).

It does seem like you want to avoid the obvious -- if things really are dire as you predict, the 1% would have no wealth, as there would be virtually no functioning economy and thus all their holdings would be worthless. What is a stock portfolio or any other asset worth if there is no economy? What do the 1% own that has any value in a dead economy?

I guess I just don't care what they do with their own money, what they do with their legal earnings, and I don't care what they do with their lives. I don't want anyone arbitrarily deciding you or I have "too much." If you want some of my earnings, produce something I want and you can earn it -- I will hand it to you in exchange. Create a smart business and I will invest in you and provide growth for you and your associates. Mutually beneficial, no force involved.

Imagine the positive world coming where the average -- no, every -- person has access to ultra-affordable necessities and a happy standard of living. That is possible with greater efficiency leaps through technical advances. That is a brighter future, my friend. It requires work, adaptation involves effort. But it is positive.

Automation will create more wealthy people, who cares? Freedom includes the potential to serve millions or billions and earn money from the ones your serve, voluntarily. Great. We can't let that deter us from the overall improvement of the world that's possible.

Comment Re:former trucker here... (Score 1) 615

Exactly right, and there will not be a sudden 3.5 million man unemployment surge. This will develop slowly over time.

Prediction: I think it is Australia that already has the truck-train rigs, some ungodly number of trailers connected to one super truck -- this AI will build virtual truck trains working in unison, miles long like a real train (especially the cross continent runs) and laws will follow that provide stiff penalties for dumb car drivers who get in the mix. The "AI convoy system" will be far safer, as the cars will be excluded.

Comment Re:God save the covered wagon drivers! (Score 1) 615

Fuel-free trucks is not the topic. Automation of truck driving is. Your fuel station will adapt; you'll probably need to add staff to go out and pump fuel into the automated trucks, maybe add some services once the specifics of these systems are known (cleaning sensors?) and should be able to offer key advantages by doing so. You may become the preferred station in the area for that reason. And you're going to be creating some jobs, so it just gets better and better.

Shatter resistant glass would hurt the window repair industry, so that should be stopped in its development tracks too. Think of the multigenerational family glass businesses who depend on broken window vandalism, they planned their lives around broken glass. We could break some windows while we're at it, just to boost their industry.

Comment Re:It's My rant (Score 1) 615

With respect, I have never understood this static economic argument. It feels like more venting at the wealthy without a basis in rational economics. That is your right, it would just be nice to have such as that labelled as, "I just hate people who have saved a lot more than I have; I want to vent."

Those evil rich bastards are going to keep getting richer off of what? If there is no one capable of sustaining a free market, from where do the 1% make their ever-flowing profits? Or how do they even keep their wealth intact without a free market? Selling each other 1% brand soap?

This is more static analysis (unless it is just venting, again, you're perfectly free to do that). What is more likely is that people will continue to adapt to automation, as they do and have done during any such period of economic change. Some may begin focusing on equity - owning a stake in their economy, some may begin to more highly value useful education to escape the automated drone work, maybe there will be a resurgence in careers that are not automation friendly, or a thousand million other adaptations. But people will not sit around and starve, and the 1% will not thrive on some mythical market limited to catering to each other while the 99% are displaced, unemployed and homeless.

Each farm tractor sold replaced dozens or even hundreds of jobs-- good, blue collar, back breaking jobs. It drove down expenses and made food so affordable that starvation reached historical lows. All those unemployed field workers, all that ultra-cheap food... but where is the resulting collapse of free market? A bunch of farm tractor 1%ers did not rule over a dead market. It just makes no sense.

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