Comment Buying products (Score 1) 736
Such a system will collapse because the top 1% needs the rest of the population to buy the products they make
But why do they need this? Who will control manufacturing?
Imagine a future like this: quality food is grown, maintained and harvested in optimal conditions by robots. Most common items are created by robots, similar to 3d printing but on a high-quality industrial scale (perhaps assembly by nano-bot). If a rich person wants something, he/she grabs a catalog item and simply has it assembled by nanobots. There's not even a need to buy materials as the bots can simply disassemble+reconstitute almost anything as raw materials. Bots are also optimal for defence, as any intruders can be taken apart in a manner similar to the building materials with no evidence that they even existed.
Of course the "normal" people can't afford nanobots. They're reduced to a near survival. Perhaps they have to purchase products from the wealthy (who again, control everything). Perhaps the rich don't even need them, as - again - they can have whatever they want built for them.
The only thing normals would be useful for (to the rich) would be entertainment, or to think up ideas for new "toys" for the rich. Some form of movies or music might exist, but likely those high up would probably not even have even see a normal person much less interact with one.