[extropy-chat] 'Unskilled jobs to go in 10 years'

[Rafal Smigrodzki]

From: Max M <maxm at mail.tele.dk>

>>
>> Not really. It's not only about me. My neighbour who lost his job, 
>> can buy less stuff because of unemployment, and I can buy less stuff 
>> because my union fee/unemployment insurance rises in price.
>
### This is interesting. Unemployment (i.e. presence of large numbers of 
able-bodied persons who are willing to work but are unable to secure a 
gainful exchange with other persons, exercising of their freedom of 
contract) is an artificial malady, produced by, of course, interference 
in the freedom of contract. It is virtually unknown in pluralistic 
economies.  In fact, the forced (or, unwisely, willing) participation in 
labor unions is one of the prime causes of unemployment. Once the 
participants in an economy make one mistake, formation of unions (which 
is a form of reducing pluralism and lengthening feedback loops, the two 
most egregious sins you can commit against the society), they set 
themselves up to commit even more mistakes ("to keep the union fee 
down") - such as cutting themselves out of the international division of 
labor and further undermining their economic position. All the while 
shedding tears about their poor unemployed neighbors.

Stop paying union dues, oust the monopolistic politicians who are 
regulating the economy to death, and you will have both full employment 
*and* cheap stuff.

-------------------------------------

>>
>>
>>> Jobs are really just displaced, not eliminated.
>>
>>
>>
>> I didn't mean that they are eliminated. They are made less valuable. 
>> Makin stuff cheaper by using cheaper labor doesn't add wealth. Only 
>> increased productivity, new technology and more efficient markets 
>> creates wealth.
>
### Of course, if you use cheaper labor (all else being equal), you can 
buy more of it, therefore you can make more stuff, therefore you are 
wealthier. QED.

Rafal