<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
Adrian Tymes wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:535751.54382.qm@web81602.mail.mud.yahoo.com"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">--- On Thu, 6/3/10, BillK <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:pharos@gmail.com"><pharos@gmail.com></a> wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">As the author says, you are not pointing to a flaw in the
argument.
You are denying that massive unemployment will ever happen.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->
Two responses:
1) Massive unemployment can happen due to other causes. I am
just pointing out a flaw in this particular argument.
2) Reading that as "massive unemployment *due to technological
advancement*" - well, yes. Pointing out that the author's
logic is flawed here does suggest that the conclusion the
author draws may be in error. (But, again, that's only the
expanded/specified version. Massive unemployment could well
happen for other reasons.)
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">The US
already has about 40 million living on food stamps (i in 8
of the
population) with many jobs disappearing, never to come
back.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->
</pre>
</blockquote>
Part of the above is a feedback loop. You get more of what you pay for
to put it bluntly. If you create a niche where you can survive on the
dole then that niche will likely fill to its carrying capacity. We
have built such a massive entitlement mentality in the process that
even otherwise quite rational and even libertarian folks just sort of
assume that to be born is to have the right to at least a modestly nice
life. This mentality has fueled the destruction of economy after
economy throughout history until the entitlements were cut back
voluntarily or collapse occurred. In the US the unfunded entitlements
amount to some $40 trillion in addition to a national debt that is
nearly 90% of GDP. Yet with the entitlement mentality we call for yet
more entitlements to fix the problems already in large part caused by
the ones we already have. This is running toward the edge of the
cliff full speed.<br>
<br>
But to say is to be considered heartless. <br>
<blockquote cite="mid:535751.54382.qm@web81602.mail.mud.yahoo.com"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">And how many jobs exist now in industries that didn't exist
10 years ago? Looking only at one side of the coin does
not yield useful predictions.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
Probably not 40 million or not that can be filled by arbitrary members
of that 40 million. People are not fungible. Neither are jobs. <br>
<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:535751.54382.qm@web81602.mail.mud.yahoo.com"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Don't you think it would be a good idea to start thinking
about what
changes are needed to deal with massive unempoyment and
poverty?
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->
How about making enough resources in flow that tomorrow's
"poverty" is today's "middle class"? Some of the poor
today are better off than certain kings of a few centuries
ago.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
How will you do that when you (taken individual as metaphor for nation)
owe an order of magnitude more in credit card debt alone than your
entire yearly income? Not to mention various promissory notes coming
due that you keep kiting with new notes than total more than 4 times
the huge credit card debt. I know! You will counterfeit money. :)<br>
<br>
- s<br>
<br>
</body>
</html>