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Adrian Tymes wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:201483.33724.qm@web81607.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="">Remember that technology would not stop advancing, so we
could
reasonably expect that over time, a smaller and smaller
fraction of
the population would have marketable skills.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->
This is the central flaw in the argument. As people's
current skill set becomes non-marketable, people eventually
tend to acquire marketable skills to replace them. (Yes,
there are some who never do. Those retire, while new
workers who start off with marketable skills come in to the
market.</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
They may retire to being street people or simply not make it. This too
happens. The implied assumption that it is just a matter of willpower
of deciding to learn something new is very debatable. Look at the IQ
curve. How much IQ do you think is needed to become a programmer vs
having been an assembly line worker? Oh, but you can get a job in
construction? Nope, too many of those workers with less to do and more
automation. You can work in a restaurant or burger joint? Perhaps, if
you have the disposition and your burger joint does not become
automated itself as many are likely to. The point is that there may
not be anything at all left that pays well for a person of a certain
level of intelligence as the society advances technologically. And
there is nothing real that says there must be a workable niche for
every human being that breathes. There is some pretty theory that it
will always work out but the reality is not so pretty. I am not saying
this is necessarily something we both can and should fix or at least
not without MNT and/or being able to raise anyone's IQ we please. <br>
<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:201483.33724.qm@web81607.mail.mud.yahoo.com"
type="cite">
<pre wrap=""> The advent of extreme longevity may skew this,
because older workers will have less incentive to retire,
and thus are more likely to eventually acquire marketable
skills; indeed, this effect can already be observed, even
with today's relatively modest lifespan increases.)
</pre>
</blockquote>
Assuming for a moment that they are capable of learning marketable new
skills, where exactly are they getting the funds to acquire these
skills? Even if all the knowledge needed plus certification is freely
available on the web, how do they support themselves in the meantime? <br>
<br>
- samantha<br>
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