[ExI] Book: THE LIGHTS IN THE TUNNEL

[Adrian Tymes]

--- On Thu, 6/3/10, BillK <pharos at gmail.com> wrote:
> As the author says, you are not pointing to a flaw in the
> argument.
> You are denying that massive unemployment will ever happen.

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.)

> 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.

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.

> 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?

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.