If this is truly the case, then we in technology must take much of the blame.
Over the past 30 years--even the past 15--automation of tasks which were once done by people in the lower-to-mid tiers of the middle class. Word processors have replaced secretarial pools. Robots have replace assembly line workers. Self-service web-sites have replaced data entry clerks. "On-line" (web, e-mail,etc) have replaced tellers, postal workers, etc.
I know I'm personally responsible (due to proposing and implementing automation projects) for replacing over 1500 people since 1995. Is this a good thing or a bad? I don't know. The Industrial Revolution killed off craftsmen, but created millions of other jobs. The question is, what will the Technology Revolution leave in its wake?
So before we start pontificating on taxes, social welfare programs, and ever increasing calls for "wealth distribution"--remember to look in the mirror and ask how many people's jobs have you eliminated today?
> If this is truly the case, then we in technology must take much of the blame.
Except technology also saves lives, keeps people connected across large distances, makes work safer, democratizes creativity, and innumerable other benefits.
The Industrial Revolution also killed off farm jobs and many domestic jobs but baling hay by hand and scrubbing laundry with a washboard are certainly steps backward.
If the problem is that some workers cannot earn a living, then let's look a policies that solve that problem directly (like a more aggressive earned income tax credit).
Police, prisons, prosecutors, parole officers, TSA, ICE, etc. are all part of our GDP. A lot of those jobs have replaced factory jobs, yet what do they produce? Is that really a contribution to the economy, or does our GDP number contain a lot of economic drag masquerading as "output" and "productivity." And then there is the size of our military. All that is supposedly a contribution to GDP and a positive element of productivity.
Are there alternative economic output measure that count that stuff as deadweight?
Over the past 30 years--even the past 15--automation of tasks which were once done by people in the lower-to-mid tiers of the middle class. Word processors have replaced secretarial pools. Robots have replace assembly line workers. Self-service web-sites have replaced data entry clerks. "On-line" (web, e-mail,etc) have replaced tellers, postal workers, etc.
I know I'm personally responsible (due to proposing and implementing automation projects) for replacing over 1500 people since 1995. Is this a good thing or a bad? I don't know. The Industrial Revolution killed off craftsmen, but created millions of other jobs. The question is, what will the Technology Revolution leave in its wake?
So before we start pontificating on taxes, social welfare programs, and ever increasing calls for "wealth distribution"--remember to look in the mirror and ask how many people's jobs have you eliminated today?