Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» Adding to the PET list of what he plans to do on DAY ONE as prez should be banning all robots. How many jobs will that open up?
Robotics are a tool of mankind. In fact, the counties that surround the Detroit area are called 'Automation Alley'. Lots of robots in the modern manufacturing plants. One advantage of the robots are a superior paint finish on spray-painted parts. My niece works in a plant that uses robots to spray very toxic substances. No human could do it every hour of every day, but the robots don't complain or die.
Well that's what the Secretary of Labor appointee said. Robots don't come in late, don't complain, don't take vacations, don't slip and fall, don't sue. Why have humans in jobs when robots will do? Thank you for your reply bh! :)
Given that Der Pumpkinfurher's Secretary of Labor choice is Andrew Pudzer, a man who openly wishes to replace the workers at his fast-food restaurants (Carl's Jr. and Hardee's) with automation, I don't think such a move is likely.
Moreover, there are easier ways to "open up jobs." For example, hire one group of men to dig holes in the ground and another group of men to fill them back in. Or hire one group of people to go around smashing windows, which would lead to massive increases in jobs for glaziers, janitors (to sweep up the glass shards), and in glass-making factories.
The problem, of course, is such employment measures don't generate any wealth. I think a similar argument could be made about banning robots.
Hahahahahaha! You are a riot my friend. Dig holes. Fill them up. Dig more holes. Fill them up. Destroy stuff to "open up" stuff so you can repair them. Reminds me of the person who starts fires so he can put them out! Hero, right? AARRGGHH! Mahalo for your thoughtful reply OS! :)
The problem with most discussions about employment is people only want to look at them in the narrow sense of "Do people have jobs?" when that's the wrong question.
You lived through WWII. You've told me stories about how things were rationed. Yet, we didn't have an unemployment problem, because lots of people were employed making the machines of war, which would go out and get blown up, so people would have to make more machines of war. In abstract terms, the low unemployment rate during wartime is analogous to the hole dig/fill and breaking windows "solutions" to unemployment. I think most people would agree none of those "solutions" are desireable.
@RosieG -- Maybe the Trump administration will screw up so badly we'll have another political shift like we had in the 2006-2010 period (remember, when the Democratic party controlled both houses of Congress and the presidency?). It's hard to say.
B.H.Wilson 