There’s room for nuance on this topic.
US Manufacturing output has generally trended upward since a lull in the 1970’s. This is both in terms of dollar value and tons of goods produced. We’re the #2 manufacturer in the world. US Exports also trend upwards, both in terms of dollar value and in tonnage, and we’re the #2 exporter in the world only surpassed by China. The #1 country has 3x our population so we don’t have any business feeling bad about it. Meanwhile manufacturing jobs in America trended downward over that time period…..except since 2009 when it looks like we hit the bottom and now we’re trending flat or slightly upwards. But in general if our manufacturing outputs are higher and our manufacturing employment is flat or lower then what else can that be attributed to but automation? I don’t know about anywhere else, but all across NY State there seems to be an insatiable demand for building trades, mechanics, and truck drivers. If your coal mining or widget making job is gone, then in theory you can find another job as long as you can turn a wrench or bang boards together. But what if you’re 55 years old and your whole region is depressed? If you’re not able to relocate to where the jobs are, or not able and willing to learn a new skilled trade, then you may get demoted to being a barista. I don’t have a policy answer to that problem, but I’m willing to acknowledge that it’s an actual problem. I suppose you are correct that this problem has existed at least since the powered loom was invented. If we haven’t come up with a perfect answer in the past 200 years then maybe there isn’t one. Maybe we need to instill flexibility and adaptability as virtues in our young people. Be willing to change, my son, because the world will change around you whether you like it or not. -Adam From: AF <af-boun...@af.afmug.com> On Behalf Of Steve Jones Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2024 12:03 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <af@af.afmug.com> Subject: Re: [AFMUG] intersection of technical and political and wrestling That argument has been deflated since the dawn of mechanism. There are still more jobs than people, there always will be til we get to the WALL-E level, in which case it wont matter anymore On Tue, Oct 8, 2024 at 3:42 AM Jan-GAMs <j.vank...@grnacres.net <mailto:j.vank...@grnacres.net> > wrote: What I want to know is when are the robots going to pay into the SSI? I go into the store and most of the cashiers have been replaced with scanners, robots are stocking shelves, mopping floors. Taxi's are becoming self-driven. Where are the people going to get a job? What are the retired going to live on? On 10/7/24 18:02, Ken Hohhof wrote: Liberal and conservative are kind of meaningless terms. Progressive and Reactionary are probably the more accurate political terms. Reactionary may sound pejorative, but if you look up the definition, it’s pretty dead on. In the context of Robert’s post, conservative is indeed the right term, since the wealthy wants to maintain the status quo. But what you hear all the time these days is take things back to some prior time when things are thought to have been better. That’s reactionary. I mean, the red caps don’t say Keep America Great. From: AF <mailto:af-boun...@af.afmug.com> <af-boun...@af.afmug.com> On Behalf Of Chuck Sent: Monday, October 7, 2024 7:31 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <mailto:af@af.afmug.com> <af@af.afmug.com> Subject: Re: [AFMUG] intersection of technical and political and wrestling Thus the “conserv - ative “ party. Sent from my iPhone On Oct 7, 2024, at 5:47 PM, Robert <i...@avantwireless.com <mailto:i...@avantwireless.com> > wrote: I read that, except for reducing taxes and benefits to common workers, the extremely wealthy don't want any change in politics, the status quo must be maintained. So when one party comes into power, those to items are the only ones that you will see any real movement on. On 10/7/24 8:54 AM, ch...@go-mtc.com <mailto:ch...@go-mtc.com> wrote: You have that exactly right. There have been ample opportunities for both sides to advance pet dogma. Especially on the abortion issue. I am apathetic towards politics as they are all the same, just different colors. Barbell curve, I love it. Some could say the bathtub curve. I recently watched the series on Netflix about Vince McMahon. I realized I was watching current American Politics. I didn’t know that Trump even got in the ring with him at one point and smacked him down. I think Trump has used McMahon as the prototype for his TV/political career. The dems play the heel pretty well. But they are never quite popular enough to be the baby face. From: Mike Hammett Sent: Monday, October 7, 2024 8:14 AM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group Subject: Re: [AFMUG] intersection of technical and political Every time a party has control of the White House, Senate, and House and then DOESN'T do all of the things they say are so important to do, that means that everything they say is just a political football and that no one actually cares. -- AF mailing list AF@af.afmug.com <mailto:AF@af.afmug.com> http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com -- AF mailing list AF@af.afmug.com <mailto:AF@af.afmug.com> http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com
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