Che,
You have outlined the problems and while you maybe right if the
political system doesn't change, there are possible solutions. As I
wrote last year:
"History shows that when wealth inequality reaches a certain point,
unless it is redistributed there will be a revolution.There are examples
of both ways: Rome failed to redistribute and the Western Roman Empire
collapsed.Athens managed to redistribute wealth and survived for a
while.Will Durant’s book /The Lessons of History/ gives many
examples.Durant also points out that following redistribution of wealth
the government must allow its reaccumulation by the few to ensure future
progress.The failure of Communism in Russia showed what happens if you
ignore human nature and don’t allow that.
One possible way of avoiding the looming conflict is conversion to a
welfare system like the Scandinavian countries employ.It does seem to be
successful for them and surveys show they are considered the best places
to live.At least it might be a good transitional route.
The other possibility is a guaranteed Universal Basic Income (UBI), high
enough to live on, given to every adult citizen in the country with no
strings attached.Many object to the thought of giving money to the
idle.Free marketers have to face the obvious, which is that the modern
American economy doesn’t provide enough income distribution to preserve
civility in our society. Some say it is only sharing society’s
accumulated wealth.I will leave the moral justification to others.The
main objective is to avoid a revolution that would cost a lot more than
UBI both in blood and treasure. "
AA
On 10/23/2016 11:54 AM, Che wrote:
On Sat, Oct 22, 2016 at 2:47 PM, a.ashfield <a.ashfi...@verizon.net
<mailto:a.ashfi...@verizon.net>> wrote:
It could have been written more clearly with half the number of words.
They seem to think that displaced workers can be retrained for
better jobs, something that seems increasingly unlikely with
current graduates dead last in the world in math and science.
I'm sure Peter Gluck will get all apoplectic over this, but it needs
pointing out that the apologists of the Capitalist order *lie*
(contextually, anyway), when they talk about workers being
're-trained', after being replaced by automation. It is *well*
understood -- and has been for over 150 years -- that automation is
the *main* means whereby Capitalism replace Labor in the labor
process. It is the *main* means by which labor costs are reduced
(there are other, more immediate, cruder ways). This is, however,
Capitalism's Achilles Heel: because Labor is in fact the *source* of
profit ('Surplus-Value', technically. Another lie is that bourgeois
'Marginal Utility' theory, et al., is the real way profit is realized).
When you automate people out of jobs, not only is there less money
racing around in the economy (empty pockets), but what you have
actually done is *increase the ratio of machine processes to Human
processes in the production cycle* (the 'organic composition of
capital'). This will actually cheapen the price of goods, because
fewer inputs -- and less Human labor -- are involved in the production
cycle (economies-of-scale are another aspect of this factor); however,
since Labor *is* the source of Surplus-Value -- and there is less of
it per unit in increasingly automated processes -- *the rate of profit
per unit declines, as well*. This is an 'iron law' of capitalism which
the capitalists will absolutely NEVER overcome -- their lies and
beliefs and pious wishes notwithstanding.
So our present teknologikal society really *is* heading into a
dead-end under Capitalism. Thus WWIII (because of the pressing need of
various cabals of capitalists being 'forced' to invade other groups'
turf, in order to steal resources and markets, to make up for the
decline in the rate of profit overall). Building out of the ruins of
war also yields temporary profits... but this next war will likely
have far fewer survivors than the last 3 (I consider the '7 Years'
War' to be the actual first World war).
If you're honest (intellectually or otherwise), you can see that this
is a vicious circle with 'only one' ending -- assuming you have the
usual ideological tunnel-vision.
In the section on LAWS - lethal autonomous weapons - they miss the
point that an unscrupulous enemy like ISIS could develop or modify
a Western development, to kill any human. If they don't have to
worry about moral values.
I can imagine a small anomalous, lethal drone that could be made
in large numbers and once LENR becomes available have an
indefinite flight time.
At least they are thinking about it.
AA
Capitalism has no future -- other than death for all Humanity.
Frank Znidarsic wrote:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/whitehouse_files/microsites/ostp/NSTC/preparing_for_the_future_of_ai.pdf
<https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/whitehouse_files/microsites/ostp/NSTC/preparing_for_the_future_of_ai.pdf>
