Are jobs obsolete?

[A-R]

reposting this from CNN.com just to see the responses it generates

but please do read the entire article, and not just the admittedly rather provocative quote below

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/09/07/r ... ?hpt=hp_t1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

America is productive enough that it could probably shelter, feed, educate, and even provide health care for its entire population with just a fraction of us actually working.

[Beiruty]

let us see how the author solve the problem of:
1- Health care cost and medicare bankrupting US
2- Social security running out of money
3- US debt and deficit destroying US

The author is insane,let us have 310 millions of US on social welfare and who is going to pay for it? And, what does it solve?

[Excaliber]

reposting this from CNN.com just to see the responses it generates

but please do read the entire article, and not just the admittedly rather provocative quote below

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/09/07/r ... ?hpt=hp_t1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

America is productive enough that it could probably shelter, feed, educate, and even provide health care for its entire population with just a fraction of us actually working.

We're already doing that for a number approaching half - unsuccessfully, I might add, from a fiscal standpoint.

I am not optimistic that doubling up on failure will magically, through some unexplained mechanism, produce success this time around.

This point is lost on progressives, who operate in a historical vacuum, and charge forward in the certainty that their very old "new" ideas will accomplish today what they've consistently failed to do in every place and time they've been tried before.

[Middle Age Russ]

Amen, Excaliber!

I think the original intent of recording events so that future generations could learn from them is lost on some Progressives. "Rrevisionist" history as practiced by the more virulent strain of Progressives, including the MSM in latter years, is indicative that some of them at least are true idalogues. That group knows the truth but justifies ignoring or mis-stating it in the name of their cause.

Halsey got away with "Damn the torpedoes, Full Spead Ahead" in battle at sea, but we have seen the economic broadside that comes with Keynesian economics in the name of social programs -- ever-more staggering debt, a shaky economy and rampant unemployment. I'd prefer not to continue in this vein. None of this is new; take a look at my signature line for a little historical perspective from one of the Founding Fathers.

The political climate is charged with all sorts of nuances, but the driving factor for most representatives it to get elected again. Given the huge numbers of unemployed and those on government payroll or social welfare assistance -- who all have a vested interest in continuing to grow government and can be counted on to vote accordingly -- it has until quite recently been political suicide to embrace curtailment of government spending and programs. The Tea Party movement has given this stance some political relevance of late. Even so, the big question is whether our elected representatives have the personal character and wherewithal to risk their political future to do what is right and must be done to secure a future for our country.

[Purplehood]

The author bases his suppositions on concepts that just might make it past a Junior High School debate team.

[Excaliber]

Amen, Excaliber!

I think the original intent of recording events so that future generations could learn from them is lost on some Progressives. "Rrevisionist" history as practiced by the more virulent strain of Progressives, including the MSM in latter years, is indicative that some of them at least are true idalogues. That group knows the truth but justifies ignoring or mis-stating it in the name of their cause.

Halsey got away with "darn the torpedoes, Full Spead Ahead" in battle at sea, but we have seen the economic broadside that comes with Keynesian economics in the name of social programs -- ever-more staggering debt, a shaky economy and rampant unemployment. I'd prefer not to continue in this vein. None of this is new; take a look at my signature line for a little historical perspective from one of the Founding Fathers.

The political climate is charged with all sorts of nuances, but the driving factor for most representatives it to get elected again. Given the huge numbers of unemployed and those on government payroll or social welfare assistance -- who all have a vested interest in continuing to grow government and can be counted on to vote accordingly -- it has until quite recently been political suicide to embrace curtailment of government spending and programs. The Tea Party movement has given this stance some political relevance of late. Even so, the big question is whether our elected representatives have the personal character and wherewithal to risk their political future to do what is right and must be done to secure a future for our country.

Few of our long term "representatives" have demonstrated the character necessary to do what's needed to save the country.

Our hope is in finding new folks who will actually represent our interests and do different version of Halsey's approach - darn the next election, just do what's right.

Just as I no longer accept PC as "politically correct" (which implies that a radical leftist viewpoint is the only right one) and I hold those initials to stand for "politically confused", "politically corrupted" or "politically contorted", I no longer refer to the major propaganda outlets as the MSM. That would imply that their unvarnished attempts at using the big lie strategy to alter the course of the nation is a mainstream phenomenon, which it is not - as shown by Obama's polling numbers.

I think a more appropriate designation would be LSM - the leftstream media. It puts things in better perspective to call it what it is.

[knotquiteawake]

All we need to do this is to reinstate the Class system. Only this time its going to the the opposite as before, the poor and uneducated will be the ones not working and the educated middle/upper class will be providing services for everyone else.

[The Annoyed Man]

OK.... the guy is officially an idiot:

But there might still be another possibility -- something we couldn't really imagine for ourselves until the digital era. As a pioneer of virtual reality, Jaron Lanier, recently pointed out, we no longer need to make stuff in order to make money. We can instead exchange information-based products.

I submit that this will do him no good the next time he wants to go on vacation..... no more cars, cruise ships, airplanes, trains, or trucks—because those are industrial age products. Next time he goes out for a beer (not digitally made) at a bar (not digitally built) with his buds (whom you have to actually meet in order to become buddies), let's see how many girls he can impress with the size of his hard drive or capacity of his RAM rather than with his daily driver car. Next time he wants a cheeseburger, let's see if his computer will conjure one up for him.......one that will actually taste like a cheeseburger and have calories/proteins/fats (yummie fats) in it.

Moron.

I am self employed, in a digital industry no less, and I get what he refers to about people being self employed making things. But, many of the things that we take for granted today are possible only because of the economies of scale. How many of us could build a computer by first manufacturing all of its component parts before we even attempted to assemble them into a working machine? I don't think that even the geekiest of us could do it.

Like I said.....he's an idiot.

[Beiruty]

I am now self-employed too. I am now offered full-time employment. However, the first 3 months are like a trial period with no full benefits, what is up with that? This is for someone who has more than 12 yrs in the industry.

I thought the standard is that benefits kicks in after 30 days.

The potential to work for yourself is compensated like 50% to 100% more than what you make with full time. However, with no-benefits. You can estimate those benefit cost like 25%.

[OldCurlyWolf]

I am now self-employed too. I am now offered full-time employment. However, the first 3 months are like a trial period with no full benefits, what is up with that? This is for someone who has more than 12 yrs in the industry.

It happens every time we have a "recession". The employers take advantage of the tight job market.

[Beiruty]

I am now self-employed too. I am now offered full-time employment. However, the first 3 months are like a trial period with no full benefits, what is up with that? This is for someone who has more than 12 yrs in the industry.

It happens every time we have a "recession". The employers take advantage of the tight job market.

take it? or leave it? I am pressing to have the benefits kicks in 30 days.

[Texas Dan Mosby]

As long as there are people, there will be a demand for goods and services, which, in turn, will require the creation of "jobs" to provide those goods and services. Likewise, there will ALWAYS be goods and services that are more valuable than others due to a variety of reasons, and that value may indeed change. Such is life.

[tacticool]

let's see how many girls he can impress with the size of his hard drive or capacity of his RAM rather than with his daily driver car.

No problem as long as the girls are digital/virtual too.

Next time he wants a cheeseburger, let's see if his computer will conjure one up for him.......one that will actually taste like a cheeseburger and have calories/proteins/fats (yummie fats) in it.

Earl Gray. Hot.

[tacticool]

The author is insane,let us have 310 millions of US on social welfare and who is going to pay for it? And, what does it solve?

It is a step toward abolishing capitalism, which is unfair to lazy stupid people.

[flintknapper]

Like I said.....he's an idiot.

Never underestimate the power of "idiots" in large numbers.

We saw that in the 2008 elections.