The machines are coming for our jobs

...and that's.... bad...?

I agree that it's a problem that there is a pile of biomass that is of no use to present-day society. Ignoring them will just make them desperate and violent. Giving them free stuff so they can breed more 80-IQ-lings seems like the exact opposite of a solution. More akin to throwing kerosene on a house fire.
Would you be happier with my solution?
I'm all for reducing the population. Instead of paying people to have MORE babies, perhaps we should pay people to get abortions (AND sterilized).
:stirpot:
:blush:
I should have added that there should be an upper income limit to avail oneself of this "benefit".
 
Would you be happier with my solution?

1000%, But it's a very unfashionable point of view (particularly in my locale). I hate my malthusian tendencies, but we really really need to find something for all these people to DO with themselves.
 
generally, my experience is that the self checkout takes longer than with a real person. At least for the 3 chains that I use. Maybe it's because I have to scan a product and place it on the shelf, then scan the next one and place it on the shelf. And none of the chains seem to be able to handle customer provided bags or placing things in a bag on the shelf.

Immediately after I'm done scanning the machine is *****ing about taking my receipt and remove all items.
It is slower, per transaction, due to the unprofessional people scanning and packing. But at our local Kroger, they've packed in 12 self-checkouts in the space of four full-service lanes, so the total net time is less.
 
1000%, But it's a very unfashionable point of view (particularly in my locale). I hate my malthusian tendencies, but we really really need to find something for all these people to DO with themselves.

Never confuse laziness for stupidity.
 
Not sure where you're getting your data.

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/data/data-via-ftp.html

upload_2023-2-16_13-13-45.png

NO earners medium income is $45+k? Wow.

Yup. That should be your first clue that there is something funny about that data. I googled that phrase ""family income by number of wage earners" and couldn't find a source for it. I suspect it includes the millions of retired people.

But we are going down a rabbit hole. Let's say Half Fast is right. Let's say, for the sake of argument that the median wage in the US is in the $30/hr range (it isn't anywhere near that, but this is a thought exercise). That makes it even more likely that Machine Learning, AI and automation will put millions of people out of work because it's even easier to justify a $100K machine to replace a person if that person is costing the business $90-100K a year (which is the fully loaded cost of that $60k salary) than if that person is only costing the business $40-45K a year (the fully loaded cost of that $30k salary).
 
...and that's.... bad...?

I agree that it's a problem that there is a pile of biomass that is of no use to present-day society. Ignoring them will just make them desperate and violent. Giving them free stuff so they can breed more 80-IQ-lings seems like the exact opposite of a solution. More akin to throwing kerosene on a house fire.

I doubt those are the only two possible responses. I'm willing to listen to others...

Indeed, that's kind of my central thesis. Things are changing rapidly, maybe we should give this stuff some thought *before* it becomes a national crisis.
 
Indeed, that's kind of my central thesis. Things are changing rapidly, maybe we should give this stuff some thought *before* it becomes a national crisis.


Okay. I've given it some thought. I've concluded that this isn't an impending national crisis. I'm not worried, but if you want to worry, well, you go right ahead.

If your logic were correct, it would inevitably lead to the conclusion that in 40 or 50 years no one will have a job and everything will be done by AI and automation. I don't know who's going to buy those products manufactured in fully automated factories and delivered by autonomous vehicles, since everyone will be out of work. Maybe then the machines will decide that humans are unneccessary and eliminate us.

But I don't believe it. Maybe I just don't read enough science fiction. Or maybe I can look at many decades of similar doom-&-gloom forecasts and see that people are adaptive and creative and find solutions.
 
1000%, But it's a very unfashionable point of view (particularly in my locale). I hate my malthusian tendencies, but we really really need to find something for all these people to DO with themselves.
Remove all of the product warning labels and let the problem sort itself out?
 
Remove all of the product warning labels and let the problem sort itself out?

Those people don't have access to sawmills and threshers anymore. Their cellphones aren't going to hurt them, no matter how poorly used.
 
Regarding self-checkout vs. employee-checkout, I go for whichever has the shortest line. If neither has a line, I go for employee-checkout because I have sympathy for the employees, but I have also noticed that the employees can check me out faster than I can do it myself.
 
Regarding self-checkout vs. employee-checkout, I go for whichever has the shortest line. If neither has a line, I go for employee-checkout because I have sympathy for the employees, but I have also noticed that the employees can check me out faster than I can do it myself.
Plus, checking yourself out in public is just a little vain… but then, so is assuming that grocery employees want to check you out, I guess.

unless you’re @Sac Arrow on a bike ride, then it’s kind of expected.
 
Plus, checking yourself out in public is just a little vain… but then, so is assuming that grocery employees want to check you out, I guess.

unless you’re @Sac Arrow on a bike ride, then it’s kind of expected.
I've noticed that having someone check me out is getting more and more rare as time goes on. :D
 
Those people don't have access to sawmills and threshers anymore. Their cellphones aren't going to hurt them, no matter how poorly used.
Using their cell phones while driving can hurt them.
 
Using their cell phones while driving can hurt them.
One of those warning signs certainly saved my life.
I was about to get on I95 when I noticed the warning on that windshield sun screen that said "Remove Before Driving".
I was a little late removing, but at least I saw it in time to find out I was about to enter the EXIT ramp.
 
Using their cell phones while driving can hurt them.

No joke, I was driving down the road when I got a call. It was the CDC wanting to do a survey about COVID. Not a fan of phone surveys, but, on the other hand I was bored. Got the usual "This call is being monitored for quality and training purposes" but then they said "Before we begin are you doing anything that is a hazardous activity, such as driving or anything else that requires your full attention?" I thought it was odd but ok. I responded with "I am driving, but I do not consider that hazardous, so I'm good." they said "No sir, talking on the phone while driving is dangerous, even if you're using hands free technology, we'll call you back later."

So, apparently it wasn't hold the phone that was dangerous for some people. Who knew?
 
A few points...
- When I was a kid back in the early 60s, my dad worked and my mom stayed home. Our family had one car and lived in a 900 sq ft house. No luxuries, the house wasn't even air conditioned. If a family today was willing to live that same lifestyle they'd find it possible on a single wage earner's income. But they're can't find such a house if they wanted one
[snip]
Changed yours just a bit. Where I live (Winter Springs/Oviedo, northeast of Orlando) there are no non-luxury houses or apartments to be found. They are building tons of apartments but they are all luxury and start around $2,000 per month. City councils won't approve zoning for small, cheap houses (NIMBY) and developers won't build them because they can make more money off bigger. There's no shortage of demand, but we have people who work in hospitality near Disney World who are driving from Ocala to get affordable housing. That's well over an hour...
 
Their cellphones aren't going to hurt them, no matter how poorly used.

I dunno, people keep right on falling off of scenic overlooks while backing up to take just the perfect selfie for their InstaTocBook page.
 
I dunno, people keep right on falling off of scenic overlooks while backing up to take just the perfect selfie for their InstaTocBook page.
Proof that Darwinism will eventually sort this out.
 
When I was a kid back in the early 60s, my dad worked and my mom stayed home. Our family had one car and lived in a 900 sq ft house. No luxuries, the house wasn't even air conditioned. If a family today was willing to live that same lifestyle they'd find it possible on a single wage earner's income. But they're not - they insist on houses twice the size of the one I had as a kid, they insist on two cars, the latest electronics, etc., etc., and they go in hock up to their eyeballs. This is a choice that they're free to make.

Find me a 900sq foot single family home or condo that can be purchased on the median single earner income in any major metropolitan area (NY, Boston, SF, LA). My partner and I are looking to purchase in Boston and everything within public transit / biking distance (two cars being a luxury per your post and we both work) is 600k minimum, 700-800k more typically. Anything less is something which has massive issues and is basically being sold as land for the house to be razed and re-done. Here is a Zillow screenshot with the only filter being >750sqft and <1000sqft.

4ZcGKXv

https://ibb.co/4ZcGKXv

Not to mention that most things here are going 5-10% over asking with zero contingencies, throw in another few percent if you demand an inspection.

National real housing prices have more than doubled since the mid-60s. It’s certainly worse in many areas like here where real prices have quadrupled since the mid-80s
https://www.longtermtrends.net/home-price-vs-inflation/

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/BOXRSA

Healthcare and education prices have followed similar trends while real wages haven’t budged

https://www.kff.org/report-section/health-care-costs-a-primer-2012-conclusion/view/print/

https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college-by-year

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-ta...rs-real-wages-have-barely-budged-for-decades/

In my area, as is typical of so many as jsstevens indicates, NIMBYs have fought tooth and nail against building more housing. These people bought their housing 30, 40, 50 years ago when it was cheap and saw their “investment” go nowhere but up and fight/vote to make sure it stays that way. They took advantage of the post-war building and economic boom and then turn around and refuse that same opportunity to the next generations, while simultaneously slandering them as lazy, dumb, and worthless.

Your post screams how out of touch you are about how much the economic situation has changed since your idyllic childhood of the 60s
 
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The big equipment works for moving lots of material in open spaces, but it still isn't automated.
Yes it is. We like to tout that we have more autonomous miles than Tesla. I've never fact checked it but if my overlords says it's true, it must be.
 
Yes it is. We like to tout that we have more autonomous miles than Tesla. I've never fact checked it but if my overlords says it's true, it must be.
Yep, lots of dozers now are equipped with gps systems to hit grade. Not sure if the miles claim would be true, but I bet hours would be.
 
Yep, lots of dozers now are equipped with gps systems to hit grade. Not sure if the miles claim would be true, but I bet hours would be.
It's the mines where we get most of the miles. They've been automating those big trucks for years. They go up and down the mines 24/7 so the miles rack up.
 
Find me a 900sq foot single family home or condo that can be purchased on the median single earner income in any major metropolitan area (NY, Boston, SF, LA). My partner and I are looking to purchase in Boston and everything within public transit / biking distance (two cars being a luxury per your post and we both work) is 600k minimum, 700-800k more typically. Anything less is something which has massive issues and is basically being sold as land for the house to be razed and re-done. Here is a Zillow screenshot with the only filter being >750sqft and <1000sqft.

4ZcGKXv

https://ibb.co/4ZcGKXv

Not to mention that most things here are going 5-10% over asking with zero contingencies, throw in another few percent if you demand an inspection. My partner and I recently had a few major life changes and are now earning incredibly good money but it will stil

National real housing prices have more than doubled since the mid-60s. It’s certainly worse in many areas like here where real prices have quadrupled since the mid-80s
https://www.longtermtrends.net/home-price-vs-inflation/

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/BOXRSA

Healthcare and education prices have followed similar trends while real wages haven’t budged

https://www.kff.org/report-section/health-care-costs-a-primer-2012-conclusion/view/print/

https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college-by-year

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-ta...rs-real-wages-have-barely-budged-for-decades/

In my area, as is typical of so many as jsstevens indicates, NIMBYs have fought tooth and nail to build more housing. These people bought their housing 30, 40, 50 years ago when it was cheap and saw their “investment” go nowhere but up and fight/vote to make sure it stays that way. They took advantage of the post-war building and economic boom and then turn around and refuse that same opportunity to the next generations, while simultaneously slandering them as lazy, dumb, and worthless.

Your post screams how out of touch you are about how much the economic situation has changed since your idyllic childhood of the 60s

Live like sardines, get treated like sardines.

Based on a 3% rise every year, my house is right where it should be based on what I paid for it and improvements I did to it.
 
No joke, I was driving down the road when I got a call. It was the CDC wanting to do a survey about COVID. Not a fan of phone surveys, but, on the other hand I was bored. Got the usual "This call is being monitored for quality and training purposes" but then they said "Before we begin are you doing anything that is a hazardous activity, such as driving or anything else that requires your full attention?" I thought it was odd but ok. I responded with "I am driving, but I do not consider that hazardous, so I'm good." they said "No sir, talking on the phone while driving is dangerous, even if you're using hands free technology, we'll call you back later."

So, apparently it wasn't hold the phone that was dangerous for some people. Who knew?
No joke, I've had numerous cagers nearly kill me with idiotic road stunts. Recently, almost all of them were either looking at or had their ear glued to a phone. Idiotic drivers have always been murder machines, but it has gotten way more prevalent in later days. Plenty dangerous for me I'd say.
 
I wonder how many people claiming cagers are trying to kill them actually pay attention to traffic.... or do they ride in the middle of the street as if they have this magic shield around them?
 
I wonder how many people claiming cagers are trying to kill them actually pay attention to traffic.... or do they ride in the middle of the street as if they have this magic shield around them?
They probably drive the speed limit in the left lane and no intent of turning left or passing anyone.
 
I wonder how many people claiming cagers are trying to kill them actually pay attention to traffic.... or do they ride in the middle of the street as if they have this magic shield around them?

Well my last instance I was in the middle of the street, behind 3-4 cars at a 4 way stop. Had I not left space and given it a squirt of throttle to hit the shoulder, I would have been a pancake as the car that would have sandwiched me finally stopped with about 8" between them and the car I was previously behind.
 
Well my last instance I was in the middle of the street, behind 3-4 cars at a 4 way stop. Had I not left space and given it a squirt of throttle to hit the shoulder, I would have been a pancake as the car that would have sandwiched me finally stopped with about 8" between them and the car I was previously behind.
Exactly one reason why I usually didn't wait in line with car traffic when I used to bike commute.
 
I wonder how many people claiming cagers are trying to kill them actually pay attention to traffic.... or do they ride in the middle of the street as if they have this magic shield around them?
I have what I call my Steiney sense, I am on high alert for anything that looks wrong. Most riders have this if they ride for long, only way to stay alive on the street. I usually see what's coming at me long before it becomes an acute danger and take evasive action. Used to be I'd do this a few time a year, now it's a few time a week during riding season. I am a bit worried, I'm starting to get surprised by folks imperiling me that I didn't see coming. Bound to happen with the rise of idiot driving. Nothing I can't handle, but a worry nonetheless. Like I said, phones, lots of them.
 
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