----- Original Message ----- From: OrionWorks - Steven V Johnson <[email protected]> Date: Thursday, October 8, 2009 6:06 pm Subject: Re: [Vo]:Our Jobless Startrek Future
> Chris sez: > > Just imagine what would happen to our economy if we had a device > like the > > Replicator on Startrek. Anyone could have anything from clothing > to gold > > bars to Earl Grey Tea instantly. The overall effect would be > profoundly> deflationary and the only jobs that remained would be > menial cleaning or > > customer service - and a few very important critical jobs that > maintain the > > Technological Cornucopia. > > > > Now, ask yourself, *how much of a "Replicator" do we already > possess? *The > > internet has crashed the value of recorded music and films. It > is poised to > > now devalue jobs such as travel agents, encyclopedia salesmen, > and broadcast > > television. Future technology such as stem cells will compromise > the> employment of neurosurgeons, home health care aides, dialysis > technicians> and much more. "Green" technology is going to be > very destructive as to > > jobs and some in Congress are starting to realize it. Get rid > of all the > > jobs connected with hauling coal and hire a few window washers > for your > > solar panels. > > > > I hate to say it but governments will have to get very busy > redistributing> wealth. Jobs are going to evaporate especially as > we approach a condition > > in which we can easily handle the physical needs of most people > with very > > few critical maintenance positions. > > > > > It's called: Fear of the unknown. > > I suspect just about every new invention, process, or new > methodology, that > threatened to take away someone's livelihood evoked similar fears > within our > society. I bet Jed, or resident Vort historian, could give many vivid > examples of this. > > Not to fear. As we get over the initial panic, society is poised to > make a > significant quantum leap. It often results in the creation of new > productsand services that never had the chance to develop in the > past because the > "labor" wasn't available. Typically, this "recycling" of human > resources has > caused our standard of living to improve. Long live an economy of threats. harry
