The implications of a post scarcity world

[cidbahamut]

What America Can't Admit About the 'Millennial' Generation | Cracked.com

I found this to be a fascinating bit of radio. It examines how as technology advances we become more and more productive with fewer and fewer man-hours of labor, but society seems to be balking the closer we get to the inevitable end-game of that pursuit. Simply put: There isn't enough work for everyone to be working, but we insist on continuing to work even if it doesn't serve a purpose.

Assuming we eventually reach the technological end-game where everyone has access to machines that dispense our every need at the push of a button, what do we do with ourselves? Does it make sense to continue insisting that everyone continue to show up at their day job or can we as a culture shift our attitude to the point where it's ok for some people to take care of what little work is left while the rest of the population pursues other endeavors?

[Malacite]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

My father and I frequently discuss this any time there's talk about jobs and such in the news.

Personally I'm all for progress and advancing technology, and my view is that the problem lies more not so much in the tech itself, but what's being done with it. For example, a company brings in a new machine that dramatically increases productivity while also lowering costs by a similar value, thus sky rocketing profits. It's how said profits are handled that often irks me, as the trend thus far has been simply to downsize people (which does make sense) while simultaneously passing the savings straight to the top - CEO's and Boardmembers.


Fuck paying everyone else a little more now that the company can afford to do so, nah - that would be social progress. Can't have people actually making a decent living off their work, nope, that's only for folks born into money, or the lucky few who through various means find their way to the top of the corporate world.

Obama gave a fancy speech on inequality today, but methinks it won't amount to shit.

[Armando]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

Assuming we eventually reach the technological end-game where everyone has access to machines that dispense our every need at the push of a button, what do we do with ourselves?

You'd probably end up with two kinds of people: those that produce entertainment content and those that consume it, except those that produce it can now produce whatever the hell they want instead of whatever garbage is currently profitable. You'd have a new Rennaissance for the creative types and an infinite amount of shit to watch for the sit-all-day-watching-TV types.

Imagine a world where everything on Kickstarter is automatically funded.

[cidbahamut]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

Imagine a world where everything on Kickstarter is automatically funded.

I find this prospect simultaneously beautiful and terrifying.

[Malacite]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

Yeah, my inner self is like "WOO HOO! Free to pursue all my creative dreams!"

And at the same time it's tempered by fear of all the SHIT that will innevitibly come to light from some people - particularly Japan >_>

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

There seem to be plenty of problems still need solving in this world.

I'd not worry about "There isn't enough work for everyone to be working, but we insist on continuing to work even if it doesn't serve a purpose." Not any time in the near future. Or in the next 50 years. Or in the next 100 years, really.

For now (and a very long time to come), if your work isn't serving any (good) purpose, it just means you are working at the wrong job, or working the job wrong.

[cidbahamut]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

I'd not worry about "There isn't enough work for everyone to be working, but we insist on continuing to work even if it doesn't serve a purpose." Not any time in the near future. Or in the next 50 years. Or in the next 100 years, really.

Did you listen to the podcast? We're doing that right now.

[Malacite]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

head meet sand?

And I know they weren't perpetuating it, but I seriously take offense to the whole notion that my (our?) generation is a bunch of slackers, and that there's something wrong with not wanting to do a menial, low-paying shit job that doesn't engage me in any meaningful way. It's a very tiny percentage of us out there who really are just so spoiled and/or lazy that they don't want to work at all; I think it's safe to say (and CNN actually ran a good special on this a while back confirming as much) that we're more interested in having a job we like with flexible hours. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that someone who genuinely likes what they do will naturally care more about said job and perform better as opposed to the current situation where you have a bunch of people working their asses off (in some cases 2 or even 3 jobs) barely getting by and quite probably being treated like shit all the while.


We have all this amazing technology right now, but it's not being used intelligently at all. Moreover, I get the idea of having work as part of your purpose in life - that's totally understandable and rightly important to people. But why can't this be done in a sensible way? Again, the example of the tanks (which btw, is something Boehner has pushed through over and over as that's his district that makes those tanks) rather than wasting all those resources (because again, it's not like all these metals and things are just infinitely abundant - there's a reason China, Russia and others are racing to secure resources across the globe) on more tanks that the army neither wants nor needs, how about infrastructure and building shit the country actually needs?

Nah, that would be too sensible.

[Mezlo]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

I seriously take offense to the whole notion that my (our?) generation is a bunch of slackers

Do you currently have a job?

/pointproven

[DakAttack]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

Do you currently have a job?

/pointproven

If you are unfamiliar with this issue, you should refrain from commenting.

[Mezlo]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

If you are unfamiliar with this issue, you should refrain from commenting.

I'm familiar and have watched the podcast.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

head meet sand?

Just to clarify my perspective: I work in the automation industry. My job is to program robots to keep little Asian ladies from toiling all day to put together little parts for electronic gadgets we all love.

The "Push a button to satisfy our wants" idea isn't a daydream thing for me; it pays for my iced coffee addiction and FFXIV subscription. AND, from this view, yes, there are plenty of work for human beings in the foreseeable future.

And I know they weren't perpetuating it, but I seriously take offense to the whole notion that my (our?) generation is a bunch of slackers, and that there's something wrong with not wanting to do a menial, low-paying shit job that doesn't engage me in any meaningful way.

Not a knock against you personally, but that people generally tend to focus on "working" instead of "problem solving" is probably an issue. Just an observation.

* * *

No, I didn't bother with the podcast--couldn't get past the eye-rolling factor with the concept. Nothing I've read so far in this thread makes it seem worthwhile, either. Honestly, I think instead of getting excited about this "end game" of labor-free world, all of us would be better off looking for problems to solve--and solve them.

[DakAttack]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

I'm familiar and have watched the podcast.

Then you would know being unemployed is not always a matter of being lazy.

[Malacite]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

^ going on over a year now job searching, busting my ass and getting nothing. Really starting to wear me down psychologically...

The simple fact is there are more people looking for jobs than are jobs available, and a lot of those jobs are kinda just there when machines could be doing them more cheaply and efficiently.

[Mezlo]

Re: The implications of a post scarcity world

Then you would know being unemployed is not always a matter of being lazy.

not always, but most of the time...