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The Real Marty · 07-24-2017, 11:32 AM

(07-24-2017, 10:53 AM)Dumptruck Wrote:
(07-23-2017, 09:57 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: So I guess there is some disagreement about how fast this is going to happen, so let me re-phrase the question.

Putting aside our disagreement as to how fast this is going to happen, and ASSUMING that this is coming fast, and that millions of drivers are going to be unemployed as a result, what do you think we should do for those people?

Remember, a lot of people predicted that American jobs would be lost as factories moved overseas. And yet the factory workers were forgotten. And in this case, the problem won't just be American, it will be a world-wide problem.

So here we have a completely predictable situation. Have we learned anything? What do we do about it?

It is up to the folks who do these jobs to make the effort to seek some sort of alternative employment or training. You can't force people to take the initiative but at a certain point it should appeal to their self interest to stay ahead of potential issues.

Coal miners didn't do that. Factory workers didn't do that. Steel workers didn't do that. The loss of those jobs was completely predictable, and yet the people who stood to lose those jobs are now on unemployment, medicaid, and whatever other government help they can get. Asking people to be forward-looking and get into another business is just asking too much of average people. They always wind up unemployed with no other skills.

In the future, there is little doubt that low-skilled workers are going to be replaced by technology and robotics. There is absolutely no doubt about it. AND, I would predict that there will be so many of these displaced workers that they will ask the government to redistribute wealth.

It seems to me that we have to bend our conservative free-market principles just a little to stave off a movement to have the government confiscate wealth from working people and give it to the displaced. We need to be forward thinking for a change and do something while it's easy and not wait for the time when doing something will be very hard.

It's up to the smart people to help out the dumb people before the dumb people rise up against the smart people.

But, that's just my opinion. I'm interested in anyone else's opinion.