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Comment by vadimberman | Hacker News Reader

Does "automation" mean immigrants?

It depends. Some work is more amenable to automation, and there are a number of large hi-tech factories (e.g. pharma) that are powered with a dozen of people. Same applies to huge ships with tiny crews, etc.

Some work is less amenable to automation, mundane care for the elderly, fixing plumbing, or even sweeping streets. This work either becomes very expensive, or is done by semi-legals who are willing to accept a much lower standard of living.

> "Does "automation" mean immigrants?"

> "we minimised low wage work long ago with automation. As a business you want to AVOID employing people at all costs."

Yeah, I read that. It's a nice theory, I am asking about the practice.

Given the abundance of low-skilled workforce, I have my doubts.

If that's the case, then your question as phrased is a little bit disingenuous or flamebaity. Asking for measurements or evidence of how this was implemented is legitimate, and something I, too, would be interested in learning; insinuating that your parent was being euphemistic or misleading is another. Please ask questions in good faith.

You could say that, or you could say that bragging about being better without a solid proof is disingenuous or flamebaity. Not unreasonable, is it?

In this particular case, I've seen scores of advanced economies where the eloi are clueless about the stinky and dirty morlocks breaking their backs to power the paradise, and I believe a tiny bit of blindingly obvious sarcasm is not an overreaction.

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