Comment by tomp | Hacker News Reader

Comment by tomp | Hacker News Reader

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> The fundamental problem with tech is that it kills jobs.

> This is why politicians are wrong to try to solve unemployment with tech.

The second does not follow from the first. Technology will always be killing jobs, and local politicians can do nothing to prevent that. The only difference they can make is where the profits from the old jobs go to; if they just stand by and watch, they will all go to companies in a few global tech centres, most in the US. However, if they encourage the development of a local tech scene, the efficiency problem might be solved by local entrepreneurs, meaning that they can still tax the profits, etc., making the local population better off.

Also, I strongly disagree with your claim that "We are wired to work". We are raised to work. And by "we", I mean particularly the people far away from the equator, who always needed to work to survive. Personally, I would not work if I didn't need it for survival (or more free time in the future), and I'm certain there's many more people like me in the world. Why do you think kids play in their free time, and teenagers party?

That's not really the problem. The problem is that tech combined with capital kills jobs and concentrates power/money with a very small group of people who then do everything they can to gut the public sector.

There is still an immense amount of work to be done in schools, hospitals and social services that is not being obsoleted by technology anytime soon. It is not being done or done well because of a lack of money.

The solution then is much more taxes on capital, much less on human labour and way more redistribution.

Exactly. But all of these is easier if the companies/people you want to tax live in your city/country, not halfway around the globe.

I can imagine a situation where Germany levies an import tax on Facebook at the border of the secure European internet.

I think it would be the French putting that idea first.

Kids play to learn survival skills, just like all mammals. If no one ever has to work I submit that incidence of mental illness will go way up because we just don't know how to handle it. Note I did not say work like a dog 24-7 as has been the norm since industrialization. But even tropical peoples need to something to sustain themselves and they are not happy if they have no purpose in life.

I often see claims that "purpose only comes from work" (or its logical inverse, that "no work means no purpose"), but I cannot tell you how strongly I disagree with you.

:) However, I believe there is a world possible for both of us, as you can do the work while I relax, and we are both happy.

Are you retired? How do you know you will be happy doing nothing?

I won't be doing nothing. I'm sure I will do something, but I will not do it for money, just for fun. Read books, learn obscure languages, program non-monetizable projects, ... Also, this means that I will be under absolutely no pressure to stick with it, instead I will be able to switch my hobbies every other week (as soon as I get border).

For me, to relax means to be without obligations, not to be completely idle.

Here are arguments that the only way to survive is to relax http://mattbernico.com/2012/11/27/after-the-future-franco-bi...

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