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anentropic

"Amazon warehouses shouldn't become the sweatshops of tomorrow"

They already are...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25034598

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03k5kzp/Panorama_Amazo...

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/dec/01/week-amazo...

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I'm aware. I have more faith in the German government protecting its citizens compared to the US government.

Based on what? The Otto Group is battling unions in Hermes, like Amazon is battling unions in their warehouses. Is there any difference at all?

I know Europe like to view US as a big monster to scare kids: you better behave or big mean US will eat you!

But is there anything objective that the German gov't is going to help anyone anymore than the US gov't? Maybe healhcare?

> But is there anything objective that the German gov't is going to help anyone anymore than the US gov't? Maybe healhcare?

A substantial social safety net? Sane workplace hours and practices?

soon robots will eliminate those jobs completely anyway, the ultimate protection against low-wage jobs

The option then will be simple:

Pitchforks or a Basic Income.

Or performing some useful function that can't trivially be replaced by menial robotic labor?

Would you consider being a doctor a useful function? IBM's Watson already performs as well as a second year med student [http://www.forbes.com/sites/bruceupbin/2011/05/25/ibms-watso...].

Eventually, all jobs will be replaced by software or robotic labor. What then?

EDIT:

"Your Job Taught to Machines Puts Half U.S. Work at Risk" http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-12/your-job-taught-to-...

You get a job fixing the machines

In the past, the reaction to pitchfork was usually emigration

To where? An island with no poor people? The world is too small for emigration to be a solution anymore.

Just to a better run place.

As mentioned in the article, it isn't really. There were mass protests by amazon employees in Germany last year. I don't know if anything really changed since then, but I kind of doubt it.

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