A universal basic income

[atlkvb]

Noone will watch the robot(s). They will self-report. If it's simple the small staff on-site will handle it, if it's more technical, a technician will be called in. The technician jobs already exist, just additional roles, so perhaps we'll need a few more.

We have air traffic controllers who watch radar screens that use sensors & computers to keep the planes from crashing into each other. The machines are doing the actual measurements & work, but someone has to watch them, and properly apply or relay the information they are providing for us more efficiently than we can. The computers didn't replace the air traffic controllers, they can't...neither can a robot, but the machines do make the Air traffic controllers more efficient and productive. You still need humans if for nothing else to watch the machines!

 

[atlkvb]

What would be the incentive to work, if you could make a living wage off the government? This is why Socialism fails. As the old saying goes...You eventually run out of other people's money.

Socialism will always fail and when it fails, there is no repairing it.

I'll never understand why some people will take government dependency over freedom.

Precisely! It runs counter to the human need to be self productive and creative as well as Free to do either according to our own abilities and desires. It will always fail because it cannot ever work. There is no incentive or reward or self initiative if everything is provided to you or for you with no effort required on your own.

 

[atlkvb]

Time to start incentivizing space exploration!!!

There are jobs in Space...especially for space cadets on the Left![winking]

 

[30CAT]

Precisely! It runs counter to the human need to be self productive and creative as well as Free to do either according to our own abilities and desires. It will always fail because it cannot ever work. There is no incentive or reward or self initiative if everything is provided to you or for you with no effort required on your own.

A perfect example of why so many millennials are living with their parents, well beyond the age they should be taking care of themselves these days.

It's scary seeing all of these millennials embracing Socialism. They know not what they do....

 

[atlkvb]

A perfect example of why so many millennials are living with their parents, well beyond the age they should be taking care of themselves these days.

It's scary seeing all of these millennials embracing Socialism. They know not what they do....

30CAT I really believe it goes directly back to the education system and what a vast majority of these kids are taught in Government run schools about free markets, Capitalism, free enterprise, and individual rights/personal responsibility in a free society.

With Freedom comes responsibility. Our particular Freedoms are laced with rights...God given rights that cannot be taken away from us by Government because they do not come from Government. On top of that, economic literacy in this country is poor to non existent especially among those millennials you mentioned.

Why?

Because it's not taught! They are not taught what risk is, how capital is formed or why it's needed? They are not taught about how profits & wealth are generated (only that they are evil) they are not informed how jobs are created...they're only told Government is there to make sure no one goes hungry, or homeless, or unemployed or is left "poor" and the wealthy are simply greedy exploiting poor folks and already have too much is why so many remain poor.:angry:

It's disgusting. It also kills the consensus we desperately need to build in this country to make our free enterprise economy work as it's supposed to without the heavy hand of Government. I think we've missed a whole generation of kids who have been brain washed to believe it's only because of Government that we survive, and only Government can make sure everyone gets what they desire or need through income redistribution and wealth confiscation. Both promises are dead wrong and is leading these kids into a life of misery and non achievement because they simply do not know how to make themselves valuable in our free enterprise economy. They are falsely waiting on Leviathan to provide their happiness.

We need a massive dose of remedial economics education, or I fear many more of these "skulls full of mush" will readily accept the lies fed by Socialists and anti-Capitalists who hate this country, and hate how it's set up.

 

[Shirley Knott]

Brilliant. Taxing robots. At least they wouldn't protest.

What is the weekly wage earned by a robot and do they pay the same tax rate as a human ???

 

[atlkvb]

What is the weekly wage earned by a robot and do they pay the same tax rate as a human ???

What about health care for the robots? Are their premiums waived because they don't get sick, or are they allowed personal mechanical maintenance accounts for replacements of nuts, bolts, and worn out software?

 

[30CAT]

30CAT I really believe it goes directly back to the education system and what a vast majority of these kids are taught in Government run schools about free markets, Capitalism, free enterprise, and individual rights/personal responsibility in a free society.

With Freedom comes responsibility. Our particular Freedoms are laced with rights...God given rights that cannot be taken away from us by Government because they do not come from Government. On top of that, economic literacy in this country is poor to non existent especially among those millennials you mentioned.

Why?

Because it's not taught! They are not taught what risk is, how capital is formed or why it's needed? They are not taught about how profits & wealth are generated (only that they are evil) they are not informed how jobs are created...they're only told Government is there to make sure no one goes hungry, or homeless, or unemployed or is left "poor" and the wealthy are simply greedy and already have too much is why so many remain poor.:angry:

It's disgusting. It also kills the consensus we desperately need to build in this country to make our free enterprise economy work as it's supposed to without the heavy hand of Government. I think we've missed a whole generation of kids who have been brain washed to believe it's only because of Government that we survive, and only Government can make sure everyone gets what they desire or need through income redistribution and wealth confiscation. Both promises are dead wrong and is leading these kids into a life of misery and non achievement because they simply do not know how to make themselves valuable in our free enterprise economy. They are falsely waiting on Leviathan to provide their happiness.

We need a massive dose of remedial economics education, or I fear many more of these "skulls full of mush" will readily accept the lies fed by Socialists and anti-Capitalists who hate this country, and hate how it's set up.

Awesome post. 100% agree...

 

[Shirley Knott]

We should have started addressing this a long time ago. Those manufacturing jobs that people want to bring back to the US? Those are jobs for robots. You'll need maintenance folks and quality control folks, but you aren't going to see jobs with some person running a press for an 8-hour shift.

One way to combat this is education. I'm not talking about Sociology degrees from some expensive liberal arts college either. You need to give people the ability to get training to work in that new environment. You can do that several ways - tax breaks for individuals paying for their own education is one way. I think we need to incentivize apprenticeships for companies too. If they can get a break on taxes while hiring the next generation of folks to work on their systems, you create additional jobs while people are being trained to work in the new economy.

As an aside, I've heard Mike Rowe speak a number of times about the lack of skilled labor in the marketplace. I've heard him complain about that for at least a few years now. I'm sure some of it is that there is a shortage of folks who want to do those jobs. I think an apprenticeship program offered by some of the companies seeking skilled laborers would have filled a significant part of that void if they would have started them when they recognized the problem.

The skilled labor referenced by Mike Rowe are those in industries who can use their hands and brains to complete their jobs. Most High School graduates today feel that they must go to college to enable a future, Rowe says there are plenty of good paying jobs available for those who can't/don't want to go to college. With the cost of a college education today College grads begin their futures carrying a boatload of debt starting their careers...

 

[mule_eer]

The skilled labor referenced by Mike Rowe are those in industries who can use their hands and brains to complete their jobs. Most High School graduates today feel that they must go to college to enable a future, Rowe says there are plenty of good paying jobs available for those who can't/don't want to go to college. With the cost of a college education today College grads begin their futures carrying a boatload of debt starting their careers...

I don't disagree with Rowe. My point is that if I'm an employer looking for folks in skilled labor, and I can't find anyone with the skill set I need, it's time for me to find a solution. This is a long running issue. It didn't start in the last couple of months. I think apprenticeships would be a good solution. You can start to train your own replacements instead of complaining that no one fits. It takes time and costs money. I realize that. Most solutions do. I've probably heard this same complaint for the last 3 years, and I'm sure it's older than that. In 3 years' time, you likely could have trained a handful of folks. Some may drop out of the program, and others may decide to take those skills and do something else with them. It's not a perfect solution, but it beats grousing about the same problem for years without trying to do something.

I'll add that I have no idea if this has been tried by anyone. If so, I'd be curious what sort of results they are seeing.

 

[dave]

A perfect example of why so many millennials are living with their parents, well beyond the age they should be taking care of themselves these days.

It's scary seeing all of these millennials embracing Socialism. They know not what they do....

Part of the problem for young adults today is the ridiculous cost of college education. Graduating with 50-100k of debt and a job that doesnt pay well puts someone in a bad spot to start out. The answers are debateable.

 

[dave]

What is the weekly wage earned by a robot and do they pay the same tax rate as a human ???

Some talk about a value added tax for insustries that use robots to replace people. The tax replaces lost tax dollars when people leave the workforce and help fund retraining and other programs that help people replaced.

 

[mneilmont]

Why don't you explain how well tax breaks for the rich trickles down? Use Kansas as an example.

$1000 bonus and employment trickled down to a few that didn't have these things before. Kansas is of no interest to me, but can easily see where tax breaks at fed level stimulated the economy - again.

 

[dave]

But KANSAS.

Its a stupid argument and its all keyser can talk about. 2+2=KANSAS?

 

[Mntneer]

I don't disagree with Rowe. My point is that if I'm an employer looking for folks in skilled labor, and I can't find anyone with the skill set I need, it's time for me to find a solution. This is a long running issue. It didn't start in the last couple of months. I think apprenticeships would be a good solution. You can start to train your own replacements instead of complaining that no one fits. It takes time and costs money. I realize that. Most solutions do. I've probably heard this same complaint for the last 3 years, and I'm sure it's older than that. In 3 years' time, you likely could have trained a handful of folks. Some may drop out of the program, and others may decide to take those skills and do something else with them. It's not a perfect solution, but it beats grousing about the same problem for years without trying to do something.

I'll add that I have no idea if this has been tried by anyone. If so, I'd be curious what sort of results they are seeing.

The CAWV just had this discussion last week.

The problem our industry is facing is a mentality being pushed through the school systems that a college education is a must, and that if you go to a trade school you somehow are failing. Meanwhile, skilled iron workers can make WAY more than that kid that gets some Arts degree from a University costing them tens of thousands a year. We are working as best as we can to help trade schools grow and improve, but we're facing a cultural issue that is somewhat beyond our control.

And it's only getting worse. First it was you had to go to college. Now it's "you've got to get a Masters". Eventually it will be PhD's.

 

[dave]

The CAWV just had this discussion last week.

The problem our industry is facing is a mentality being pushed through the school systems that a college education is a must, and that if you go to a trade school you somehow are failing. Meanwhile, skilled iron workers can make WAY more than that kid that gets some Arts degree from a University costing them tens of thousands a year. We are working as best as we can to help trade schools grow and improve, but we're facing a cultural issue that is somewhat beyond our control.

And it's only getting worse. First it was you had to go to college. Now it's "you've got to get a Masters". Eventually it will be PhD's.

I said it 10 years ago. Universities sell degrees. I know so many folks who dont know what to do ipon graduation so they take a job at WVU and start on their masters. They take their masters and start at the bottom as professors at WVU. It is academic incest.

 

[atlkvb]

There is a Democrat running for POTUS with this as a major part of his platform, although I don't think he was in politics before this.

I'm scratching my balding head wondering why no Leftists are on here defending this since it's an obvious Democrat campaign strategy launched to win back the House. Alexandria Socialist was being promoted by DNC Chair Tom Perez two weeks ago as the "new face" of the Democrat party and I don't see anyone out there defending her or giving her props for having the "winning formula" for you guys this Fall?

What's up with that?