The relentless drive for efficiency has been fueled by astronomical costs for workers in this country -- particularly in the area of medical benefits.
Fair enough. GM is near bankruptcy these days because of its massive employee pension and health costs.
Robots and computers don't get sick and they don't retire. It is not surprising that employers would rather automate than hire more employees.
I don't really see a solution to this. A few generations back, mechanization wiped out millions of agricultural jobs in this country, but the long-term effects for the workers that were displaced were positive.
The only way to return to profitabililty after running up unfunded pension liabilities is to go after Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The airlines did it, the steel industry did it and now GM and Ford will do it. The unions have runup the tab so high that they have priced themselves out of business.
More socialist propaganda that you have apparently succumbed to. Health benefits are the highest they've ever been in American history. That is one of the problems with labor costs: by demanding the ever greater benefits, we price ourselves out of the market.
Now, calculate how much you spent on housing and entertainment, including your TV, vs. your savings for medical needs.
The average family in this country spends $1,000 to save for tuition of their children. Why don't you compare that to the average price they pay for TV.