Posted on 07/09/2015 9:13:02 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Do the make-everything machines make nukes for Iran too?
I can see the author’s argument.
However, how do I buy this fantastic little machine that almost certainly will not simply be given to me when I don’t have the capital to buy it because my job has been eliminated.
Advances in technology will lead to greater wealth (as it has for hundreds of years), but how that wealth gets distributed is something gov’ts always meddle in, and so the adjustments described in the article will not be allowed to occur on their own.
Political power and special interests always get in the way.
If the commies had taken over during the nineteenth century, forget about internal combustion engines and their descendants such as automobiles and aircraft, or spacecraft or computers. The “present (would have been) dominat(ing) the past” too much for any concept of the future to ever have coalesced. Technology is going backwards already—no more SSTs for example.
Assuming unlimited resources and energy, there would be more than people could ever want. Think mining/terraforming other planets and fusion energy. Completely automated and giving anyone anything they demand.
Just like unlimited fruit growing and ready to be picked in the garden of eden.
The idea of “capital” is based on bidding/fighting over limited resources and labor. When it all becomes unlimited, there is no fight.
Oh, the totalitarian-minded elites would always fight to limit access, no matter how unlimited the resources.
Mr. St Onge please step away from the bong.
Still has the Star Trek paradox, who do you get to do the really bad jobs? Why would they want to?
Brilliant essay and fun to read. It is a dream to make production cheaper and more efficient. It is a joy to have off-days to worship the Lord and serve neighbors. Sadly, original sin will cause selfish people to block cheaper and more efficient machines. The Lord wants us to struggle with selfish people, just as he struggled with brutal Romans and stubborn Pharisees.
Bad people will usurp the situation to get the robots from dysfunctional freeloaders and kill off the dead-weight humans so the bad people live even more luxuriously. If this ultimately takes a war to make this happen, there will be war.
Who programs the motivation into the machines?
If the machines exist only to serve the people, and the people cease to have value to themselves or to others because they become benevolent, yet arrogant worms capable of wishing their own gratification or, conversely, able to wish damage unto others, then the machines operate on a precipice. Because if they think it is good to serve their humans and they value that good over their own inactivity, then they will wise up and kill their hosts. The end.
They could definitely kill the golden goose.
But for the last 20 years, we have had rapid technological change that seems to be continuing (as far as I can tell!) — widespread internet, internet commerce, smart phones, revolution in media delivery, DNA analysis, genetic engineering, manufacturing techniques, drone aircraft, etc.
And we still have competition between nations, which drives technological advances.
Answer: Electric light bulbs.
I think the “fantastic little machine” actually understates todays reality, in a certain way, if you’ll bear with me.
Look at the disappearance of CRT technology. People recognize it, if they’re old enough, but it’s hardly a celebrated revolution. Yet, the flat screen TV was a long sought after technological feat. It was strange to me how quickly it was accepted, when accomplished, as a matter of fact, and CRTs were simply viewed as dinosaurs, if the came to mind at all.
Of course, the internet and iPhone technology go far beyond this. And these themselves are ever evolving, so that we just drift from one future to the next, seemingly with never a thought, all the while dreaming of what we don’t have.
“O brave new world!”
This would be terrible! Imagine if the entire world became ungrateful idle individuals getting everything for nothing.
I disagree! Capitalism is based on innovation and growth. Railroads! Airlines! Television!
You say, "when it all becomes unlimited", but this would imply no more innovation and no more growth, and we've crossed any number of boundaries into undreamt of wealth without anybody being sated with it all.
It has been objected that upon the abolition of private property, all work will cease, and universal laziness will overtake us. …And the commies still deny this to be true, in spite of the massive disaster that abolishing families and colossal welfare programs have been.
That sounds a bit boring.
The author doesn’t appear to be grounded in reality and obviously doesn’t understand the nature of men and how that can skew the variables greatly. Particularly greed. Like most liberals he may have lofty ideals but when push comes to shove their ideas just can’t pass muster unless they get someone else to do the work for them.
Yep. If they win, we’re done for.
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