From society’s perspective, you are IMO absolutely correct.
From an employer’s perspective, they are likely to have no choice. If a competitor can switch to robots and undercut your price 20%, you either switch to robots yourself or go out of business, in which case your employees are out of a job anyway.
IMO this is the biggest problem of our society, and almost nobody is talking about it. It is the real driver behind the global increase in income inequality liberals love to talk about. More and more of our population is going to be falling out the bottom of the job market. There will simply be no economic demand for anything they are capable of doing or of learning to do. What are these people going to do with their lives?
It is indisputable that industrialism, technology and the free market have for the last several centuries been the drivers behind the greatest expansion of human potential, wealth and freedom in history.
While wealth will continue to expand, there is IMO no guarantee that the free market, which will drive this switch to tech instead of people, will continue to be a benefit for most people and for society as a whole.
Past performance does not guarantee future performance.
I think conservatives need to start thinking about what we can base our ideology on IF the free market goes south on us.
RE: What are these people going to do with their lives?
Learn to make and program Robots I guess... until the Robots learn to make and program other Robots...
What free market?
I've been leaning toward a future of an automated, information driven world where the concept of market value and wealth no longer exists. By extension, skill, effort and intelligence cannot be applied to change your lot in life. Individuals will be born into their lot in life and not be able to change it.
You have identified the problem, along with a large number of others, numerically. Percentage-wise, most are unable to get beyond 'American Idol' and this is at least two steps further along. I know what worked previously, and still works in other countries, and that is servants, indentured servants, and apprentices. Most Americans have been brain-washed to believe menial jobs are beneath them and all should get a college education, when in fact, almost all people find satisfaction in doing a good job, whatever it is. I despise socialists who ignore this to further their own cause.
Abolish welfare and all social programs in accordance with our Constitution and let charity work as intended. We will have our culture back and no need for Big Government.
See my #61.