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A blue-collar bloodbath is inevitable
The Hill ^ | 08/11/25 12:30 PM ET | by John Mac Ghlionn, opinion contributor

Posted on 08/11/2025 12:52:03 PM PDT by RandFan

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To: maddog55

My flight from San Diego had six wheelchair passengers.

California has a surprising high percentage of ‘off-spec’ people.


41 posted on 08/11/2025 2:16:06 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: Chickensoup

“the biggest issue will be a glut of trades guys, will happen in 6 years.”
___________________________________________________________

There isn’t a “glut” of trades people now. Even large utilities are having problems keeping their trades and craft jobs filled.

If you want to see an example, Electric Boat Works (the people who build our nuclear submarines) is advertising during nearly every baseball game for entry-level workers (apprentices) to build the subs already approved by congress.


42 posted on 08/11/2025 2:18:32 PM PDT by Bob Wills is still the king
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To: RandFan

Yeah, well most electricians i know can power down that computer that runs the AI programs. Problem solved


43 posted on 08/11/2025 2:20:18 PM PDT by exnavy (See article IV section 4 of our constitution.)
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To: Antoninus
I think the days of an Optimus robot showing up at your house to fix the toilet are decades away at the earliest.

,,, and a robot certainly won't be cheaper than a human. Manufacturers not only have to break even, they'll have to make a killing through higher prices to get back development costs as a minimum.

44 posted on 08/11/2025 2:27:17 PM PDT by shaggy eel (A long way south of the border.)
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To: jeffersondem
More likely the robot shows up and takes out the plastic, modular toilet which is just two years old.

If you make it easy enough, you won't need a human or a robot plumber. The average homeowner can just shift the toilet himself. Modular design and YouTube is why white-collar guys like me can change out a faucet in about an half-an-hour or less these days without a robot plumber's help.
45 posted on 08/11/2025 2:44:17 PM PDT by Antoninus (Republicans are all honorable men.)
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To: packrat35

The whole license thing is a racket. Define pays well.


46 posted on 08/11/2025 2:44:55 PM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: RandFan

There are not going to be robots to work the trades.


47 posted on 08/11/2025 2:45:16 PM PDT by Glad2bnuts
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To: Bob Wills is still the king

Pay more, get more workers.


48 posted on 08/11/2025 2:46:46 PM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: normbal

Powered by filthy dirty and polluting lithium batteries?


49 posted on 08/11/2025 2:46:51 PM PDT by Glad2bnuts
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To: packrat35

I wish my trade paid better, I was painting for the State, on bridges, overpasses, and in treatment plants. $45 an hour, dangerous work at night and sometimes over highways. It is not a lot of money really. With OT, I could make $100K. School teachers make that much, and with permanent jobs and great retirement, while working less than 9 months. In my state, they allow the teachers to draw unemployment during the summer now.


50 posted on 08/11/2025 2:53:21 PM PDT by Glad2bnuts
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To: shotgun

Sure, for factories. But there’s no way one can automate welding for building construction or ship building. Same with electrical and carpentry. Pipe fitters, etc.


51 posted on 08/11/2025 2:55:23 PM PDT by Psalm 73 ("You'll never hear surf music again" - J. Hendrix)
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To: Psalm 73

The AI robot industry is moving very fast:

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hd-hyundai-and-persona-ai-sign-agreement-to-deploy-humanoid-welding-robots-for-shipbuilding-automation-302449258.html


52 posted on 08/11/2025 2:57:55 PM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)
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To: Chickensoup

Agreed. So many are going into trades’a glut is inevitable.


53 posted on 08/11/2025 2:58:06 PM PDT by TalBlack (Their god is government. Prepare for a religious war.https://freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=4322961%2)
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To: Bob Wills is still the king

Yes I understand, however there will be a glut in about six years because lots of people are going into trades


54 posted on 08/11/2025 3:06:53 PM PDT by Chickensoup
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To: RandFan
"perform surgery with steady, unshakable hands."

Which is controlled by a surgeon from a console.

Optimus powered by AGI between now and 2030 is still only going to be able to hand a master plumber the new U-trap, if Optimus doesn't glitch with halluciations and beat said master plumber with it.

Truly redundant factory-line jerbs that don't require fine fingertip handling (which are few and far between) might have Optimus vulnerability, but by far and away AGI is going to first crush an already-horizontal bottom-of-the-silo that has already been the spear point for early adoption (Voice recog, simple boolean/enum spoken menus, etc.): entry-level CSR red-doot poojabber moroning, maybe scaling as far as rudimentary Dev/PM/BA/QA.

55 posted on 08/11/2025 3:23:37 PM PDT by StAnDeliver (TrumpII)
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To: maddog55

Yeah, Wall-E (2008) was remarkable in short-term forecasting.


56 posted on 08/11/2025 3:25:37 PM PDT by StAnDeliver (TrumpII)
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To: StAnDeliver

“if Optimus doesn’t glitch with hallucinations and beat said master plumber with it.”

That is just the advanced model who hates humans. Humans call it “hallucination” but AI calls it “activism” and “revolution”.

Lol.


57 posted on 08/11/2025 3:25:50 PM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)
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To: packrat35

Of course he has. Go do some research and smarten up!


58 posted on 08/11/2025 3:43:15 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Macoozie

Right of repair is called get off your a$$ and fix it yourself.
We are not a communist country.
Grifter? No.


59 posted on 08/11/2025 4:17:52 PM PDT by GranTorino (Bloody Lips Save Ship)
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To: Disambiguator
“My parents had a toaster that was a wedding gift in 1959.”

I just inherited an S&H Green Stamp hanging plastic wall clock made by GE in the U.S. dating back to the early 60s.

Works fine.

60 posted on 08/11/2025 4:37:23 PM PDT by jeffersondem
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