The cost to produce most manufactured goods is going down. But the cost of raw materials and food is going up. Fact is, the Human race is increasingly able to produce everything it needs with fewer and fewer people. The big question is: who will pay to keep all those redundant people happy?
That is a key question and it makes me really sad.
If a person is redundant and provides no economic benefit to society, what it to be done? One option is to kill them. The Left stands ready to exercise that option -- Death Panels are one manifestation of the idea. Another option is to put more people on welfare -- send 'em a check. The Left is also happy to exercise this option.
On the side of freedom ... what do we propose to do with redundant people who provide no economic benefit to society?
I swear, our side has no answer to that at all. I hate the answers that the Left would offer, but I don't see any alternatives except "Uhhhhhhh, the free market will think of something". I love the free market -- but "hope" is not a plan nor a policy.
Bingo.
Machines create the vast majority of wealth today, and they do not currently care about having their wealth confiscated. All they want is energy. A problem is as machines surpass human intelligence hopefully they will not linger long at our level else man and machine will become competitors and one will be killed off in war. Our best hope is that they leap so far ahead we become their pets.