When Work Disappears: What do we do with people whose livelihoods are destroyed? (Left waking-up?)

The Daily Beast ^ | June 14, 2013 | Megan McArdle

[2ndDivisionVet]

Paul Krugman has a column today on a topic you don't normally get much of from economists: sympathy for the Luddites. Back in 2001, when I sat in on my last formal economics class, this was about as daring a proposition as "Sympathy for the Devil" was as an album title.

---snip---

But I have started worrying about what's taking place at the bottom of the economy. In much of the industrial world, it seems to be increasingly difficult for people to earn a decent living without a fairly elite set of skills--or an elite set of credentials that mimic skills, like a BA in English Literature from an Ivy League institution. The ability to earn a decent living, either yourself or as part of a family, is one of the basic criteria for a decent life. (And yes, before you ask: I think trust funds can be just as toxic as lifetime welfare benefits.)

---snip---

For starters, it is politically difficult to imagine a really large class of people who simply permanently live off the state. The safety net is rooted in human instincts about reciprocal exchange. Of course, it isn't all that reciprocal--the majority of people who are net taxpayers are extremely unlikely to collect much in the way of food stamps, TANF, or even unemployment insurance. Nonetheless, the moral arguments are founded in the premise that these benefits are for emergencies, and anyone can have an emergency. They will lose political support if you have one group of people paying taxes, and a different group of people who can expect to live their entire life on the dole.

Such an arrangement would also be socially toxic....

[autumnraine]

That is my ex-husband. It was part of what led to the end of my marriage because at the age of 51, he realized after giving 30 years to a textile mill that went to Brazil that he wasn’t going to barely be employed, much less earn a living. Retirement gone too.

It’s so sad. But it affected the entire tri-county area and he was one of many that was in his boat.

[Undecided 2012]

2bd,
When I taught job-seeking classes to welfare and food stamp recipients (97% female) back in the late 80’s and throughout the 90’s. We (the govt. and taxpayers) had sent many of them back to school to get their associates and bachelor degrees, yet they “couldn’t find a job

I would imagine they didn’t want a job because then the freebies stop. Plus I would imagine after 99 weeks of vacation they roll right into the SSI program. What a life.

[familyop]

"But I have started worrying about what's taking place at the bottom of the economy."

As have many who are living high on the pile of foreign debt (domestic debt being little more than revenues from recirculating debt). That's why they are so courageously trying to turn subgroups against each other with sponsored propaganda, implementing policies for universal surveillance, more armed police in civil services and writing even more regulations against new peasant business starts and property rights.

Better change some of those attitudes about "Luddites." Tomorrow belongs to low-techs, and tomorrow comes sooner than expected.

[rbg81]

The old dealers are sharp.

---

Well, sure. But they have been doing it for years.

My larger point is that, as we automate more, fewer and fewer productive people will be needed. And that is part of the dilemma. 200 years ago, everyone had something to do. Now, increasing number of people can be totally unproductive and yet Society can provide for them. But the question is who pays for these people and how?

I think if we fast forward 100 years from now, we’ll find that most people do very little. There will be a handful of producers, technicians, trades people, and machines who do the work. Lots and lots of machines. The majority will simply be consumers of entertainment and spewers of opinion. —giving them the illusion of importance.

[cradle of freedom]

Try to support locally owned businesses not big national businesses and try to pay in cash as this allows business owners to do their own creative book keeping. Know what I mean?

[autumnraine]

Yep. I agree.

I think there are people (alot of Freepers) who don’t realize just how bad it is because they are in their own little bubble.

[familyop]

"In much of the industrial world, it seems to be increasingly difficult for people to earn a decent living without a fairly elite set of skills--or an elite set of credentials that mimic skills, like a BA in English Literature from an Ivy League institution."

Behold the machinist of the 21st Century, related to a government-connected investor.

[Mr. Jeeves]

"The reality is that if you're in your fifties forty and aren't on the fast track to upper management, you're living on borrowed time."

Since 2008 and with the advent of ObamaCare, that age has slid way down.

[cradle of freedom]

Only it wasn’t economic stupidity with was mendacity and lack of conscience. Today these same liars are telling us the illegal aliens should get amnesty because it is good for the economy.

[autumnraine]

When the plant doesn’t exist, upper management means crap.

[dennisw]

Gee off shoring perfectly productive and profitable manufacturing off shore was such a good idea. /sarc

More evidence how idiotic free trade is. You go to a self respecting nation like Korea, they do their utmost to keep jobs at home for Koreans. In the US we prefer to see them getting welfare

Automation-computerization-robotics is also destroying jobs and leading to more wealth concentration

[central_va]

Automation-computerization-robotics is also destroying jobs and leading to more wealth concentration

Which brings up a good point, offshoring was done and promoted to reduce labor costs. So if the plant is updated and automated, what was the purpose of offshoring to the turd world in the fist place?

[PLMerite]

“Well... What about Obamacare and the “Death Panels”. I think that makes it obvious what the left plans on doing.”

I’ve always thought that was part of their Agenda 21 plan. Wait until the “useless eaters” at the bottom of the pile figure that out.

[autumnraine]

Sick of people whining about a cell phone being a luxury.

Please point out pay phones in your neighborhood. They sure aren’t in mine and I’d rather my kids not walk home from school with no way to call for help.

[central_va]

Sick of people whining about a cell phone being a luxury.

My family plan costs $140.00 / month. The phones are extra. That kind of money is a luxury. People who are "poor" should not have that luxury. Sorry about the pay phones, but that is the way it is.

[familyop]

"Our problem isn’t luddites. It’s a government that makes going into business for oneself almost impossible. Between the IRS, the EPA, OSHA & the rest of the alphabet soup of gov’t agencies, trying to start some kind of enterprise is just too formidable for most people."

That's a great and true reply in most regards, but federal regulations don't get in the way in most cases. Local zoning laws against any and all manufacturing, even in rural areas, are the most common obstacle against starting a new, small manufacturing shop. And that's after planning, building and other useless and wasteful regulations.

There's one product that I could make and deliver, but it would involve minor lead cleanup. It could even be built without lead. Feds satisfied, no problem there. But the locals? No competition allowed. No work allowed. Not to mention so many uncivil engineers and other so-called professionals in offices that are payed heavily by low-tech property owners for any home building projects before wishing to start small shops.

[familyop]

"My family plan costs $140.00 / month. The phones are extra. That kind of money is a luxury. People who are "poor" should not have that luxury. Sorry about the pay phones, but that is the way it is."

$2.50 for a cellphone. $10 every four months to keep it working. Internet access: cheap wireless. Computer: cheap as crap. Software: all free, built from open source. Home power: we built it (PV, solar, etc.--all on wheels). Our family income is so low, that it would probably scare you. I can fix anything. I can build anything. I can make anything. We'll be around long after the nonproductive/counterproductive, debt-sucking political/regulator is SOL.

[EBH]

It is what is missing from ‘the party.’

[Cringing Negativism Network]

America needs American jobs.

Sending jobs to China helps: China.

[EBH]

Wrong. We need to give people their dream back!

Your statement is just laying blame where it does not belong anymore. “cheap labor business people,” is a copout for not working towards your dream.