Is it possible to create a political socioeconomic system in which nobody has to work?

Fantasy vanity | November 26, 2002 | Momaw Nadon

[Momaw Nadon]

I hate my job. I wish I could live a comfortable life without having to work.

Can the best and brightest Freeper minds devise a way of life in which nobody has to work, yet we are all living comfortably?

There could be a technological solution to this problem.

What if we created intelligent robots to do our work for us, while we all relax and enjoy life?

The pace of advances in computer technology is increasing and a solution to the problem of having to go to work may occur in this century.

My hope is that we will all be able to live in a leisure class like the idle rich.

How can this be implemented?

Who would own the robots: individuals, the government, or corporations?

My challenge to all at Free Republic is to devise a Constitution of a political socioeconomic system in which nobody has to work but in which we are all wealthy.

Any takers?

[jwfiv]

In short...nope.

[maro]

That's as silly as the Star Trek assumption that enlightened future societies will not need money (unlike the benighted Ferengi). Robots may increase the standard of living, but there will always be a scarcity of resources, and therefore always work to earn money to get those resources. Even today, you don't really have to work to get food, in our semi-socialist society, what with food stamps and welfare and relief organizations, but work is required to buy Play Stations, live in nice houses, buy copyrighted music etc. Thus it shall ever be.

[Momaw Nadon]

[neutrino]

Sure. Actually, you need two elements; first, the general purpose robots you propose to interact with the macro world - delivery of goods, for example, and repair of the infrastructure, including the robots themselves.

Second, you need to develop nanotechnology, and the ability to manipulate matter at the molecular - or, better, atomic - level. That way, you can overcome the natural resource issues that might otherwise be a problem.

Actually, we're already seeing the first stirrings of such a world. Fewer and fewer people are involved in the production of the "stuff" we want and need such as food, cars, houses, and so forth.

I'm not so sure that this will be a good thing; for I note that many of those who are exempt from such a requirement often develop bad habits. Welfare recipients and occupants of public housing come to mind, as do the inheritors of great wealth. But I fully expect to see the trends develop over the next decade or so.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Machines could probably replace many workers who use their bodies and little brain power at their jobs. However, as of yet, there isn't a robot/computer that can think like a human. There are a lot of jobs that require thinking...until computers can think, the answer is NO!

[Momaw Nadon]

"above all no emotions well except maybe for the pleasure droids"

I like the way you think.

[Revolting cat!]

The last time I looked, we already have such a system. It's called the welfare state and it meets your requirement perfectly: nobody has to work!

[AntiGuv]

How will you enjoy life?

All play & no work...

Will you watch robots acting on TV?

Virtual reality...

Will you read a book written by robots?

Authors who write for leisure & recognition...

Will you see a robot Dr.?

24-7 biomonitoring; nanosurgery

Will the politicians be robots? (kinda like Al Gore)

Yes.

Will the policemen be robots? The Judges?

Yes - surveillance cameras & polygraphic tech.

Who will decide which robots will do what work?

Programming codes

Free your mind!

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

They say the best engineers on the plant are the laziest engineers!

[Cultural Jihad]

... but in which we are all wealthy.

LOL! Assuming each and every person had exactly $500,000,000,000.00 in the bank, there would then be no wealth at all.

[Mark Felton]

"Free your mind !"

Enslave your soul.

[Revolting cat!]

Will you read a book written by robots?

They couldn't be much worse than the books "written" by Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steel and Tom Clancy!

[glc1173@aol.com]

Only if the nation or region involved has vast exportable wealth - and the Kuwaitis and Dutch have largely done just that with their oil and natural-gas fields. Holland's natural-gas fields has made it possible to put any citizen just not wanting to work on benefits realistically approaching after-tax earnings there indefinitely.

Otherwise, how the hell would any such system work? How would it get cash for the government - other than by taxing its totally-nonworking population?

[AntiGuv]

It is what it is.

[timm22]

If a person was able to make a robot with a "brain" equivalent to a human's, it might be possible for humans to live without ever working again. If the robots were smart enough, they could fix each other, manufacture replacements, and even create companionship and intellectual stimulation for us.

To avoid ethical questions and the accusation of slavery, the robots could be initially programmed to love work and service. This could also help prevent the seemingly inevitable robot rebellion, as seen in Terminator and The Matrix.

[Kaiwen]

Still scary. The thought of anyone from Office Space in charge of anything gives me the willies.

'PC Load Letter'? What the f*** does that mean?

[Mark]

If you are talking about a single country and not the entire world, then yes. If you lived in a country that has control of a needed product, like oil in the present time, it could be set up for all to live in luxury.

[Momaw Nadon]

[Mark Felton]

BTW: While your plugged into your VR goggles, I'll be working to make more money than you so I can wield power over you.

You also seem to forget that working for a BETTER life is a relative term.

You can stop working right now. Go ahead and stop. You will be cared for. You can get a check from the welfare dept. You will have healthcare AND you can enjoy yourself all day long watching TV.

Go ahead. We don't need robots. You can stop right now and have a life of luxury and good health superior to even the wealthiest man 100 years ago. You can go on the dole and have a quality of life SUPERIOR to Abraham Lincoln.

Why don't you? WHY?

[Mark]

Well, actually, if you were married to my wife........