this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2023
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[–] WaxedWookie@lemmynsfw.com 18 points 1 year ago (3 children)

The problem with automation is that the unions lose power. Collectivise? We'll just replace you with scab bots.

We're not set up to use automaton as we should - the basis for a transition to a decommodified society where people's needs are met and they have more leisure time. Instead, we'll just further centralise economic resources until capitalism breaks down because noone can afford food or shelter. At that point, if we don't eat the rich, we'll consolidate back into autocracy thanks to their disproportionate economic power.

[–] Haui@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 year ago

I agree. I was talking about right now. If people did this today, nobody would be replaced as everything would collapse, which only shows how much power the working people actually have.

Most people (by design) underestimate the power of unions and strikes. Just look up what countries had strikes and what happened after. It’s always the same (if the country is democratic). Employers lose, employees win.

The trick today is to keep this info from us and feed us anti union propaganda. This encourages the sentence you just used (we‘ll just replace you).

No they wont, not until we built their robots. After we did that, we have actually ruined ourselves.

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is what happened to the Luddites. Don't see many cloth weavers around anymore.

[–] WaxedWookie@lemmynsfw.com 2 points 1 year ago

It's not.

I'm not proposing we smash the machines - I'm proposing we share the benefit of the productivity they take over, and use it to fund people to work less rather than pouring all the benefits of the work that those machines do into the pockets of the likes of Bezos at the direct expense to workers.

Use the machines for good rather than amplifying evil.

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

That's why programmers have to integrate unionising subroutines directly into the robot's code.