luddites!

----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Bradlee" <Bob at BRADLEE.ORG> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 9:01 PM Subject: Re: luddites! first.... industry ? applications. picture. stock holders :) Automation might replace many manual manufacturing positions, but it does create support jobs for the machinery used to automate. The more complex the equipment the more people involved in designing, creating, supporting, and servicing it. You trade low skill jobs for somewhat fewer higher skill jobs. The US used to have most of its population at one time working the fields to feed themselves and the rest of the country, today very few people are needed to run automated farms but the rest found other things to do (we don't have 97% unemployment now do we). Productivity gains were huge when we went to computers and robotics to do the repetitive tasks. Thing is once you automate the process where can you get further productivity gains? The answer most companies use is to reduce headcount, make everyone a salaried position (overtime exempt) and crank up the expected work hours from their employees. You can also buy up the competition and price your goods higher (still paying your workers the same amount while merging the 2 companies and firing most of the duplicate staff). The major problems come when the manufacturing itself is sent to another country, and with manufacturing goes the equipment and service companies that support manufacturing. This leaves many people out of work and driving down the wages of those who still have a job, but must compete with those will work at a lower rate to survive.