Forum Home
PC World Chat
 
Thread ID: 143677 2017-03-15 01:01:00 Looking into a bright/dire future Laggard (17509) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1432873 2017-03-15 01:01:00 Interesting subject and responses on Bruce Simpsons Arrdvark site.

forums.aardvark.co.nz


The effects of technology could repeat history unless we have some very smart leaders (as opposed to politicians) ?
Laggard (17509)
1432874 2017-03-15 01:55:00 There have been loads of stories (SF) about this sort of thing, and proposed scenarios of the different.

whether it would work or not, who knows, but capitalism can't continue.

It's the make stuff, sell stuff, everyone buy stuff with their big wages paid by the rich companies, making it all by selling loads of stuff, and then suddenly as automation happens etc, they can't afford to buy stuff, and it's all over.

Then what? Not to mention using up ingredients for stuff, pollution from harvesting it all to make stuff etc.
Add more people (more population is apparently good because it means more people to buy stuff), and it's definitely ****ed.
pctek (84)
1432875 2017-03-15 02:39:00 Some years ago it was being said that because of automation we would all have loads of leisure time, and that we should start planning for early retirement and what to do with all the lots of leisure....................................:banana

Instead people have to work longer, both couples in a partnership or marriage have to work to make ends meet, retirement age went back up from 60 to 65, and now proposed to go to 67, or 70, or 75, or....................:badpc:
Terry Porritt (14)
1432876 2017-03-15 02:46:00 just a matter of time before the workers rally & smash the cotton mills
oh..wait..history..yeah

Put up or shut up I say.
If really concerned, why are you buying cheap mass produced goods made in sweat shops.
Theres a reason NZ industry died, no one wanted to pay 5x as much .

Do we buy a hand build TV , costing 10K , or a massed produced TV built buy robots
1101 (13337)
1432877 2017-03-15 09:04:00 Time to read Neal Stephenson's "The Diamond Age" again.

In the near future the vastly rich and powerful few are segregated off into different cultures, cults, houses and countries etc. The huge majority of the population struggle within the different areas of influence, most in poverty. All in
a background of arcane high tech, mostly developed by the "neo-Victorians".

This is the background to some wildly different experiences for some of the main characters.

The present is much closer to the book then when it was written in the early 90's!!
Laggard (17509)
1432878 2017-03-15 09:09:00 Re Terry Porrit post.

Possibly overseas operators are taking profits and taxes out of the country.?
Laggard (17509)
1432879 2017-03-15 19:21:00 If really concerned, why are you buying cheap mass produced goods made in sweat shops.
Theres a reason NZ industry died, no one wanted to pay 5x as much .

Do we buy a hand build TV , costing 10K , or a massed produced TV built buy robots

Where do we buy a hand built TV?
Me, I don't buy stuff all the time. Had this TV for the last 8/9 years. Not smart, no USB etc.

Before that had the old CRT TV for ages....
Don't own a smartphone, never mind upgrading it every year....

I'd rather pay 5x as much for my appliance like they used to be - than the crap now that lasts 6 minutes.
Still have a Kelvinator dryer, it's 38 years old this year.

It's false economy buying something for $500 and it doesn't last than something that might cost $2000 and lasts ages.
pctek (84)
1