36 replies to this topic

[dougie]

amen

How do you compare the way people lived about 30 years ago to now?

Let's be objective.

30 years ago -

There were less stents in peoples' hearts, no artificial knees and hips
60 million Americans were not living on anti-depressants
One income family could make ends meet
Lesser failed marriages
Lesser (or no)incidences of school shootings
Lesser number of Sociopaths in the society

they consume more, many things that was not even possible are available on the internet for online ordering.

Oh yes, they have more gadgets to display to their friends ---- iProgress !!

[zoropb]

I agree with Nav's post and some of yours arbs. problem is we have a growing amount of people living off welfare and out of the jobs picture not reporting and this is growing and not only in the states, this is going on in a great portion of the world and wait until more robotics get on line what do the developing countries do, all work at Micky D's instead of making things? The numbers the Gov is spitting out on unemployment is a half truth and weighted in reality terms BS. Yes we all live longer and thats great but there are more poor in the world than 100 years ago also and with 9 billion by 2050 what do the majority of these people do for work they cannot all be engineers or work fixing the machines that are quickly taking over jobs at an alarming rate so, your point on producing more is being reversed. Already The AI watson who kicked the crap out of the best Jeopardy champs is taking over call services, jobs in medical, law, a bunch of other jobs and this is only starting. One AI has taken over 1000s of jobs. An example of robotics taking over jobs is a company that use to make its products in the US with over 15400 employees, in 1992 went to China and cut 15100 of them and recently 2 years ago moved back to the states only increased 100 or so but all the products are now made by robotics. So, now even China is being effected as well as most places that use to make stuff. Most of your points of new tech effect the have's arb. and will continue to and the gap will widen and accelerate. I think we can agree to disagree on our overall all views. I hope yours is the outcome but I highly doubt it.

[Dex]

Let's be objective.

http://www.statistic...rty-statistics/

Total Percentage of World Population that lives on less than $2.50 a day 50%

http://www.economist.com/node/21548963
For the first time ever, the number of poor people is declining everywhere 1.25/day base
----

It seems things are getting better, but it is a recent development - from 1990.

And it looks like a fragile improvement.

The world population is going from 7B to 10B in 50 years - it will be difficult to maintain this improvement.

[zoropb]

Let's be objective.

http://www.statistic...rty-statistics/

Total Percentage of World Population that lives on less than $2.50 a day 50%

http://www.economist.com/node/21548963
For the first time ever, the number of poor people is declining everywhere 1.25/day base
----

It seems things are getting better, but it is a recent development - from 1990.

And it looks like a fragile improvement.

The world population is going from 7B to 10B in 50 years - it will be difficult to maintain this improvement.

Thanks for the improvement stat Dex. I stand corrected on that and I agree with your opinion that it reverses. I would say in a decade or less when robotics and AI increases the share of jobs and displaces humans.

[Dex]

Thanks for the improvement stat Dex. I stand corrected on that and I agree with your opinion that it reverses. I would say in a decade or less when robotics and AI increases the share of jobs and displaces humans.

The Luddites may have have been correct.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite

I think most of history's problems - wars, climate change (if you believe it is man made) is population related. And, we have more trouble coming. The greatest population growth will be in a band from Mexico to Middle East, to South East Asia. A young, unemployed, uneducated and poor population that will be a fertile ground for upheaval.

[zoropb]

Thanks for the improvement stat Dex. I stand corrected on that and I agree with your opinion that it reverses. I would say in a decade or less when robotics and AI increases the share of jobs and displaces humans.

The Luddites may have have been correct.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite

I think most of history's problems - wars, climate change (if you believe it is man made) is population related. And, we have more trouble coming. The greatest population growth will be in a band from Mexico to Middle East, to South East Asia. A young, unemployed, uneducated and poor population that will be a fertile ground for upheaval.

Dex have not had a chance to respond until now been busy at the blog with the members. I so agree with what you said that is exactly what I see coming and why I made the comment of more welfare to calm them for a while until the tech for security is so great they will be able to control masses like ants and probably impose a more martial law type of system. You move out of line zap into oblivion. Super drones patrolling, more super cameras from space and earth, more ways to know what anyone is doing and where. Of course worked in under the terrorist measures and who can deny it. I know it sounds very conspiracy theory mumbo jumbo but its already going on and accelerating. The tech security is improving exponentially and these middle east wars are testing grounds and for research and development. What pisses me off big time is kids getting killed for this. Ok I better shut up again.

[arbman]

I blame on too much video gaming while growing up to many social issues... People expect to push a button and everything to happen. In my opinion, the depression is a luxury, talk about depression to a guy in Chinese factory and they are employed in manufacturing jobs!!! There you go... Grass is always greener at the other side. At the turn of last century, when most worked in factories in US, they were also subject to all sorts of poisoning and health effects too... I am not sure about the higher divorce rates as necessarily a bad thing. There are 6-9% more single people than in 1980, so the people who get a divorce also get married again and they hopefully make happier marriages... BTW, I am also not against the women in the work force either. Of course, it takes a toll on kids who need more special care, and putting them in front of TV or computer games is obviously not the solution, this is how we end up with psychopaths. Anyhow, my thinking above is less to do with the social issues, but economic reasons. I am not informed enough to evaluate the society inside out, I am just sharing my observations about what it has been and where it is going, I doubt it is going to get significantly worse for most, and why people are less happy? They just don't have enough time, not really, most come in to work around 9:00, but mentally check in around 10:30, then it is the lunch time. I worked in corporations, they have been the least productive for me... Anyway, certainly most issues have to do with the economic reasons too, they always do...

Edited by arbman, 31 May 2013 - 03:19 PM.