Group Post October 23rd, 2018

Danielle D, Danielle G, Meredith, Elsie

How can we stall the inequality that capitalism creates?

A solution we can consider is the option of a robot employee. Artificial intelligence labor could solve issues of overusing resources by simplifying processes as well as help the issue of inequality. The initial reaction of a possible robot associate– or replacement, is that we’ll be out of work, and that we have no source of income. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

When we talk about robots taking our jobs, we should analyze the why, and how we can fix it. Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a solution to an automation takeover, covering living wages and creating a system that doesn’t expect the working class citizen to depend on capitalism. It is a base income that is given to every citizen, regardless of working status or income. “The most substantial benefit would be the elimination of households living below the poverty line… Many believe it will also result in an explosion in creativity, entrepreneurship, and research. Some even see universal basic income as a way to distribute the fruits of technological advancement fairly.”

To summarize, we shouldn’t be scared of a robot takeover… we should celebrate it!

https://futurism.com/images/universal-basic-income-answer-automation

https://www.fastcompany.com/3049079/robots-might-take-your-job-but-heres-why-you-shouldnt-worry

https://greattransition.org/publication/precariat-transformative-class

“The precariat’s needs cannot be met by modest reforms to the existing social and economic system. It is the only transformative class because, intuitively, it wants to become strong enough to abolish the conditions that define its existence and, as such, abolish itself. All others want merely to improve their position in the social hierarchy. This emergent class is thus well-placed to become the agent of radical social transformation—if it can organize and become sufficiently united around a shared identity, alternative vision, and viable political agenda.”

If robots became our labor force, we wouldn’t need to abolish the class system. We also wouldn’t need a class system because we wouldn’t need wages.

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1478210315580206

“In an open market economy system with flexible labour relations, the only way to provide the precariat with basic economic security is through a guaranteed unconditional basic income.”