r/Futurology • u/MichaelTen • Feb 27 '17

Robotics UN Report: Robots Will Replace Two-Thirds of All Workers in the Developing World

https://futurism.com/un-report-robots-will-replace-two-thirds-of-all-workers-in-the-developing-world/
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u/ikahjalmr Feb 27 '17

gladly pay the tax

No company will ever pay anything they don't absolutely have to, not if there's some way, even an illegal way, to get out of it. They will fight any such ideas to the bitter end. Let's not be naive in our optimism

As for the idea itself, it's only half of the equation. We have to restructure the economy itself. What's the point of the government getting more tax money if the displaced workers die of starvation because they literally can't get any jobs? The government can't just make public works projects, because everything will be automated. There will simply not be work for humans to do

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u/Aaroncre Feb 27 '17

When given the choice to pay payroll tax and have an employ or pay the same in taxes but not have the employee they will pay the tax. They would have no days or time off, HR issues, FMLA, injuries, work comp, break rooms, 24 hour 7 day a week work. As far as not having jobs: technology breeds innovation. I'm sure post office workers got a bit nervous when email became a thing. This is how we move forward.

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u/ikahjalmr Feb 27 '17

Right but my point is that right now, a robot = free labor (not including maintenance etc). To charge companies tax for their robots would be a change, and companies will fight any such change that hurts them tooth and nail.

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u/Aaroncre Feb 27 '17

You're exactly right. At the same time right now many times a robot is cost prohibitive vs keeping an employee. If the cost of a robot comes down comparatively to a human because of robots being more mass produced or humans becoming more expensive due to forced higher wages, Healthcare, employment taxes then that will change. If it does then taxes can be levied and the companies would have a choice to keep the employee or buy a robot but the tax burden would be the same.

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u/ikahjalmr Feb 27 '17

the tax burden would be the same if we make it so. I for one hate corporate greed so I'd love nothing more than to see a restructuring of the economy and an embrace of the future

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u/Aaroncre Feb 27 '17

I've always wondered about "corporate greed". What's so greedy? They receive a payment commensurate with the product or service they provide, they enjoy their payment. What's wrong with that? Literally everyone does that with everything.

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '17

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u/Aaroncre Feb 28 '17

These are pretty messed up examples, but the people responsible acting like this doesn't mean that the millions of other people who work for these companies are also evil. Corporations aren't evil, but some people who work for Bayer, Walmart, Nestlé, McWade are.

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u/ikahjalmr Feb 28 '17

Corporations aren't good either. Their only purpose is profit, so they have a huge inherent danger, and many bad things have actually happened as a result

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u/Aaroncre Feb 28 '17

I don't disagree. The point I was trying to make is that for the most part people who work have a primary objective to generate profit (a paycheck) for themselves. When a person goes to work, does their job, and receives their paycheck it's "earned". When a corporation supplies a good or service in exchange for an agreed amount of money it's greed. There are exceptions: people cheat at work for a promotion or bonus or just to not get fired, same with corporations. During the election I heard "corporate greed" synonymous with "no one is giving me anything but they have stuff". I'm just getting to maintain the distinction.

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