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Redvolition OP t1_it92z8v wrote

Reply to comment by ihateshadylandlords in Thoughts on Job Loss Due to Automation by Redvolition

Despite being a free market advocate myself and generally against state interventionism, for the first time, I happen to agree with the opinion of a socialist:

Automation is abolishing the source of profit, making socialism an economic and technical necessity for the first time

Before this post scarcity utopia arrives, though, we might have a large UBI underclass that spends the money it receives from the government on companies, which in turn get a large ammount of their profits taxed away to feed the underclass back, thus creating a cycle of production and consumption not based on work, but rather on taxation and gratuituous distribution. For this to work, we are going to start seeing absurd levels of taxation, far above what socialist nations such as Belgium and France practice.

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BearStorms t1_it96x73 wrote

I don't think this will be pretty, especially in the US. There is kind of animosity towards people on welfare, etc. as an ideological position and moving towards UBI or God forbid some kind of socialism will be a very hard thing to swallow for many people. Even though it will be absolutely necessary. American working class has a long tradition of voting against their own interests. The capital holding elites will weaponize this sentiment to fight the high level of taxation that will be surely coming as you pointed out. Europe will definitely have an advantage in this and the transition will be smoother.

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