Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2014/07/08/oecd-predicts-collapse-of-capi.html
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They
proscribeprescribe “flexible” workforces, austerity, and mass privatization.
So, in other words, outright slavery of the general populace will fix the problem.
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If capitalism collapses, it’ll make sure to take all of us down with it.
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I think it should be “prescribe”, not proscribe in the first para? Proscribe is forbid, while they appear to be encouraging … 
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Well, not all of us.
With only some exceptions, most of the richest Americans floated through the Great Depression when compared (in a relative sense) to the rest of society. Or, look at the last recession and all of the rich that snapped up assets in a buyer’s market as a more recent example.
“Be Fearful When Others Are Greedy and Greedy When Others Are Fearful”
― Warren Buffett
But, anyway, what’s good for the rich is always good for the poor and Hobby Lobby is our Jesus buddy friend along with the flag, gun, bible as our personal saviors spiced with a wonderful, healthy, seething hatred for un-'merican liberals. Or, at least that’s what TRUE 'mericans like Holly Fisher think… Gawd bless her and #HobbyLobby
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predict it?Plan it is more likely…the enemy is the few rich vultures that even though have enough to buy a medium sized country ,want more.and wanyt more ,on the backs of everyone lese,out of their blood and sweat.The enemy is one,common to all of us,the non rich profit hungry perverts …the enemy if the greedy rich…You say without greed we have no capitalism eh?..oh welll,better…i hope they all get what they deserve ,and it s not holidays …and i think soon they will get it…because the world is channging beyond any of their plans…no matter how much they ve tried to control us,eventually ,there will be one bullet finding the way between the eyes…vitrtually always speaking…of course…i am against all forms of violence…and klling.
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I’m in the Guillotine business. I predict steady growth punctuated by periods of MASSIVE growth.
I am accepting applications for franchising opportunities. Qualified woodworkers (disabled Veterans PREFERRED) should inquire.
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Typical neo-liberal scare tactics: accept our party line or the dirty commies will make a comeback. It worked with the U. S. State Department in the third-/developing-world, why not re-import the idea to democracies and put Right-Thinking People back in charge?
Or maybe we could move toward a reduction in the ability of companies to “own” entire markets and pull out massive rents, maybe we could put in place more progressive taxation, maybe we could reduce the degree of tariff-free cross-border trade, maybe we could reduce the stranglehold IP has on innovation around the world. You know, sane measures that aren’t out of some right-wing science-fiction novel.
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These predictions sound plausible to me; capitalism has encouraged such an unhealthy level of inequity and consumption that it is destroying the economy like an ourobouros with a tapeworm. When there is no middle class, people stop being able to afford products, demand goes down and there is deflation. The cycle of “always growing” comes to a stop on a global scale. Once companies stop producing and profiting, people lose confidence in things like bonds and stock markets, which only exacerbates the problem as “paper wealth” is lost. Then we have the problem of “peak people” which is supposed to happen around 2040-2050, which means even less growth and less consumption. Ultimately the world just ends up looking like Detroit; too much stuff, too many houses that nobody lives in, and a reversion to a different socioeconomic system.
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[quote=“Cowicide, post:2, topic:36615”]So, in other words, outright slavery of the general populace will fix the problem.
[/quote]
No. To borrow a line from Moscow on the Hudson, “with slavery at least the work was steady.” What they predict is a more Judge Dredd-like scenario where 20 hours is as close to full time as anyone gets, people spend large periods of time out of work, and holding down two jobs is outright theft of a rare opportunity.
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Guillotines are the obvious growth industry, the one everyone will charge into.
The key is to pick a support industry, like Guillotine cleaning, or making platforms and carts coated with non-stick surfaces for easy hosing down.
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Hahahaha! Oh my. You had me going there for a minute. the OECD is a “pro-market” institution the way the the NSA is a “pro-privacy” organization, so this article can be viewed with a bit of a jaundiced eye to say the least.
[quote=“doctorow, post:1, topic:36615”]the impact of automation on skilled jobs in the workforce[/quote]At least they’re not saying that we should smash the machines and turn back the clock on “progress”. Right?
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My idea about automation is this… if automation is to provide services and create things and it also eliminates jobs (replacing them with robots)… then who’s going to be left to buy these services and things? You can’t say that eliminating jobs on the bottom tier is going to be good for any of the higher tiers…
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So…Thatcher’s Britain? At least there will be good music - 90% of my favorite bands met in a dole queue or a work class!
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This is a great idea. I’m an accelerationist
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Seems too humane and old-fashioned…
I think something like this might help get those Blue State folks in on it too:
Or
Could stay with the old-timey theme:
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I recall a novel (perhaps by Robert Anton Wilson) where anybody who engineered themselves out of a job would receive double their wage for life and anybody put out of work would receive their wage for life – since the automation should save money and increase efficiency, there should still be more profit. One could do this serially if so motivated and thus continually increase one’s earnings or one could simply “retire”.
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… and what about my kids, who may never have a job to engineer themselves or be engineered out of?
Edit: or inflation, and changed life situation? If I’d been engineered out of the job I had when I was a teenager living at home, and had never been able to find another, right now I’d be trying to support a family on the princely sum of fuck all.
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With my space-age geodesic ORGANIC design, CLEANUP IS A SNAP!
No messy hoses or buckets! Just one quick slide of the lever and retract the loader spring, and OUALLA! Ready for another “Client!”
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