That the Tories in the UK (and National here in NZ and both US political parties) espouse similar ideas is of no surprise: their rich friends who keep them in power own the means to reap the rewards of high productivity and low pay. But while I’m fortunate enough to have a skilled job that is good both for me and the society I live in, I can easily foresee how increased automation could reduce the number of people needed to do my job —thus depriving some of the future generation of potential income and diverting it to those who own the means of automation.
What we really need is an end to social welfare provision as grudging charity and a Guaranteed Minimum Income as a right for all.
