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comment by notbillgates
notbillgates  ·  3672 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Theopolitics in Amurica

    This is because the free market as it currently functions cannot work in a world of increasing automation, which makes labour far less important to economic growth.

The free market will continue to function the same as it always has, thats the great thing about a free market structure. It will adapt to any situation, regardless of whether or not there is an increase in automation, this principle has been demonstrated before, beginning with the first industrial revolution and continuing today.

    the nation-state is not a structure that makes any sense in 2014.

There always has and always will be faction in the world, unity will never exist on a world wide scale, this is simply human nature. I cannot see a single example of a united world that was not by force. Rome was united only by brute force, the British empire, every "democratic" country on earth today continues to exist because it's citizens live in fear of the power they have chosen to hand to their government. It's a sad truth but no cooperative society will ever exist with humans in charge.

While you make many excellent points about a system that I to agreed is totally broken, your view of humans ability to unite as one is far from realistic. I cannot present you a solution and it's doubtful that anyone can present a solution that will fix the problems created by theological states. Once you institute a solution it will only create different, potentially worse problems.





theadvancedapes  ·  3672 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    regardless of whether or not there is an increase in automation, this principle has been demonstrated before, beginning with the first industrial revolution and continuing today.

Yes, the only difference this time is that the free market won't need you. That is why I made the point that future economic growth won't be based so much on labour. This is why we need a radical reconceptualisation of our role in this system, and that reconceptualisation cannot be safely guided within our current structures. Here is one primary reason:

    As automation reduces the number of jobs, taxation will become increasingly important. It seems likely that once this issue becomes apparent, some degree of cooperation between nations will develop. (i.e., standards for taxation).

So what we need to do is find a way to transcend national borders and develop an economic system that distributes financial capital in a more equitable direction. This is essentially what Thomas Piketty recommends in Capital in the 21st Century. Although as David Graeber pointed out, nicely asking the 1% to expropriate themselves is not going to work, so we have to fundamentally reorganise government structures that serve the people's will.

    There always has and always will be faction in the world, unity will never exist on a world wide scale, this is simply human nature

I disagree. The 21st century is going to produce economic abundance on a scale that we have never enjoyed before. The great thing about human nature is that it is always evolving and contextual on socioeconomic circumstance, so don't use the behaviour of the historical human as evidence that we can't cooperate and love each other with the planet as a the lowest unit of division.

    It's a sad truth but no cooperative society will ever exist with humans in charge.

It's a sad truth but no cooperative society will ever exist with a small group of humans controlling global wealth.

    I cannot present you a solution and it's doubtful that anyone can present a solution that will fix the problems created by theological states. Once you institute a solution it will only create different, potentially worse problems.

You can take that view, or we can actually try to build a world that works for everyone. I didn't say it would be easy, but saying it is impossible is ridiculous. We just have to find the right pathway.