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There is a new trend – the reddit forum antiwork. It sounds initially very radical – but the forum is a movement, which has worker rights in its hallmarks. The remote goal is: Unemployment for all, not just the rich! But the forum is not full of idealistic good-for-nothings… e.g. when Kelloggs workers were striking for better work conditions and Kelloggs management decided to terminate all striking employees and replace them with new people, the forum has been creating campaign to (successfully) spam Kelloggs’ HR with fake applications and eventually forced the management to negotiate better terms (and saved the strikers jobs). A member of the forum even designed a program which can automate this “spamming” for future instances (also against other companies).
But the end goal – as above mentioned, is to free people from work – or lets say unwanted and excessive work. Even in the middle of last century politicians and sociologists projected, that the work week will shrink to around 15 hours a week (between 2000 and 2020). Nobody could have known, that capitalism in its worst form would take completely over.
But fact is, that a lot of work is not necessary. Instead of freeing the human of work, technology created more work – often work which is (to a reasonable extend) not needed. Technology is giving us the perception of control and determination – where this isn’t necessarily true.
At this point, we should really consciously decide, in which direction future should go. As said: antiwork and unemployment seems a bit radical and harsh – but the serious question has to be allowed: are jobs, people don’t want to do (but are forced to do) ethical? Should we not follow our talents and our passions – instead of continue in a career, just to be able to pay our bills?
Sure – one has to live. But a political movement is important. At least in industrial nations, there is sufficient capital, that people would have a universal income. If you are following up human rights – it comes eventually to universal income. People should have the right to feed themselves, to have a roof over their head, to have receive medical care, to receive education (…).
The reason, why this is not the case has only one cause: people who decide, that their (and their peers) exuberant wealth his more important than thousands of not millions of lives!
And yes – their narrative of free markets and free capitalism (small government) will give anyone a chance is a straight up lie: almost all wealthiest individuals received “federal” support one or the other way (tax breaks, subsidies, bailouts of their companies – even Chapter 13 is kinda government regulated support) – we are not even talking about tax-funded research, which has been then patented by companies etc.
At this point the business world doesn’t decide, what is good for their employees, but always what is most profitable. Some jobs are just more efficiently made by machines – humans in between are just used because another machine would be not as efficient (and cheap) as a person, which is more adaptable.
But this is the wrong thinking. We should rediscover the human element.
And yes – there should be some motivation, that people would work. People will always work – even though they don’t need to. Certainly not all – but who is fulfilled by living on the minimum adequate living conditions?
I guess, replacing unwanted work is technologically already possible today. The raise of AI plays already a big part of it as well. But conservatism and the resistance of creating a better world (because of the fear, of loosing individual privileges) is holding back technology, is corrupting the legislative etc.
In fact: introducing a universal income would increase the individual spending and would support especially the middle class. Oh – maybe few super yacht producers would go bust (…) – as the super wealthy would need to share a bit more of their wealth and would not have that much expendable income – but I guess, this is a small price to pay.
Ultimately we need the development of AI to get into government and bureaucracy. Nope – we don’t need to be afraid of SkyNet… at the end, these AI systems are not generic but very specialized. But to find ways for equality and for a righteous distribution of wealth – we cannot keep it in people, who are far too easy to be corrupted.
At the end I love my job. I would not resign (and most others wouldn’t either) if I would get a universal income. However life would be easier – and there wouldn’t be the heavy weight on our shoulders, which is the responsibility for the future (we might get sick, or loose our jobs, or who knows what). And bad employers would have no tool to keep employees which are just staying for the sake of their “survival” (sometimes literally).
Next stop: AI augmented global citizen leadership…