...which wouldn't be as big a deal if the blue collar factory jobs weren't also gone to the far east. Conceptually, the only non-shit jobs left to automate are artisan-style trades like plumbing and carpentry. These are great careers, and there is probably unmet demand, but they can't possibly absorb the number of new adults we're minting each year.

Absent some kind of worldwide revolution, the U.S. will essentially need to start from zero and work their way up the value chain the same way China did over the last forty something years. It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll.