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thewebguydyesterday at 9:01 PM2 repliesview on HN

> Also, who is going to buy anything when nobody has any money?

This assumes that a mass consumer economy is necessary, when it isn't. Mass consumption is relatively new, for most of history economies functioned with just a small consuming elite and large underclass that consumed very little. We are already approaching that again in the states given that the top 10% of earners are already responsible for nearly half of all consumer spending.

There's a floor even in a mostly automated economy where some services are resistant to automation simply because the human element is the product. Luxury hospitality, personal care, etc. That billionaire is going to want a human masseuse, not a robot.

A highly automated economy could stabilize like this with a small elite population consuming luxury goods & services, served by a low-wage economic underclass human workforce.

Its certainly not a pleasant society, but its also not unsustainable given enough oppression or pacification (bread and circuses anyone?)


Replies

geraneumyesterday at 9:22 PM

Care to share some sources that corroborate any of these claims and explains how the dots connect?

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dominotwyesterday at 10:06 PM

it necessary for ceos doing layoffs. i thought thats context we are talking about.