The Role of Work – What Is It?
Robot waiters in China
The role of work is at the heart of many societal norms, take the so-called “protestant work ethic”.
- The current strikes in France, inspired by the fuel tanker driver strike, will have many of a “work ethic” mindset secretly envious but openly tut-tutting.
- https://www.thelocal.fr/20160526/french-fuel-crisis-4600-petrol-stations-run-dry
- China, despite its vast available workforce, is expanding the world of robotics at a rate of 40% annually.
- https://www.therobotreport.com/news/40-annual-growth-forecast-for-chinese-robotics
But what’s it about?
France
At the heart of the French issue is the unilateral imposition, without a vote, by the apparently socialist (but in reality just as no-liberal as the rest of the West) French government. This imposes a relaxing of the 35 hour weekly work-time rule.
This is said to be good for employers.
China
Foxconn, one of the world’s largest computer & electronic equipment makers is ditching 60, 000 people, for robots!
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36376966
This is said to be good for…. erm….
Not Only That, But Also
Well, Big Mcdonald’s in the USA may be ditching workers for robots
https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2016/05/24/fmr-mcdonalds-usa-ceo-35k-robots-cheaper-than-hiring-at-15-per-hour.html
Munch & Sleep
We all have to eat and in The West we use money to pay for it all. We also pay for our dwellings and all the knick-knacks that make our lives what they are (studies thumb while blundering down high street with little box in hand).
The role of money in our lives and how we get it is paramount.
Now let’s consider those workers striking to keep their hours down, their money up and the role of robots in all of this, because it affects us all.
Sooner or later, most of us will have to consider our place in this robotic world. Really. What will you do?
Final Thoughts & Conclusion
Workers Going Nowhere in France – n.b. since I wrote this post the BBC website has changed, no longer has this boring photo and instead has lots of violence showing – this demonstrates how much the BBC is now ruled by fear and the continual reporting of fear. It is all part of the tory strategy of “fear and doubt”.
- Work is NOT the be-all and end-all of everything.
- Happiness is the be-all and end-all of everything. (n.b. not the pursuit of happiness, just your average, every day happiness. Geddit?)
So if:
- McDonald’s and other fast food outlets ditch real human workers for robots (maybe just a food window like on the Star Trek Enterprise?),
- waiters are replaced by robots,
- computer makers ditch real people for robots,
- doctors and even surgeons are replaced by robots,
- trains, planes, buses and cars are all driven by robots…
…then we will all have much more free time.
BUT, and it is a big but,
- How will we pay for our free time?
And for all those tut-tutting about the French workers on strike and jealous of a fully paid 35-hour working week…
- Where will your job be?
- Where will you get your money?
- Where’s your protestant work ethic now?
How will universal happiness be attained?
Because:
- Not everyone is blessed with the muses.
- Not everyone can be a politician.
- Not everyone can run quaint tea shops and sell tat to tourists.
- Not everyone can be a plumber.
Don’t start the argument that people will be needed to fix the machines, the phones, the computers. Electronic devices are consumables now and do not need fixing. They just get replaced. The people that currently devise new machines have been redundant for many years.
In fact, most new computer circuitry is designed…by computer!
Terminated
…and with robots creating robots that do all the work, what place for people? With decision-making robots, maybe the Terminator series are closer than we think?
Terminated