“For far too long, the lion’s share of the benefits from our increased efficiency has gone to the top, sidelining those who are at the very heart of this production. It’s time to level the playing field, ensuring that our workers directly benefit from these advancements by offering them improved working conditions and an enhanced quality of life.”
The cost does not have to be passed on to the consumer, profits can take a hit, and as infinite growth will inevitably show us that profits MUST take a hit eventually.
Everyone should want everyone to get a raise. Automation is great but if labor is involved it should be paid at a thriving wage.
The equipment and fuel continues to get more and more expensive. Just because the price of transportation goes up does not mean it’s all profit.
Why do you think the equipment continues to go up in price? Is there a chance that the majority of trucking equipment is produced by a publicly traded set of companies also demanding infinite growth?
Do you think fuel will always go up in cost? What happens when trucks, like most transportation, converts to electric and most electric converts to renewable?
To be clear, your comment almost feels unrelated to my original point. If we increase the price of transportation by giving thriving wages instead of surviving wages it does not necessarily mean it has to be passed on. It can and should come from profit margins which have only gotten larger with time as every industry gets more efficient and productive. I never said that if the price of transportation goes up that it’s solely profit based, or that fuel and equipment can’t also in turn go up in price.
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I think that’s a fair question. Do we need to be producing as much as we are. Clearly in some industries we don’t need to be, they have a lot of waste - food without better infrastructure, clothing by and large, poor quality electronics, etc.
But I think I’m equating productivity with efficiency and in that perspective I would say efficiency is king. We should work towards automation while ensuring it’s benefits don’t go purely to capitalists.
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Certainly some of it is for consumerism, but a lot is construction materials and food. You want less houses? You want less food?
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