[dbingham]

Automation is only good if the benefits of said automation are shared broadly among the populace. For the time being, that is not the case. Instead the benefits are held closely by only a tiny percentage of the population, who use said automation to collect enormous power and force an increasingly large number of people to live in increasingly precarious circumstances.

80% of corporate stock is owned by a mere 1% of the population. That 1% are the people who, right now, benefit from automation.

If we reach a world where corporations are replaced by worker cooperatives, or a 90% top marginal tax rate (and similar wealth tax) support a generous basic income -- then automation will be good. Right now it's an acute danger to the survival of most people.

[icebraining]

10%, not 1%, unless you have more recent data: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/03/02/...

[dbingham]

Ahh, thank you. That is the stat I was referring to, I misremembered the number. I would edit it, but it won't seem to let me.

[icebraining]

Yeah, there's a short window of time for editions :)

[Terr_]

Exactly, the root of all this is the power-balance between groups of humans and how it is changing and who likes it that way and who doesn't.