Re: The joy of actual numbers, was Democracy

On Sun, 3 Nov 2024 21:52:34 +0100, D wrote:

Robots, automation, optimization and general technological development
will take care of it and us. I'm personally not worrie in the least. On
the other hand, I am an optimist. Many people do not like me for being
an optimist, but such is life.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Player_Piano_(novel)

I found that in my high school library shelved with Heinlein and other
writers. Vonnegut was nit well known in the early '60s. Perhaps the
librarian made the connection between Illium and Troy High.

It was thought provoking. The setting was a thinly veiled Tri-Cities which
made it all the more interesting. I was on a path which ultimately led to
RPI, which was more or less across the street, and a career as one of the
engineers who kept the robots and automation going.

The problem hasn't gone away. What do you do with the millions, if not
billions, who are unneeded in the 21st century and don't even have the
skills and aptitude to survive?