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Read this interesting essay written by DEREK THOMPSON
For centuries, experts have predicted that machines would make workers obsolete. That moment may finally be arriving. Could that be a good thing ?
The end of work is still just a futuristic concept for most of the United States, but it is something like a moment in history for Youngstown, Ohio, one its residents can cite with precision: September 19, 1977.
For much of the 20th century, Youngstown's steel mills delivered such great prosperity that the city was a model of the American dream, boasting a median income and a home ownership rate that were among the nation's highest. But as manufacturing shifted abroad after World War II, Youngstown steel suffered, and on that gray September afternoon in 1977, Youngstown Sheet and Tube announced the shuttering of its Campbell Works mill. Within five years, the city lost 50,000 jobs and $1.3 billion in manufacturing wages. The effect was so severe that a term was coined to describe the fallout: regional depression.
Youngstown was transformed not only by an economic disruption but also by a psychological and cultural breakdown. Depression, spousal abuse, and suicide all became much more prevalent; the caseload of the area's mental-health center tripled within a decade. The city built four prisons in the mid-1990s—a rare growth industry. One of the few downtown construction projects of that period was a museum dedicated to the defunct steel industry.
The future will tell us whether or not this pans out as he envisions. What does SN think will happen ?
Original Submission
(Score: 5, Insightful) by wonkey_monkey on Thursday June 25 2015, @10:50AM
and the ham-fisted romance being another.
Romance? Come to Utopia and the first hot chick you take a shine to will definitely sleep with you and will tell you as much within five minutes of meeting you!
The author really did his story a disservice by ridiculously overplaying the "everything is awesome!" angle.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 5, Informative) by mcgrew on Thursday June 25 2015, @01:39PM
Actually, that's not really off base. In the 1970s when I was in my 20s contraception was cheap and easy, abortion had been legalized and there were no incurable STDs, women would come up to me and ask "wanna fuck?" as casually as "wanna smoke a doob?"
It all changed when AIDS came around.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 27 2015, @04:43PM
Oh wow! No wonder they made the best music and cars in the 70s...