Here's a way to increase help to the original people -
Basic Income Guarantee
In the research of one of my book projects a couple of years back, the situation of how robotics and automation would take jobs in the millions in our near future was self evident and already a reality. This research which I partly did on YouTube, also pulled up a video of the Lakota people's wisdom and quotes, which drew me to explore their culture further and I found something in that something that I wanted to learn more about.
So back to this automation scenario:-
This brings with it a set of problems, for government in how to pay people and for the people, what are they going to do when work is no longer there? My thoughts were drawn to the mention of a Basic Income Guarantee. So, how does this work?
Essentially, the state pays you at age 16 and over a set amount of money, tax free. This has many advantages, for those 16-18, it gives them a college fund to start with, for those out of work a financial safety net, for those in work tax free money, for those unable to work through disability, injury or illness a decent resource and for those of pensionable age, a reasonable amount to live on. At all these stages, tax free.
The US Treasury costed Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) and found it was cheaper to pay than the current amount paid out. In Finland, in 2017, BIG will be introduced, in Germany it has been trialled.
But, for the American Indian peoples, the BIG should also be backed up with the current food aid. I suggest that because they have lost more in the past, that they need more to build up their community.
There needs to be a new look at how the standard of living on the reservations can be improved and this is the way forward to making these situations viable. Of course, there has to be a way decided of how to try and progress, but with the least amount of damage as a result.
The BIG system has many benefits:-
For those in work, they have extra money to spend which can go back into the economy, for those out of work, it can provide opportunities for acquiring new skills and it may also allow those to be able to volunteer and work in care for others, as they will have the financial security to do so.
Where I live, the head of the Banking system has predicted that 15 million jobs will be lost in my country. I know that this is possible, I have been looking for a job for around a year and I have useful skills. A friend of mine has a degree and cannot find work locally.
The situation at Standing Rock may have helped to generate interest in the American Indian people, certainly the support from non-Indian people has shown I think that things have changed, and they certainly need to change further.
Comments
Hi Sue, yes we do have the choice on how this plays out, but we need that big conversation to establish the Robot Manifesto to see where it goes.
BIG as you rightly say would allow us to go back to small scale crafting, it gives people that financial safety net that helps them develop or do something that may not be viable as a business otherwise at the outset.
Freeing humans from menial work which we often just do to make money to pay bills, will be a big step forward. We are not suited to automation, computers are much better at managing and handling data, applying rules as they work and not making mistakes. Proxy living where computers manage the trivia in our lives including ordering shopping and paying bills, will free us up almost completely.
Automation of the Tax system for instance could cut many jobs, make it more effective and efficient.
I agree that working with your hands really does enhance you as a person. It develops the brain through machine learning of skills. Whatever you do with art, music, crafting, develops you and your purpose. People must have a purpose in life, interests, otherwise they are unfulfilled.
Automation seems inevitable but it is how it is going to be managed that will count in the end.
You are assuming that robotics and automation will take over our lives - we still have the choice to not let that happen. There is another way where we go back to local, small scale enterprises where hand crafting and working on the land are seen as a better way. Increasing automation is a big factor in physical and psychological ill health as obesity increases, fitness levels fall and people lack a purpose in life.
There is a mediaeval quote I really like (cannot remember the source): 'honest labour bears a lovely face'. There are many of us who still value hard work and its resulting satisfaction.
Just saying!