The Post-Scarcity Economy is Already Here

The Post-Scarcity Economy is Already Here.

And that is why it is so painful.

The reason for Brexit, and Trump and Le Pen and so many of the nationalism movements is that with the awesome gains of productivity from technology and free trade, the working class around the world is being left behind. Redundant.

Sure there is nothing legally stopping the 52 year-old coal miner from coding the next Facebook, but c’mon.

The Democratic Party lost to Trump - the most vile and unqualified presidential candidate since our founding - simply because the Democratic Party had nothing to offer these (white) (ex-)working class voters. Take a drive out into rural america and you will see a depressing sight of abandoned towns. These towns have per capita earnings no better than many 3rd world countries - and the mortality stats to back it up.

For the progressive party to move forward it needs to be the party of Black, Brown, LGBTQ, Asian, Native American - and the non-college white male ex-worker that we threw away.

Tragically, just at the time that we are getting better with rights and equality for minorities, LGBTQ, and women - the lives of these rusting white lives are falling apart. While I cannot stand the All Lives Matter trope. I have to admit there is a sober problem. These folks are drowning and as they teach you in rescue swimming, drowning people will take you down with them. We need to land the plane of what to do with the folks who have no real employable skills in the New Economy.

We need Universal Income.

We do NOT need another $3 trillion war to distract us.

We need to invest in roads and trains and education and healthcare.

The non-college whites want to go back in time to when they were making money because there were no countries able to compete with our manufacturing after WWII. We cannot go back to taking labor from black americans to give to white americans, or continue to underpay women so men can enjoy more income. We cannot go back to give these people a better life. Not only because it would be morally wrong. But because it just wouldn't work. The transgender woman did not take all of the jobs out of detroit. The strawberry and tomato pickers in the Central Valley did not take the jobs out of Indiana.

We outsourced, automated, and consolidated away these jobs. And the companies are much more profitable than they were in the 1960s. Who wants to trade in their iPhone for a Timex Sinclair? Going back is not the answer.

We need to go forward. But we need to go forward with these disaffected whites. They are grievously wounded and as they proved tonight they are willing to roll the dice with *anyone*.

We need a new economic model.

We cannot simply roll out automated cars and tell 10% of americans - fuck you, learn to code. Oh, and fuck you too cops, we don’t need you out there doing traffic. Telling the cops to fuck themselves and find a job at Walmart is not going to go down well.

We need a plan.

Originally posted on Facebook on November 08, 2016.