The Worst-Case Future for White-Collar Workers | Hacker News Reader

The Worst-Case Future for White-Collar Workers

theatlantic.com

20 pointsxnx15 comments

Looks like the ramifications of elite overproduction are starting to actually manifest everywhere!

> And while the polarizing nature of social media can perpetuate a sense of crisis and despair, these platforms are too disjointed for a unifying figure to emerge and seize power.[50] Turchin predicted that the resolution to this crisis will occur in the 2030s and will substantially change the character of the United States.[34]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_overproduction

Alternatively, you have the uncle Ted explanation:

We have subjugated ourselves and destroyed our autonomy and capability for individual action and fulfillment with institutions and technology. People cope for awhile until eventually it all destabilizes and goes to shit. It's also been about ~50yr since he penned the prediction that it would come to a head in 40-100yr.

And these are far from the only two theories with some very compelling arguments and lines of reasoning backing them up.

Uncle Ted being Ted Kaczynski, for the unaware:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Society_and_Its_Fut...

Correct diagnosis, wrong prescription.. shared by communism and terrorism.

In a world full of state violence would we even have read Ted's work, would we even know the terrorists's gripes if not for their respective pinpricks of violence?

Yeah, violence is wrong, but were they wrong to choose it, I'm not so sure.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Ellul

What's the difference in predictions made between a theory of elite overproduction vs one of proletarianization?

Different systems and elite overproduction doesn’t discuss capital and production allocation eg means of production split.

Lost my job as a developer some time ago. Unemployment, homelessness and depression... I got laid a few days ago from McDonalds as I'm too old (40) and too slow to compete with youngsters :(

FLIPPING BURGERS IS SUPER HARD. (unless you have amazing precision, speed and memory and can work under literal heat and noise).

Can't compete with AI, and can't compete with youngsters :(

Learn some alternative trade before you're gonna end up like me :(

Hrrm. Been crewtrainer for about a year in 88 to 89. Could be hot sometimes, and the beeping needs some getting used to, but apart from that? Memory? What are you talking about? It's made for mindless drones. Also many older people did it without problems.

Maybe your branch has been understaffed? Can't tell. Worked in a so called 'company-store', managed and operated directly by McD, no franchise. Under german working laws.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/LAggGHv93o6EoE1V7

Made almost 5000 Deutsche Mark that way, after taxes, which was much at the time, for a single/unmarried man, which had the highest taxes on them anyway.

> I got laid a few days ago from McDonalds as I'm too old (40) and too slow to compete with youngsters

I’m guessing that it’s less of you being too slow, and more of you not being as impressionable as younger people

What it really signals is that even previously-desirable professionals as employees are really just part of the precariat and they should endeavor to find business models, markets, and customers themselves.

https://archive.ph/6kEXm

I’m very interested to watch (not as much to experience…) what this will do to economies like Australia where the middle class and up are driving a shockingly large percentage of actual spending in the economy. If the historically wealthy white-collar classes ceased to be able to afford their mortgages and rent, stopped buying discretionary items, and stopped eating out, I think the economy as a whole would just stop.

If I was one of these pseudo-oligarchy members, I would be a lot more worried about a large percent of the population becoming disaffected and angry.

- I have a loud laugh every time I see Universal Basic income being mentioned anywhere

- YoU dOnT hAvE tO wOrK aNyMoRe! ThE gOvErNmEnT wIlL gIvE yOuR fAmIlY mOnThLy PaYcHeCkS

- I am sorry but where exactly is this money going to come from? The corporations will do everything they can to cut taxes down to 0. If you tax too much, they ll just go and incorporate their company in a different country with 0 to lower taxes. Some countries would take geopolitical advantage of this situation by allowing foreign companies to register for super duper low taxes as a way to erode talent and wealth from their adversaries

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