At least in the current market paradigm. We're going to have to figure something out that augments the free market in order to bring about a societal structure that we can bear.

space colonisation / mining

Doesn't help. Who owns the capital?

companies

And the couple scraping by on $40k combined income ain't going to be holding much stock.

much like how the family of military people get full cover for everything, cuz those soldiers lay their lives on the line,

You will get companies that pay for hazard pay in space etc good money

Military people get less than you'd think, and only because governments can print money.

Remember: we're thinking about a world in which human labor is even cheaper than now.

Companies will have market power.

They can fuck whoever they want for whatever they want.

My dad got really good money and amazing benefits

governments can't just print money, that will destroy the currency

It'll be a permanent employer's market.

What's the US deficit again?

the deficit it owes itself you mean?

if it could print money like that, it wouldn't have a deficit

the whole reason there IS a deficit is cuz the government CAN'T just print money to cover costs

and that is WHY those military people get less, because the government can't afford it

but if a company can earn Trillions by strip-mining asteroids, its not gonna care about racking out a few extra million for hazard pay

Look into Khan's education system, that will be the future

I think talking about strip-mining asteroids is deflecting from the problem we're facing in the near future.

Sci-fi hand-waving.

i'll grant you the term is far fetched,

That doesn't take away the future of economy after labor jobs are automated, lies in the stars

If anyone is freaking out about automated Jobs the solution or at least a big part of it is quite simple

Or in war

90% of the labor people aren't fit for higher education,

They need simple jobs

so either give them a drill or a gun

Shorter work weeks

This whole conversation is something that should be happening as part of the national political dialogue. Instead we get "free healthcare, free university, free housing, free this, free that".

Thats because its more appealing

"free"

"You get another job" sounds awful compared to

"You get free housing and education"

thats why the Universal Basic Income is such a non-debate

people all talk about it

No one debates about the truth which is that its unsustainable

its all just wishful thinking to sway the guillible masses

Certainly even if necessary the conditions are way off from now

UBI can't work, but I think negative income tax is worth exploring.

dafuq is negative income tax?

Work is still required; it's just that your income is augmented.

so just higher wages?

Or cutting the tax you have to pay to SS?