Talkings of a Tyrant

What would happen if, suddenly, half of the US was laid off in favor of machinery or low-wage workers in Asia? What would happen if all of the current jobs became obsolete?

In the past, people had to upgrade, so to speak, when social changes like this happened. Frequently throughout history, farmers moved en masse to the cities when they lost their land or were out-sold. Someone who worked in the factory might become a technician for the machine that now does his/her job. But now, what will our nation do?

Moving from blue-collor workers to something higher requires, at the moment, a heck of an education. People would probably have to return to college, as college degrees are what really matter these days. The next few generations would have to go to college to have any chance.

Otherwise, they would be out of a job. They would encounter something called… boredom (dun…dun….dunnnnn!) !

What do people do when they’re bored? They play, or when they don’t have the money to do that, they riot. Seriously, that is (in a very simple sense) why the rioting is happening in France (aside from all of that racial discrimination, repression, and social differences, that’s all that’s happening). Hopefully, our government, with its infinite wisdom and reason (*hacking cough*) will give us all broadband connections and computers!!

It would be a good arrangement. People wouldn’t riot, they wouldn’t be bored, and they could, perhaps, find jobs on the Internet. Web designing, programming and advertising are all good ways to make money off the Internet.

In a perfect world, the average intelligence level would (hopefully) increase. Web developers would get rich (rich!), while people would learn, research ideas, play around with del.icio.us and surf other Web 2.0 websites. Oh, and world peace would happen (the US wouldn’t have any money to do anything, right?), the Easter Bunny is proven to exist and everyone sings kumbaya while they’re at it.

In a realistic view: We’re all doomed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Loosely based off/inspired by a Reasons Unbeknownst post about the Economics of Boredom.