Armies of Expensive Lawyers, Replaced by Cheaper Software

hippie · Mar 5, 2011

David H. Autor, an economics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says the United States economy is being âhollowed out.â New jobs, he says, are coming at the bottom of the economic pyramid, jobs in the middle are being lost to automation and outsourcing, and now job growth at the top is slowing because of automation.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/science/05legal.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

Good that software/automation/robots are doing more of our more tedious task. It is not good that many workers are stressed overworked while others are stressed unable to find work. Time for shorter work hours so more of the unemployed get jobs; and the employed have more time for friends and family. People will have time life-long learning pursue individual interest.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/06/ten-big-ethical-ideas?CMP=NECNETTXT766

Scataphagos · Mar 5, 2011

Quote from hippie:

"... Time for shorter work hours... and the employed have more time for friends and family. People will have time life-long learning pursue individual interest.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/06/ten-big-ethical-ideas?CMP=NECNETTXT766

Sounds like Leftist Utopian false promises. BS idealism. Nobody would have the money to pay for such a life of ease. (Can't "soak the rich" for it, they don't have that kind of money either... regardless of what Michael Moore spews.)

Life in America is going to get harder... LOTS harder... as we compete for jobs with Asia... and our mountain of debt... especially the HUGE escalation of debt by Obama.

1prometheus · Mar 5, 2011

Quote from Scataphagos:

Sounds like Leftist Utopian false promises. BS idealism. Nobody would have the money to pay for such a life of ease. (Can't "soak the rich" for it, they don't have that kind of money either... regardless of what Michael Moore spews.)

Life in America is going to get harder... LOTS harder... as we compete for jobs with Asia... and our mountain of debt... especially the HUGE escalation of debt by Obama.

There is no reason it needs to be this way. Asian countries built their countries with nationalist economic policies. America did the same during its massive development period. If our country was run by people who care about America as a nation (rather than global rent seeking) we could do it again.

The race to the bottom is not "just the way it is" rather it is by design.

Butterball · Mar 5, 2011

Quote from Scataphagos:

Life in America is going to get harder... LOTS harder

I agree, let's just say though that life in the US over the last 30 years has been terribly good so let's not complain. IMO many have forgotten that lean years used to follow after a number of good years. Maybe now is the time.

ratchorg · Mar 7, 2011

US life had a good run...

a strong era of entrepreneurs and
exporting goods will be necessary
to put some kick back into our buying
power globally.

going to get tough...already been tough
for many unfortunate friends.

good luck everyone

lindq · Mar 7, 2011

Quote from hippie:

David H. Autor, an economics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says the United States economy is being âhollowed out.â New jobs, he says, are coming at the bottom of the economic pyramid, jobs in the middle are being lost to automation and outsourcing, and now job growth at the top is slowing because of automation.

I can recall growing up in the 50s when futurists talked fondly of the day when our work would all be done by computers.

Well, thanks to computerization of so many industries, Americans do now have lots of free time. But now it's called underemployment.

Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it.

MKTrader · Mar 7, 2011

Quote from 1prometheus:

There is no reason it needs to be this way. Asian countries built their countries with nationalist economic policies. America did the same during its massive development period. If our country was run by people who care about America as a nation (rather than global rent seeking) we could do it again.

The race to the bottom is not "just the way it is" rather it is by design.

And Japan is still paying for it. In the long-term, China is also a train wreck waiting to happen due to the misallocation via top-down control.

And the relative success seen in the Asian countries is mostly due to cultural factors. They have a totally different view of nations and families. To think that could happen in the West (or would even be a good idea) is pure drivel.

rew · Mar 7, 2011

Quote from 1prometheus:

There is no reason it needs to be this way. Asian countries built their countries with nationalist economic policies. America did the same during its massive development period. If our country was run by people who care about America as a nation (rather than global rent seeking) we could do it again.

The race to the bottom is not "just the way it is" rather it is by design.

Our politicians caring about America as a nation (rather than a source of campaign contributions and cushy lobbying jobs after they lose their election)? Fat chance with that.

olias · Mar 7, 2011

what a bunch of whiners and victims.

USA is going to be fine. We need to adapt. It takes time. Politicians care but the answers are not so easy as you all make them out to be. Get real

dandxg · Mar 7, 2011

Quote from 1prometheus:

There is no reason it needs to be this way. Asian countries built their countries with nationalist economic policies. America did the same during its massive development period. If our country was run by people who care about America as a nation (rather than global rent seeking) we could do it again.

The race to the bottom is not "just the way it is" rather it is by design.

Thank you I am glad someone gets it. We can't compete with $2 an hour labor. Why do we just stop f*cking around with the tarrifs. Free trade is a scam. Its free to import your slave labor product and refuse to buy ours. Has having more shit from China really improved or quality of life. I don't think so. We just have more gadgets and crap. For this reason I would support Trump over Ron Paul. We should all know its about balance. I don't support extremes in any form. Pure free trade is as bad as all union labor. Both are extremes.