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I Totally Support the Occupy Movement...Follow

#552 Nov 22 2011 at 1:18 PM Rating: Good
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Jophiel wrote:
Ugly's a total Republican. Trufax.

That's ridiculous. He's Canadian.
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#553 Nov 22 2011 at 1:20 PM Rating: Excellent
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Elinda wrote:
If the company can make more widgets for less money with a robot, then the price of the widget comes down

That's not necessarily true. People don't automate (or send jobs overseas) to give you cheaper products, they do it to maximize their own profits. If they could replace everyone with robots for 5% the production cost and charge an extra $2 an item, they'd be all over it.
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#554 Nov 22 2011 at 1:21 PM Rating: Good
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rdmcandie wrote:
Uglysasquatch wrote:
Hold on here. How can you call making cuts to keep from bleeding money, taking from the poor?


Oh I dunno cutting people from jobs means they have no (or limited) money. A rich dude will cut 10 guys on the floor before he takes a cut in pay.

(its not so much taking from the poor as it is helping to create poor in the first place.)


Edited, Nov 22nd 2011 2:12pm by rdmcandie
You want him to lose money to employ a few extra people a little longer until it gets to the point where he has to completely shut down because he's lost all of his money and now instead of some people unemployed, everyone who worked there is? I see that as making more people poor.


you want to ***** about someone making more money by reducing staffing, go ahead, but if you want to ***** about the guy who's jsut trying to remain solvent and not lose money, you're barking up the wrong tree.


Edited, Nov 22nd 2011 3:25pm by Uglysasquatch
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#555 Nov 22 2011 at 1:22 PM Rating: Excellent
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Elinda wrote:
That's ridiculous. He's Canadian.

Smiley: um
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#556 Nov 22 2011 at 1:24 PM Rating: Good
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Jophiel wrote:
Elinda wrote:
If the company can make more widgets for less money with a robot, then the price of the widget comes down

That's not necessarily true. People don't automate (or send jobs overseas) to give you cheaper products, they do it to maximize their own profits. If they could replace everyone with robots for 5% the production cost and charge an extra $2 an item, they'd be all over it.
Fucking right I we they would.

Edited, Nov 22nd 2011 3:24pm by Uglysasquatch
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#557 Nov 22 2011 at 1:31 PM Rating: Good
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Jophiel wrote:
Elinda wrote:
If the company can make more widgets for less money with a robot, then the price of the widget comes down

That's not necessarily true. People don't automate (or send jobs overseas) to give you cheaper products, they do it to maximize their own profits. If they could replace everyone with robots for 5% the production cost and charge an extra $2 an item, they'd be all over it.

They would if they could, but the next company will come along with their robots and they can undercut the price.

What the market can bear eh.

Your scenario really is the problem though, not automation. Corporations looking for an edge will create an unequal playing field by using cheap overseas labor or avoiding having to treat their effluent, or force-feeding cows cheap corn based feed.

If we didn't automate stuff though we'd be posting on this forum via hand-written comments sent through the pony express to kao.

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#558 Nov 22 2011 at 1:37 PM Rating: Decent
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You could always spend more for products and not demand cheaper products. Most companies don't move overseas just to increase profits. They do so once they've capped out on other ways to do so, or to maintain. Let them raise prices to whatever they want and you'll see less jobs moving overseas.

Nobody wants that though, so instead we'll all complain about a dog being a dog.
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#559 Nov 22 2011 at 1:37 PM Rating: Excellent
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I'm not sure it's always quite that Draconian. Cutting a skilled workforce isn't always a good idea in a downturn. If the costs and/or time involved of training/re-training are high enough there can be incentive to hold on to people. Automation can be expensive and have problems, over sea operations can have logistical issues, etc.

Elinda wrote:
If we didn't automate stuff though we'd be posting on this forum via hand-written comments sent through the pony express to kao.


Wait we're not doing that anymore? Why am I always the last to hear about these things? Smiley: frown
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#560 Nov 22 2011 at 1:42 PM Rating: Good
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Elinda wrote:
rdmcandie wrote:
Uglysasquatch wrote:
Hold on here. How can you call making cuts to keep from bleeding money, taking from the poor?


Oh I dunno cutting people from jobs means they have no (or limited) money. A rich dude will cut 10 guys on the floor before he takes a cut in pay.

(its not so much taking from the poor as it is helping to create poor in the first place.)


Edited, Nov 22nd 2011 2:12pm by rdmcandie

That's stupid. New technologies may replace a person in one place but they only spur on more technology elsewhere.

If the company can make more widgets for less money with a robot, then the price of the widget comes down and the guy who's out the job can now save enough money to go to school to learn to be a robot repairman.

The company selling the robots needs techs and engineers and scientists to develop better robots, etc, etc.



True, but not all jobs can be filled by all workers. The development of self-checkout systems probably created way fewer jobs than it has costed. Like a fraction of a percent.

I don't think that would be an issue if we had a system that could provide for those people who lost their jobs. But the fact is that our system pretty much says "tough luck, you have 2 months to find a new job."

And when the entirety of your job experience is in retail... Well, it's not like you have options right now.

It's also important to flesh out the whole story, imo.

Let's say a CEO cuts 10 jobs because he realized that they weren't increasing company profits at all. This can because they decrease profits or because they break even. If they are decreasing profits, it's much easier to justify keeping them.

But what if they are bringing as much as it costs to keep them? Yeah, the company is going to see no difference if they go (beyond having slightly less paperwork), but it seriously hurts the worker.

But let's say they ARE decreasing profits. Well, why is that? Are they not doing their jobs, or is it because their jobs aren't as useful as others? A janitor can bust his *** every night and still mean very little for the company's profits. I mean, instead of having two people deep cleaning the building, you can have one person monitor trash areas, bathrooms, floors and windows. And, other than that, require employees to keep their work area clean.

Did that person deserve to lose their job? I don't think so.

Either way, I don't think the CEO deserves a bonus for it. At least not when every other employee isn't going to see anything from it. And remember that layoffs are always bad for morale in an office, so it's not like it doesn't influence them as well.

But, again, this wouldn't be an issue if laying them off didn't royally fuck them, which isn't really the employer's fault. And I deliberately chose a job that didn't require much training. Now imagine that you have a masters in engineering. Oh, don't want to flip burgers while 80k in debt? Lazy *******.
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#561 Nov 22 2011 at 1:44 PM Rating: Good
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Quote:
The development of self-checkout systems probably created way fewer jobs than it has costed. Like a fraction of a percent.
Agreed. The jobs it did create though, are far higher paying. There is that plus.
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#562 Nov 22 2011 at 1:49 PM Rating: Decent
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Uglysasquatch wrote:
Quote:
The development of self-checkout systems probably created way fewer jobs than it has costed. Like a fraction of a percent.
Agreed. The jobs it did create though, are far higher paying. There is that plus.

Omg self checkouts have likely increased the need for divorce lawyers. Every time the hubby and I have attempted to use them dam things when shopping together we end up arguing.

ATM's... they've cut into people jobs. But probably reduced human error significantly.

I was a bank teller for a couple years. At the end of each shift you had to count all your money, run a tally on your 'ins' and 'outs' from your drawers and it had to balance out exactly every time - to the penny. If it didn't you got stuck recounting, searching transactions, trying to explain to supervisors.... My life as a teller was short-lived.
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#563 Nov 22 2011 at 2:08 PM Rating: Good
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Uglysasquatch wrote:
You could always spend more for products and not demand cheaper products. Most companies don't move overseas just to increase profits. They do so once they've capped out on other ways to do so, or to maintain. Let them raise prices to whatever they want and you'll see less jobs moving overseas.

Nobody wants that though, so instead we'll all complain about a dog being a dog.
Prices are what they are. They're value based. If a product reaches a certain price level at which you won't buy it, it's because it's not worth it to you to have it at that price.

That's kind of the basis of economics.
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#564 Nov 22 2011 at 2:14 PM Rating: Excellent
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Uglysasquatch wrote:
Quote:
The development of self-checkout systems probably created way fewer jobs than it has costed. Like a fraction of a percent.
Agreed. The jobs it did create though, are far higher paying. There is that plus.

Rock on, wealth divide Smiley: laugh

I was trying to write a semi-concise paragraph about what I thought as the core of the OWS movement but even trying to do so showed me how complicated it is. I think the core points are people feeling "abandoned" by employers/businesses where they are treated as expendable in various ways, the vast sums of money moving around at the top (CEO pay-outs, golden parachutes, etc), and a government that bails out the banks, fails (in their eyes) to punish principle players in these finance companies and fights tooth & nail for tax breaks for the wealthy but then paints the lower income population in an unfavorable light in various ways. It's not "We hate anyone with money" or "Everyone deserves a pony" but feeling as though the deck is stacked increasingly against you and the institutions you pay into (businesses & government) are working to your detriment.

I realize that's all fairly vague but I could go for paragraphs on any one of those but don't have the time, inclination or presence of mind right now.
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#565 Nov 22 2011 at 2:21 PM Rating: Good
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Elinda wrote:
Uglysasquatch wrote:
You could always spend more for products and not demand cheaper products. Most companies don't move overseas just to increase profits. They do so once they've capped out on other ways to do so, or to maintain. Let them raise prices to whatever they want and you'll see less jobs moving overseas.

Nobody wants that though, so instead we'll all complain about a dog being a dog.
Prices are what they are. They're value based. If a product reaches a certain price level at which you won't buy it, it's because it's not worth it to you to have it at that price.

That's kind of the basis of economics.
Which leads us into getting upset at a dog for being a dog.
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#566 Nov 22 2011 at 2:21 PM Rating: Decent
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Uglysasquatch wrote:
Quote:
The development of self-checkout systems probably created way fewer jobs than it has costed. Like a fraction of a percent.
Agreed. The jobs it did create though, are far higher paying. There is that plus.

I want to note that I don't oppose work in electronics/robotics development. Not at all (though me being a super nerd might have something to do with it).

I just think it's worthwhile to talk about what solutions there are to help people who lose their jobs to technological advancement (which is obviously not a new problem).
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#567 Nov 22 2011 at 2:23 PM Rating: Good
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idiggory, King of Bards wrote:
I just think it's worthwhile to talk about what solutions there are to help people who lose their jobs to technological advancement (which is obviously not a new problem).
Ship them overseas as well.
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#568 Nov 22 2011 at 2:29 PM Rating: Excellent
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I'm figuring we should ship all of our unemployed to Canada. From what I hear, it's poised to become the dominant global super power any second now so I'm sure they can use a few extra hands.
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#569 Nov 22 2011 at 2:32 PM Rating: Good
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Jophiel wrote:
I'm figuring we should ship all of our unemployed to Canada. From what I hear, it's poised to become the dominant global super power any second now so I'm sure they can use a few extra hands.
Smiley: lol yea, rdm's an idiot.
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#570 Nov 22 2011 at 2:32 PM Rating: Good
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Uglysasquatch wrote:
Elinda wrote:
Uglysasquatch wrote:
You could always spend more for products and not demand cheaper products. Most companies don't move overseas just to increase profits. They do so once they've capped out on other ways to do so, or to maintain. Let them raise prices to whatever they want and you'll see less jobs moving overseas.

Nobody wants that though, so instead we'll all complain about a dog being a dog.
Prices are what they are. They're value based. If a product reaches a certain price level at which you won't buy it, it's because it's not worth it to you to have it at that price.

That's kind of the basis of economics.
Which leads us into getting upset at a dog for being a dog.

No, I never agreed to call the dog a dog. If the company can't make the product at enough cost to break even, then they shouldn't make the product.

If the widget costs three bucks but people are only willing to pay two bucks, you can make something else or you can convince people that the widget is worth three bucks. Sure, you can put in the time and money to research out a cheaper widget. But to find some unethical means to get your labor or materials cheaper is essentially cheating, it's like stealing the material, using up air or water and not paying for it, exploiting workers, etc etc.

You know as well as I do and as well as Steve Jobs did the reason labor is cheaper in china is not simply because the chinese are better laborers. Why is it cheaper to make an ipad in china than it is in the US?

Edited, Nov 22nd 2011 9:34pm by Elinda
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#571 Nov 22 2011 at 2:36 PM Rating: Good
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Elinda wrote:
Why is it cheaper to make an ipad in china than it is in the US?
Because the unions completely run the government, duh. It's like you don't even know how communism and liberals are the same thing.

Quote:
No, I never agreed to call the dog a dog. If the company can't make the product at enough cost to break even, then they shouldn't make the product.
So you want them to lay off everyone? And I mean everyone, not just the low level workers.


Edited, Nov 22nd 2011 4:39pm by Uglysasquatch
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#572 Nov 22 2011 at 2:41 PM Rating: Good
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Can somebody save me from reading through the last 500+ posts and fill me in on how a thread about OWS morphed into a discussion on the moral merits of globalization?

Elinda wrote:
If the widget costs three bucks but people are only willing to pay two bucks.
If people are only willing to pay $2 for a product that costs $3 to produce, the product isn't going to get made (or the firm will quickly go under).

Quote:
But to find some unethical means to get your labor or materials cheaper is essentially cheating.

You know as well as I do and as well as Steve Jobs did the reason labor is cheaper in china is not simply because the chinese are better laborers. Why is it cheaper to make an ipad in china than it is in the US?
Why do you hate the working-class poor in third-world and developing countries?

Edit: Removed the snarky non-sequitor so as not to confuse Elinda varus gbaji anybody.

Edited, Nov 22nd 2011 2:47pm by Demea
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#573 Nov 22 2011 at 2:43 PM Rating: Excellent
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Demea wrote:
Can somebody save me from reading through the last 500+ posts and fill me in on how a thread about OWS morphed into a discussion on the moral status of globalization?

Same reason why MTV shows Jersey Shore, History shows Ice Road Truckers and SyFy has pro wrestling.
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#574 Nov 22 2011 at 2:45 PM Rating: Excellent
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Decline of Western Civilization. Smiley: nod
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#575 Nov 22 2011 at 3:00 PM Rating: Good
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A lot of new technologiess need to be sold below production costs, because you need to demonstrate their value before people are willing to invest in them. For instance, the PS3 was sold for $1-200 less than the cost to produce them, but they were instrumental in launching the bluray market.

Televisions are notoriously low-profit items. The ultimate profit margin isn't much higher than its combined development and production cost. That has made them a high-risk profit, but they are something that are in demand. The problem is that the public expects their money to go further than it actually can. Business who don't oblige don't sell. Those who do take profit losses or small surpluses. The bad economy is only making it worse.

But they do it because they have to (for instance, because they are waiting for the next big boom in the market, or to help with establishing their brand).
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#576 Nov 22 2011 at 7:05 PM Rating: Good
One of our clients let someone go recently. We had to spend about 15 minutes resetting the site passwords, then another three hours re-resetting the site passwords because the rest of the office freaked out since they were being asked to change passwords (or were on Mac art computers, which froze up and refused to talk to the Windows server at all and had to have their passwords manually changed back in AD.)

Cost them $300 in tech support just to fire one guy. Smiley: disappointed
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