Businesses Use of More Automation means Fewer Workers
CBS Evening News featured a news item this past week about a Georgia factory, Impulse Manufacturing, that uses robots to do much of the welding, lasers to cut through sheets of steel, and computers to track productivity. The owner, Ron Baysden, says a laser can churn out one part in 30 seconds — work that used to take 18 men and 30 minutes to complete. He went on to say “A lot of my competitors did not survive 2009. We survived because we spent a lot of money and investments in technology.”
Newsweek also had an article this week titled “Who Needs Humans?” The article offered the same message. The magazine provided these five situations that are humorous but ominous.
Librarian
A new library at the University of Chicago boasts a robotic system that can find and fetch books faster than humans can.
Bartender
Ohio’s Motoman Robotics sells a robot bartender called RoboBar that mixes drinks in less time than humans-and can crack lame jokes, too.
Taxi Driver Google has been working on a car that can drive itself, and is asking the city of Las Vegas for permission to try it out as a taxi service.
Call Girl Why hire an “escort” when you can buy Roxxxy, a sex robot by Bell Labs, who comes with lifelike skin and artificial intelligence?
Soldiers
The Pentagon is making a big push into robotic fighting systems, like the MULE, Lockheed Martin’s robotic truck that can fire missiles at an enemy.
Then there are the maquiladoras. They are the manufacturing plants in Mexico located near the United States border. They are located in many of the towns and cities from Tijuana to Reynosa and Rio Bravo. Maquiladoras are owned by U.S., Japanese, and European countries and some could be considered “sweatshops” composed of young women working for as little as 50 cents an hour, for up to ten hours a day, six days a week. Courtesy of NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), taxes and custom fees are almost nonexistent, which benefit the profits of corporations.
What is even more astonishing is that the Obama administration along with Republicans is planning to pass free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea. They will create jobs. The jobs happen to be in those countries, not the United States. The explanation for this is simple. Our elected officials want to be re-elected. It’s big business that give the big donations.
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