Originally Posted by
chi05
Real median household income in the U.S. has shown an overall increase in the long run. Picking one example of an $80k job being replaced by a $15k job doesn't give an accurate view of the overall economy. Yes I know the unemployment numbers don't account for a lot of things, but that's a whole other discussion. The point I was trying to make was that when you look at the economy as a whole, technology does not kill jobs and it does not lead to a decrease in wages. Lots of other things do like housing bubbles bursting, bad fiscal policy, excessive risk taking on Wall Street, consumers taking out mortgages that they cannot afford, etc. These are what caused the recession, not robots stealing our jobs.
I agree with you about many of your points, although I'm not entirely convinced that these Amazon type drones may not become a threat within 10-15 years. But, you are mistaken if you believe that real median household income (or airline pilot pay) has increased over the last few decades. Wynton Hall at Breitbart has been extensively writing recently about the middle class struggling. There are also numerous studies and articles available to substantiate this. They include:
U.S. Wages Down 23% Since 2008
Middle Class Poorer Now than in 1984
14 Million More on Food Stamps Under Obama
Government Isn't Disclosing the True Jobless Rate
The Lost Decade of the Middle Class | Pew Research Center?s Social & Demographic Trends Project
As for technology stealing jobs, it certainly has reduced the number of cockpit jobs over the last 25 years as two-seat automated cockpits have eliminated the need for flight engineers. And as those cockpits have become more complex and difficult to manage, while increasing productivity and company efficiency, there has not been an equivalent increase in pay.
Are you old enough to remember what major airline captains lifestyles were like back in the 60's and 70's? Are any of us today able to maintain comparable lifestyles now? Airline pilot pay may have increased since the 70's, but the buying power of that increase has not kept pace with housing and other costs.