Wall Street Cheers Replacement of Cashiers with Digital Kiosks

[Dekoth-E-]

Here, here. Can't stand going into walmart for a few things (anywhere from 2100-0900), see employees standing around everywhere (some working) and only those god forsaken, temperamental security bumbling machines that have to have you checking out and placing each item exactly how they require or be cursed with constant messages and delays about what is or is not in the bagging area. Also, since so many items (like paint) need to be "approved" for sale to an age limit, you just end up waiting on that one person to come around and punch in the clearance code anyway, something a regular cashier would do as they scan it.
Corporate and government will always tell you the changes are in your best interest, giving you whatever BS excuse they can, but that never turns out to be the actual case. WM has become much, much more inefficient and an unpleasant shopping experience, and I haven't seen the cheaper prices after a decade of it now.



The ride sharing companies already do.

I'm talking about the employees. You know the ones who are either slow as dirt or don't give a shit and just cram items in bags without using their brains ( crushable items with heavy items). As far as the ones who can't operate technology, sure it happens sometimes. However it typically happens less often than grandma kettle who wants to write a check for $3 and waits until everything is scanned before even starting to look for her checkbook, or the other idiots who stare stupidly into space until everything is rang up to figure out how they want to pay or where their payment is.

I'm out of the store way faster on average these days.

 

[PeaKr]

"Do you know why they call it fast food? Because it speeds you on your way to the grave" Chiun

 

[Deleted member 126051]

There's definitely an argument to be made there, but of course the counter argument is how does someone survive if they don't have the skills for higher paying work. One stat that might be worth looking at is how many jobs DO pay a living wage v. how many households there are in the country.

The same way we've been doing it all along.

1. Work more/longer
2. Obtain job skills to move on to another job that DOES pay a living wage.

It sounds terribly unfair. But it's reality. Nobody in this country (or anywhere else) is "owed a living".

 

[Dalexx]

Everytime automation is introduced into an industry it is not to make the work easier, it is GREED! Human Labor will continue to be cut in favor of cheaper machines only to reduce costs NOT TO IMPROVE quality of life.

Everything is greed. Your desires for work is greed. Once upon a time, you did a job with 10 men, then a horse was introduced, then 10 horses were replaced with 1 tractor. Who is the greedy person there? The one selling the tractor or the one buying the tractor? I bought a lawnmower versus paying someone to cut my grass, because of greed? Or maybe laziness, as going out and cutting grass with a scythe isn't very desirable either.
Business are all about running efficiently if they want to stay in business. No one hires 20 people to do a job that can be done with 10. No one hires 20 unskilled labors if they can hire 10 highly skilled workers (unless it turns out to be more profitable, which is rarely). No one delivers a pizza by walking, when a motorcycle or car is faster. Is that because of greed or common sense?

The QOL isn't aimed at the workers, it's for the consumers. In most cases, the more I can produce, the more there is available to the consumers and that improves their lives. Sure there are some terrible companies out there that would offer up their own children in the name of profits, but I think they are the exception than the rule. Mcdonald's could start paying all their employees $20 an hour and they would, like every other company, still look for ways to make the process better, faster, cheaper with less human interactions, because that normally increases the chance for errors.

 

[DukenukemX]

And we have the winner.

Having a $15/hour minimum wage doesn't help all the people who end up losing their jobs. Doesn't even help the people who still have jobs, since it raises prices on much of what they buy.

Few reasons you're wrong. Firstly, who's to say McDonalds wasn't going to replace cashiers with kiosks? Who's to say this is just and excuse to put Kiosks? Secondly, in Australia they have a minimum wage of $17.70 and their burgers cost $5 just like here in USA. Last I heard their economy is doing very well in Australia. Finally, we need people to get paid $15 is order to keep people off welfare. Anyone working for national minimum wage is on walfare.

Having ordering linked to an app on your smart phone will be next. Just pick your choice from the list on your phone and press buy. They can even limit ordering to people close by using GPS to avoid abuse. 10 second ordering, no more waiting in line to order. Now we just need to automate the food preparation and to provide a count down timer for when its ready.

Most millennials like to order things or just cook at home. Anyone who does go to McDonalds is more likely to use the drive through. For the few people that like to interact with people, they will go someplace else.

Any system that's automated is ripe for abuse. If I can order food through an app then I can place a lot of fake orders. And automated systems aren't good at picking between real or fake orders. Then you have the problem with hackers, where you didn't have that problem before.

 

[tetris42]

The same way we've been doing it all along.

1. Work more/longer
2. Obtain job skills to move on to another job that DOES pay a living wage.

It sounds terribly unfair. But it's reality. Nobody in this country (or anywhere else) is "owed a living".

Well that's the whole point, over a long enough timespan that won't be possible for an increasing percentage of the populace. Obviously, letting people die, including many hard and skilled workers is always an option as time goes on, but not necessarily a desirable one, considering how all of this is preventable.

Everything is greed. Your desires for work is greed. Once upon a time, you did a job with 10 men, then a horse was introduced, then 10 horses were replaced with 1 tractor. Who is the greedy person there? The one selling the tractor or the one buying the tractor? I bought a lawnmower versus paying someone to cut my grass, because of greed? Or maybe laziness, as going out and cutting grass with a scythe isn't very desirable either.
Business are all about running efficiently if they want to stay in business. No one hires 20 people to do a job that can be done with 10. No one hires 20 unskilled labors if they can hire 10 highly skilled workers (unless it turns out to be more profitable, which is rarely). No one delivers a pizza by walking, when a motorcycle or car is faster. Is that because of greed or common sense?

You're talking like you have a loose grasp on what the concept of greed is. Greed is the want of excess, well beyond what is needed. Most people work in order to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. That's not greed, that's survival. Basic wants of necessary things is not greed. Now of course people can ALSO be greedy and it can be subjective what the cutoff point is either. Point is, not everything is greed, the way not everything is generosity and not everything is ambition. It's one human trait among many. That said, our currently economic certainly rewards if not idolizes greed to a large degree.

Sure there are some terrible companies out there that would offer up their own children in the name of profits, but I think they are the exception than the rule.

 

[spaceman]

Until i get a discount for doing someone else job at these locations i refuse to use them...

HomeDepot, you want me to scan, bag and do my own shit? give me a discount...I don't work for you so why am i doing your workers job for you?

I know, I know, it can be faster and quicker to just hit a screen or use an app, call me old fashion (only 37...)

Also i call BS on they will simply give people other jobs to do, you are now cutting out a role a person had to do, while you already had all other positions staffed.. this WILL let you fire people and have less overhead.

I agree with that. 5% would work. Funny thing is that at home depot, they have more cashiers than people working in the departments.

 

[[21CW]killerofall]

I actually prefer self checkout as I can checkout faster than someone else doing it and the lines move much faster. Then again, I only ever buy for one, being single.

 

[snowcrash]

As long as you have a job and make a good living, it is very easy to have harsh and unsympathetic views on job losses.

It wasn't used to be but it's a pretty commonly held views now. "It's not a problem until it affects me."

 

[SvenBent]

it's all relative, countries that have minimum wages higher than the US also have much much higher taxes.. for example most countries in the EU pay around 19 USD an hour minimum wage but you have the insane income tax on top of an insanely high VAT tax(sales tax). if we were to implement that in the US our minimum wage would be some where in the range of 25 dollars an hour.

You are correct. But still you are leaving out stuff. the taxes does not disappear into nothing. those taxes comes bakc to "You" in the form form of "Free" healtcare" education" Reeducation" which is why the amount of people going through college ( in percentages) is the roughly same as people going through high school in the states
You can just calculate in a coast and not calculate in the benefits. the US is building a workforce of under educated people. no supplying re-education or a salary for the "bottom feeders" to take one, at the same time as replacing them with robotics.
basically the states are taking a path into a huge amount of workers that are useless in the future. and instead of investeting into the peopel to become assets for the country. We are cutting them out of a productive living. no wonder we have such a high percentage of our population living below the poverty threshold.
but anything for the almighty dollars to the companies.

 

[Evil Scooter]

Working in fast food industry as a cashier was never meant to be a lifelong career you could support yourself or a family on. It's supposed to be an entry position requiring the lowest amount of skill for employees new to jobs altogether so they can gain the soft skills required to get better employment.

It sucks the "fight for $15" and the loony left in state after state have made it nearly impossible for businesses to offer these entry level positions any more. Kids today no longer get the experiences gained by "that sh*t summer job" we all used to have to fund our summer activities or to put gas in the tank. It really motivated kids to do better for themselves and learn exactly what they did not want to be doing for the rest of their lives.

Nowadays they graduate college minus the soft skills (and quite a few others) thinking they are entitled to massive salaries for having graduated college with no work experience at all. Then reality sets in and the tantrum begins.. because that's how they have been taught in college to handle adversity.

My2c

 

[Evil Scooter]

You are correct. But still you are leaving out stuff. the taxes does not disappear into nothing. those taxes comes bakc to "You" in the form form of "Free" healtcare" education" Reeducation" which is why the amount of people going through college ( in percentages) is the roughly same as people going through high school in the states
You can just calculate in a coast and not calculate in the benefits. the US is building a workforce of under educated people. no supplying re-education or a salary for the "bottom feeders" to take one, at the same time as replacing them with robotics.
basically the states are taking a path into a huge amount of workers that are useless in the future. and instead of investeting into the peopel to become assets for the country. We are cutting them out of a productive living. no wonder we have such a high percentage of our population living below the poverty threshold.
but anything for the almighty dollars to the companies.

"The most dangerous myth is the demagoguery that business can be made to pay a larger share, thus relieving the individual. Politicians preaching this are either deliberately dishonest, or economically illiterate, and either one should scare us...
Only people pay taxes, and people pay as consumers every tax that is assessed against a business."


-The Gipper

 

[SvenBent]

"The most dangerous myth is the demagoguery that business can be made to pay a larger share, thus relieving the individual. Politicians preaching this are either deliberately dishonest, or economically illiterate, and either one should scare us...
Only people pay taxes, and people pay as consumers every tax that is assessed against a business."


-The Gipper

I'm sorry but i don't follow you.

 

[Evil Scooter]

I'm sorry but i don't follow you.

Per your previous post:

"those taxes comes bakc to "You" in the form form of "Free" healtcare" education" Reeducation" . . ."

It's not "free", we've paid through taxes. Businesses don't pay for taxes... we the taxpayer do.

 

[nutzo]

The competition for work will drive the wages down on jobs that can't be automated though. Its already hard to get a good job with long term security in the trades.

And there'll still be huge numbers of people who won't be able to find work...what happens to them? You just going to hope they all die quietly in a ditch somewhere while you pretend they don't exist 'cause maybe everything (so you hope) turns out fine for you?

Yet in spite of all the automation, many companies are still having problems finding reliable workers.
Talk to almost anyone running a mid sized business and you will hear the same stories about employees who show up late, call in sick (due to a hangover), or just do a poor job.

All this worry about automation replacing jobs, yet it has been going on for the past 100 years. 100 years ago 80% of the population was employed in farm work, now it's less than 1/10 that number. Did all those workers die in some ditch, or did they find other jobs? Yes there will be disruptions. Yes, jobs will change. There will be new careers that don't even exist today.

If you are willing to learn and work hard, are willing to actually show up on time for your job, then you shouldn't have a problem finding good employment.
If you are more concerned about partying all weekend, doing drugs, or avoiding work, then yes, you might end up in that ditch.

 

[nutzo]

This is such a basic economic decision, it's amazing anyone "resists" it or decries it.

Let's see...

1. A group thinks smokers should be discouraged from smoking, so they raise the cost of cigarettes.
The logic is: raise the cost of something and less of that activity will occur.

2. Barack Hussein Obama thought Americans used too much electricity, so he wanted to raise the electrical rates. ("Costs would, necessarily, skyrocket.").
The logic is: raise the cost of something and less of that activity will occur.

3. A bunch of SJW activists think burger flipping is skilled labor and that every job, regardless of how menial, should support a family of four. They push to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
The logic is: raise the cost of something and MORE of that activity will occur?

If you artificially raise the cost of labor, that will cause LESS labor to be used. You want to MANDATE a $15 minimum wage? You just caused a lot of folks to lose their $7, $8, $9, or $10 an hour job. Congrats.

Quit trying to confuse them with the facts.

Just because they have never run a business, or even taken an economics class, doesn't mean they are not entitled to their own facts.

 

[nutzo]

Few reasons you're wrong. Firstly, who's to say McDonalds wasn't going to replace cashiers with kiosks? Who's to say this is just and excuse to put Kiosks? Secondly, in Australia they have a minimum wage of $17.70 and their burgers cost $5 just like here in USA. Last I heard their economy is doing very well in Australia. Finally, we need people to get paid $15 is order to keep people off welfare. Anyone working for national minimum wage is on walfare.

Have you actually been to Australia? I have, and it's an expensive place to visit.
Burgers there significantly more expensive than they where here in the states. Sit down restaurants where even worse.
It was a few years ago, and the minimum wage was not as high, so I can't imagine the prices have gotten any better.

 

[Spidey329]

it seems the everything 1st world countries has managed to do is always considered hard in the US.
a lot of countries has a minimum wage higher than 15 dollars/hours and funny enough mc donalds is still expanding in those countries.

Things that aperenatly are just to hard for the US but not other countries:
minimum wage at 15 dollars
Push for green energy
Healthcare for everybody.
Education for everybody.
Clean water for everybody.

its not wonder US is starting to lose its recognition as a 1st world country in the eyes of the overseas

Although I do agree that other countries have proven they can do it (maybe because they're not so corrupt?).

By definition, the US can not be anything other than a 1st world nation. The terms are from the cold war era.

1st World Nation = US and allies (NATO)
2nd World Nation = Soviet Union and allies.
3rd World Nation = Neutral countries (Swiss, Ireland, Sweden, India, etc.).

 

[SvenBent]

Per your previous post:

"those taxes comes bakc to "You" in the form form of "Free" healtcare" education" Reeducation" . . ."

It's not "free", we've paid through taxes. Businesses don't pay for taxes... we the taxpayer do.

oh so you didn't know what the "" means in this context?

Although I do agree that other countries have proven they can do it (maybe because they're not so corrupt?).

By definition, the US can not be anything other than a 1st world nation. The terms are from the cold war era.

1st World Nation = US and allies (NATO)
2nd World Nation = Soviet Union and allies.
3rd World Nation = Neutral countries (Swiss, Ireland, Sweden, India, etc.).

SH#T i didn't know this. This is perhaps a pendulum word ( changes meaning over time)? or just basically a translation error

in all my years 1st world vs 3rd world was in terms of how you where in the progress as a civilization.
1st would would be modern up to ate countries
3rd would would be countries that are still needing basic necessities.
Also 2nd world was never mention (i did wonder why there was no 2nd world countries)

 

[Wierdo]

I'm sorry but i don't follow you.

Basically our corruption levels are much higher so what works for select parts of Europe is wishful thinking for the US at this point in time, aside from cultural and historical issues. We simply don't trust our government with the money, and they're not doing a good job earning that trust, so make sure the same doesn't happen to your democracies because it's an uphill climb from there.

 

[SvenBent]

Basically our corruption levels are much higher so what works for select parts of Europe is wishful thinking for the US at this point in time, aside from cultural and historical issues. We simply don't trust our government with the money, and they're not doing a good job earning that trust, so make sure the same doesn't happen to your democracies because it's an uphill climb from there.

Yeah and the government in many way treats the people as an opposition so I do understand the lack of trust. So I agree its defiantly not an easy "fix".
In my birth country it's illegal for companies to invest anykind of money or resources into anything political ( as far as i understand) at once time maersk ( global shipping/transportation company) wanted to give 500 million "money" to the government as a gift. but he couldn't, instead he had to donate it to the Zoo of the capital, Since they where a privat organization, they could take the money.

I actually talked with my parants in law and explained how we didn't "do taxes" over saes. we simple got the tax sheet prefilled (except its all online now). and her first response was: "I dont trust the government to do it" at first i though that was weird. But years has passed and now i understand better.

 

[DukenukemX]

Have you actually been to Australia? I have, and it's an expensive place to visit.
Burgers there significantly more expensive than they where here in the states. Sit down restaurants where even worse.
It was a few years ago, and the minimum wage was not as high, so I can't imagine the prices have gotten any better.

I know electronics are expensive in Australia. But the fact is a McDonald's Big Mac costs $5 in Australia, just like in USA. No matter how you spin it, they get paid 100% more than Americans on minimum wage do, even when you factor in currency differences. Those sit down restaurants also don't require you to tip. I think America is one of the few countries in the world that require us to tip.

Either way, a number of states have plans to increase minimum wage to $15, particularly California, Washington , and New York. Washington and Massachusetts already have $11. People need to get paid in real amounts of money or they'll take it from the welfare system, and therefore from tax payers. Does that seem smart to you?

 

[Evil Scooter]

oh so you didn't know what the "" means in this context?

. . .

Apparently you are under the impression taking $$ through taxation and then providing a service with the $$ taken makes that service = free.

 

[SvenBent]

Apparently you are under the impression taking $$ through taxation and then providing a service with the $$ taken makes that service = free.

So that is a yes that you don't know what the "" means in this context. Good to know let me explain it to you

Those quotations marks means that the word itself is more of a quote than to perceived as a descriptive word.
or in this case it does imply that i do NOT consider it free but, it is often regarded as or talked about as if it was so.

I hope this can clarify any misunderstanding you may have.


Also when I wrote "you" I also didn't actually mean the person I talked to was getting it. Just in case you (no quotes this time, so I do mean you) was wondering.

 

[Evil Scooter]

So that is a yes that you don't know what the "" means in this context. Good to know let me explain it to you

Those quotations marks means that the word itself is more of a quote than to perceived as a descriptive word.
or in this case it does imply that i do NOT consider it free but, it is often regarded as or talked about as if it was so.

I hope this can clarify any misunderstanding you may have.

Uh huh.. so what you said is not what you actually said or meant... because context.

For the record.. this is what you said:

those taxes comes bakc to "You" in the form form of "Free" healtcare" education" Reeducation"

My taxes come back to me in the form of "FREE" services... sorry.. not "FREE".

 

[SvenBent]

Uh huh.. so what you said is not what you actually said or meant... because context.

For the record.. this is what you said:



My taxes come back to me in the form of "FREE" services... sorry.. not "FREE".

I'm sorry if the concept of singleword quotations marks are to hard for you. I have no better way to enlighten you about the use of them, as I am not a teacher of this.
Are you perhaps a victim of a country that does not have "Free" Education? oh wait. i mean tax-payed-education-that-lets-everyone-join-even-though-that-they-dont-have-money-to-pay-for-it-directly-themselves?

 

[Evil Scooter]

I'm sorry if the concept of singleword quotations marks are to hard for you. I have no better way to enlighten you about the use of them, as I am not a teacher of this.
Are you perhaps a victim of a country that does not have "Free" Education? oh wait. i mean tax-payed-education-that-lets-everyone-join-even-though-that-they-dont-have-money-to-pay-for-it-directly-themselves?

For someone who claims such a command of the language you sure fall short explaining the use of "" around words to change their meaning. I'll take a pass on whatever your definition of enlightenment means. Apparently if I slap a set of these "" around it, the possibilities are nearly endless.

Riddle me this oh teacher of words... why did you use the word "FREE" at all if it's not what you meant?

BTW: I'm really enjoying reading you twist yourself into knots.. pls don't stop.

 

[SvenBent]

For someone who claims such a command of the language you sure fall short explaining the use of "" around words to change their meaning. I'll take a pass on whatever your definition of enlightenment means. Apparently if I slap a set of these "" around it, the possibilities are nearly endless.

Riddle me this oh teacher of words... why did you use the word "FREE" at all if it's not what you meant?

BTW: I'm really enjoying reading you twist yourself into knots.. pls don't stop.

You do a lot of long stretched interpretations.I fail to see where i claim any command of the language, or in any way or shape has titled myself as teacher. To the contrary I clearly stated I was no such thing. Again you are just trying to make anything into something it was not.

I already told you why I used the word "Free"

You must be on some major hallucinogenics if you can see me twist into a knot. Maybe that is the reason why you are constantly talking about thing that was simply not there.

Anyway its clear that you don't have anything of value to add to the conversation.

 

[Evil Scooter]

You do a lot of long stretched interpretations.I fail to see where i claim any command of the language, or in any way or shape has titled myself as teacher. To the contrary I clearly stated I was no such thing. Again you are just trying to make anything into something it was not.

I already told you why I used the word "Free"

You must be on some major hallucinogenics if you can see me twist into a knot. Maybe that is the reason why you are constantly talking about thing that was simply not there.

Anyway its clear that you don't have anything of value to add to the conversation.

Well dang. Here I am feeling all stupid cuz I thought free meant shit was.. free. Thanks for making things clear as a bucket of mud.

 

[almalino]

2 Those things are actually slower than the cashier.

Not slower if you consider they put 4+ kiosks in place of one cashier. There is no waiting queue anymore that save a ton of time.

 

[maxius]

This was coming regardless of all the raise the minimum wage efforts. As automation is coming for everyone's jobs and their is not a damn thing anyone can do about it.

Though everyone should be taking a hard look at Seattle its minimum wage is $15 http://q13fox.com/2017/06/20/seattles-15-minimum-wage-hasnt-cut-jobs-study-finds/ and they have not experienced the end times.

 

[tetris42]

Well dang. Here I am feeling all stupid cuz I thought free meant shit was.. free. Thanks for making things clear as a bucket of mud.

Here, I'll help you out:

"Free education" means if you're too poor to owe taxes, it's completely free. If you owe enough to pay taxes, you pay for it indirectly from a percentage of your taxes. If you're wealthy, you may pay more for it indirectly than you would if you paid just for yourself privately, to offset the costs of others. Wealthy people tend to be against this. Everyone else generally sees it as a good thing.

 

[DarkStar_WNY]

I hate these to be honest. The local Wildflower Bakery or whatever its called did this. I would prefer to just order from a person to have a conversation with them, perhaps ask them what they like to help me decide on my meal. Ordering from a kiosk just feels so, inefficient. At least in that I will spend a lot longer thinking about what I want to order than you would normal talking to a person. Perhaps this is offset statistically by the quantity of kiosks at any particular location. Maybe just I'm old fashioned.

That would make sense at someplace like a bakery, but if your asking the kid behind the counter at McDonald's "what's good today" you might have an issue.

And we have the winner.

Having a $15/hour minimum wage doesn't help all the people who end up losing their jobs. Doesn't even help the people who still have jobs, since it raises prices on much of what they buy.

Having ordering linked to an app on your smart phone will be next. Just pick your choice from the list on your phone and press buy. They can even limit ordering to people close by using GPS to avoid abuse. 10 second ordering, no more waiting in line to order. Now we just need to automate the food preparation and to provide a count down timer for when its ready.

While I agree I would like to point out that these kiosks were coming, one way or the other, it's just that the push for $15 has sped up their roll-out as the higher the wage for those positions are, the more cost effective it is to replace them with kiosks.

 

[DarkStar_WNY]

This was coming regardless of all the raise the minimum wage efforts. As automation is coming for everyone's jobs and their is not a damn thing anyone can do about it.

Though everyone should be taking a hard look at Seattle its minimum wage is $15 http://q13fox.com/2017/06/20/seattles-15-minimum-wage-hasnt-cut-jobs-study-finds/ and they have not experienced the end times.

Things like this come up now and then, but you also have to realize, the entire country isn't Seattle, the $15 minimum might work in NYC, but it would kill a lot of places in the rest of New York State.

 

[c3k]

No. It will not work in NYC. In fact, it -is- not working in NYC.

Time to push for $100 an hour minimum wage. Just so everyone can see how economics work.

 

[DarkStar_WNY]

No. It will not work in NYC. In fact, it -is- not working in NYC.

Time to push for $100 an hour minimum wage. Just so everyone can see how economics work.

I was just saying that just because it worked in one big city doesn't mean it will work in the rest of the country (and being as I'm in WNY I picked NYC as an example)

 

[mesyn191]

But not necessarily cheap enough to justify the opportunity cost.

LOL they absolutely are. How expensive do you think the hardware and UI developent are? These are not multi million dollar machines.

Remember, the initial purchase and installation are only part of the total, ongoing cost.

Electricity + the labor cost of a 2 min. wipe down every now and again aren't exactly shocking on going costs. Yes they'll occasionally break, but this isn't new tech at all being used here.

You're struggling to make mountains out of molehills here.

edit: I also like how you're not even going to try to defend your earlier comments blaming $15/hr labor as the cause of this automation either.

Some jobs are meant as to provide ancillary income

Says who and why should I believe them?

This is just more Conservative propaganda.

 

[mesyn191]

"The most dangerous myth is the demagoguery that business can be made to pay a larger share, thus relieving the individual. Politicians preaching this are either deliberately dishonest, or economically illiterate, and either one should scare us...Only people pay taxes, and people pay as consumers every tax that is assessed against a business."

-The Gipper

Ah the Gospel of Reagan. The thing is that Europe people and businesses have been paying higher taxes for decades post WWII and their economies were generally running just fine so this comment by him is obviously false.

 

[spectra260]

I rather order from the machine than from some asshole who could care less about making people their food and mess up on orders,provide lousy/rude service and then they have the nerve to ask for a raise to $15 a hour... to hell with them I say let the machines take er jobs! In fact stay home and make your own food then they all loose their jobs and these crap food places close down!

 

[mesyn191]

Yet in spite of all the automation, many companies are still having problems finding reliable workers.

That is because they don't want to pay them enough, not becuase those workers don't exist.

For every other market if you want quality its a given that you're expected to pay more but for some reason employers think that doesn't, or shouldn't, apply to the labor market. So they pay piss poor cut rates and/or treat their employees like crap and then they bitch relentlessly about all their employees are just no good for some reason. Usually turns into a gripe fest about Millenials these days it seems.

All this worry about automation replacing jobs, yet it has been going on for the past 100 years.

The future will not be exactly like the past because the sort of automation that exists today didn't exist back then. You didn't have machines that could, in a limited fashion, "learn" or adapt or capable of doing white collar desk jobs involving sorting data much less the menial unskilled labor stuff in a human setting. This isn't difficult to understand or comprehend.

If you are willing to learn and work hard, are willing to actually show up on time for your job, then you shouldn't have a problem finding good employment. If you are more concerned about partying all weekend, doing drugs, or avoiding work, then yes, you might end up in that ditch.

Ah so all problems can be blamed on the worker in this perfectly Just world of ours that always rewards hard honest work eh?

Even as a child working a paper route I knew that was nonsense...