So this is a whole thing that I never knew about until today. I was doing the youtube thing and ran across a guy who was talking about "elite Democratic intellectuals" who turned their back on the white working class in the 70s. He specifically mentioned that this demographic has nothing but utter contempt for all things white working class including the beer they drank. It was just weird for me to see the guy mention beer in his video and turn around and see you and zin both confirm that was a thing.
I have read a lot of posts from both of you and it is obvious that both of you have IQs that are 120 or better (about the same as me or perhaps slightly higher). This guys contention is that white society has fractured badly between upper middle class high IQ whites and working class whites of average intelligence. There is no longer any kind of shared experience between the two groups. They live in completely different communities. He contended that the working class white community is completely and hopelessly broken, their industriousness has been destroyed, they have no future, no ambition and an incredible sense of entitlement. He has a point in a way. I have absolutely no idea what the communities of these poor whites are like. I have never actually been to one. Since I started working I have always lived in an middle to upper middle class community. I have no context in which to evaluate poor white communities. It simply does not compute for me.
His diagnosis that the end game is pretty catastrophic. He contends that the economy will always need high IQ workers but increasingly low IQ workers are becoming simple excess baggage. He did mention that the coming destruction of all trucking jobs is going to have a horrible impact. His bottom line (Jask has made this point) was that a universal basic income is mandatory if America is to have a chance of surviving.
I'd be lying if I said I knew exactly when the break between white collar and blue collar began.
He's right with regards to the end result. But it's not isolated by skin color, IMO. It's just that whites had it pretty good compared to other races, so the fall is hard.
He's also correct in terms of job demands, where physical jobs are easier to automate compared to jobs requiring increased mental capacity. The automation of trucking is a prime example. Warn as many people as possible, but what about those who simply can't perform in a job market that doesn't rely solely of physical abilities? Idle hands are the devil's playground so to speak, crime will increase as people are put into desperate situations. Will we continue to feed the industrial prison system with condescension and disdain, or will empathy and knowledge overrule ignorance?
I've already expressed this to my own kids. I point out that in my current job role, I'm not paid for lifting, moving,(sometimes I use a lift tool) etc.... just need to drive and walk. I'm paid for my knowledge, critical thinking, following directions, attention to detail, etc...and it will be even more so for them. I'm encouraging my older son, who's a tech nut, to pursue computer science and robotics, so his future may be more secure *hopefully*
Even with the increased use of the internet, tech jobs that would've been seen as "secure" 20 years ago have gone overseas for cheaper labor costs. System admins, software development, operations. Also, much of the physical aspect, such as tape operations, has been moved towards virtual tape, so no physical media to manage (meaning less hands on required), less bodies to do something. Just a few people, ideally, to manage the backup jobs, virtual drives, virtual libraries, etc..
I do believe some form of UBI will eventually be necessary. I also think the upper and ruling classes will fight it to the bitter end, and try to keep us squabbling over social issues that they don't really care about, but in the end UBI becomes fuel for our next revolution. Which is almost darkly humorous to see the change from the industrial revolution, to machines taking our jobs, half circle to the point it creates another revolution.
I've never visited places devastated by a job market collapse from automation and/or outsourcing, but the few PBS reports I've seen don't make it look pretty
What I get to see is in-sourcing. Where whole IT departments are wiped out, and contractors employing mainly h1-b's are put in place. It's pretty shitty.