ToysRus, NY Life, etc - Temporary Visas to Import Copycats Take Jobs to India

[Hugo Drax]

This is news to people? This has been happening in IT for ages.

Most Americans did not care because it was not happening to them, only those weird IT people.

 

[realibrad]

With that I can mostly agree. I would not claim that illegals are THE biggest problem; as Blanky says, they are one of many factors. If we could control our immigration and stop our loss of jobs (without crippling productivity) then I think they would be a net positive, as most first generation immigrants work harder than most of us entitled old timers. But right now we have a large number of powerful forces devaluing labor and the only solution we seem to find is artificially propping it up. As with lifting oneself up by the seat of the pants, success tends to be fleeting, mostly illusionary, and followed by intense pain.


Agreed, and well said. And thank G-d for Mexicans et al; I'm not big on illegal immigration for a variety of reasons but as illegal immigrants go, we definitely get the pick of the crop.

Labor is not as valuable because we have so many people on the planet. Unless we kill offer billions of people, labor will likely stay cheap for easy tasks.

Robots are way better at doing easy tasks really fast. Humans are way better at doing complex things for now.

Like it or not, we are moving away from a society were labor is needed. If China were not around, and those jobs were still in the US, they would still pay next to nothing to do. The only reason robots have not taken over in China is that right now workers are only slightly cheaper to do things. There has been innovation that is actually pushing out jobs in China too. Unless we stop importing things, then you cannot "protect" American jobs. All you can do is help create a dynamic smart work force that innovates and stays ahead of the curve.

 

[Sonikku]

What I'm wondering about is in 30 or so years when there's an AI and automated machines can take over 85%+ of the jobs currently done today what will happen to our massive population when there are only jobs for perhaps 15% of them.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

What I'm wondering about is in 30 or so years when there's an AI and automated machines can take over 85%+ of the jobs currently done today what will happen to our massive population when there are only jobs for perhaps 15% of them.

Put 9 out of 10 people out of work and you'll see robot regulations.

 

[realibrad]

What I'm wondering about is in 30 or so years when there's an AI and automated machines can take over 85%+ of the jobs currently done today what will happen to our massive population when there are only jobs for perhaps 15% of them.

Its always funny when people ask this, and dont even try to understand a world where our needs are met by a few. When goods/services are produced so efficiently, then we will be leaving a resource limited life. Basic needs will be free. Fewer and fewer will be "rich", but more and more will be free to do more with their lives.

 

[Hugo Drax]

What I'm wondering about is in 30 or so years when there's an AI and automated machines can take over 85%+ of the jobs currently done today what will happen to our massive population when there are only jobs for perhaps 15% of them.

Starvation and disease. Nature will correct the imbalance.

 

[Ns1]

What I'm wondering about is in 30 or so years when there's an AI and automated machines can take over 85%+ of the jobs currently done today what will happen to our massive population when there are only jobs for perhaps 15% of them.

It's not like this hasn't happened before.

 

[Brainonska511]

is there any cases where it was a legitimate need?

They had one example in the follow up article I had posted ( http://nyti.ms/1PzNNMw ) - a French engineer at a small start-up couldn't get one because of the flooded lottery system.

 

[Zaap]

It's not like this hasn't happened before.

Yeah.. and cars only owed by middle class and wealthy. More than one car per family rare.

Pretty much anyone can own a car. Less than one car per family rare.

 

[Sonikku]

Its always funny when people ask this, and dont even try to understand a world where our needs are met by a few. When goods/services are produced so efficiently, then we will be leaving a resource limited life. Basic needs will be free. Fewer and fewer will be "rich", but more and more will be free to do more with their lives.

Socialism! Welfare! I can just see it now.

The elite would never allow it.

 

[Mai72]

Look at the staggering numbers offered by this article: http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015...kers-make-less-than-30000-dollars-a-year.html



The people claiming it's so easy to pull yourself out of this rapid decline of the middle class are either delusional, leeching off mommy and daddy or are the 1%. Even white collar workers like physicians, dentists, lawyers are feeling the pinch. Those that deny what's happening are living in a fantasy world. You can't plan for something which is no longer there. There are Google engineers living out of vans on their campus just to scrape by and save enough money to buy a house--that speaks volumes about how shit is so fucked up in this country.

That sucks.

 

[1prophet]

It's not like this hasn't happened before.

Still waiting for the robot to be invented that will replace the consumer these companies need to purchase their goods and services.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Let's be real here - if they didn't send someone from India here, they'd send someone here to India. Those jobs were going offshore one way or another.

I wonder where the Indian shadow was for the VP's job. Funny how executive jobs seem to magically be preserved when someone in Indian could handle those jobs too.

 

[alcoholbob]

The H1-B program was originally designed to bring to America high skilled workers that employers couldnt find in America. But like the vast number of government programs in existence, it ends up doing the opposite of its intended purpose. Now its just a way to replace average college grads from the work force with B- students from Hyderabad Community College who are willing to work at half the price.

 

[Ns1]

Still waiting for the robot to be invented that will replace the consumer these companies need to purchase their goods and services.

Pretty mouths will always be in demand.

 

[Phokus]

pretty mouths will always be in demand.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

[chucky2]

I wonder where the Indian shadow was for the VP's job. Funny how executive jobs seem to magically be preserved when someone in Indian could handle those jobs too.

That is actually happening now, which is pure schadenfreude. Give it another 20 years to really set in. These F'ing idiots that want to import every sob story illegal and every H1B just cannot process how it is F'ing their own kids and grandkids long term. Short sighted greedy/Bleeding Heart fools...

 

[Jeff7]

Still waiting for the robot to be invented that will replace the consumer these companies need to purchase their goods and services.

A lot of the ones making the decisions don't need to care about the company. Burn it to the ground, they'll still get their contractually-guaranteed severance and pension. The company will go to great lengths to ensure that those obligations are met. The rank&file can have their pensions stripped to the bone or eliminated though, in some cases so that the executive pay packages can be maintained and increased.

"No consumers left? Don't care, I'm set for life."


And our species inherently thinks short-term. What can I eat today? Where am I going to sleep today? 10 years from now might as well be another lifetime for many people.

 

[Ns1]

A lot of the ones making the decisions don't need to care about the company. Burn it to the ground, they'll still get their contractually-guaranteed severance and pension. The company will go to great lengths to ensure that those obligations are met. The rank&file can have their pensions stripped to the bone or eliminated though, in some cases so that the executive pay packages can be maintained and increased.

"No consumers left? Don't care, I'm set for life."


And our species inherently thinks short-term. What can I eat today? Where am I going to sleep today? 10 years from now might as well be another lifetime for many people.

When guys use TurboTax/TaxAct do you really care that you displaced an accountant who used to do that stuff for a living? When you use a telephone do you shed a tear for the former operators?