I really hope that the last paragraph is wrong. Getting out of that area because they're afraid of neo-luddite backlash is ridiculous. Instead, they should be using their considerable power to push the much-lauded "Silicon Valley Democracy" (
http://www.vox.com/2016/2/19/11057836/silicon-valley-democra...). Things like:
- Guaranteed income, or at least a stopgap like the old welfare system, but with far less means-testing and much more generosity
- Universal, free higher education
- Free, universal health care
- Smart, flexible regulatory apparatus
- A complete rethought system of unions (a la Sweden)
- Massive push (or even buildout) of dense urban housing developments. Make the modern "company town" an explicit goal if you must, then expand it to regions across the country
I really wonder if the Nordics have a leg up on us here; they're already 3/4 of the way towards this ideal, both in terms of policy and a cultural understanding of the benefits of a truly progressive taxation system/public goods and services. Would a Danish or Finnish robotics company bail out just because of fear of backlash, or would they say "society already has you covered, people"?
- Guaranteed income, or at least a stopgap like the old welfare system, but with far less means-testing and much more generosity
- Universal, free higher education
- Free, universal health care
- Smart, flexible regulatory apparatus
- A complete rethought system of unions (a la Sweden)
- Massive push (or even buildout) of dense urban housing developments. Make the modern "company town" an explicit goal if you must, then expand it to regions across the country
I really wonder if the Nordics have a leg up on us here; they're already 3/4 of the way towards this ideal, both in terms of policy and a cultural understanding of the benefits of a truly progressive taxation system/public goods and services. Would a Danish or Finnish robotics company bail out just because of fear of backlash, or would they say "society already has you covered, people"?