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Thom's blog
Are "self-service" checkouts putting us out of work?
 It's no longer far-fetched to say that soon we will be able to shop, work, travel, and commute, all without interacting with a single person. And, while that may sound appealing to the introverts out there, it's also the reason that we need a basic minimum income. All of that automation and self-service means fewer jobs available for American workers, and that means more people will find themselves unemployed. According to a recent article by Paul Buchheit over at CommonDreams.org, "Today's tech and telecom companies build products that require less American workers, less middle-income workers, and less workers overall." He explained that before long, we may find ourselves competing with robots that don't complain or ask for higher wages. And, that may leave us, the actual human beings, in need of a steady paycheck. A basic minimum income is the perfect solution for this dilemma, and it could be paid for with a few simple, corporate reforms. By instituting a carbon tax on our biggest polluters and a transaction tax on Wall Street, we could cover much of the cost of guaranteeing that everyone has enough money to meet their basic needs. The difference could be covered by making it harder for corporations to skip out on their taxes, and putting more reasonable limitations on corporate patents. With a few reforms like these we could once again be a nation that values people over profit, and we could prepare ourselves for the future economy. If we don't, we're likely to spend the money anyway on the various social programs that we'll need when more and more Americans find themselves out of work. A basic minimum income would guarantee that all of our fellow Americans have a basic standard of living, and it would leave us the time to design even better robots. -Thom (What do you think? Tell us here.) |
Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... The Coming Climate Shock (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)
 Be sure to check out our newest video: RESTORATION - narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio & Thom Hartmann, directed by Leila Conners / Visit GreenWorldRising.org to check out all the videos: CARBON, LAST HOURS & GREEN WORLD RISING - narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio & Thom Hartmann, directed by Leila Conners
Daily Take: The Backlash on Corporatism is Ramping Up World Wide
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The Daily Stack 
Hour One: Political Insiders vs. Outsiders...International Edition
Article: " Syriza" by Wikipedia.
Hour Two: How Should Europe (and America) Deal With Syrian Refugees?
Hour Three: Memes, collective unconsciousness and political revolution Economic and Labor News |
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Tuesday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET
We'll have the latest news and information...everything you need to know to win the water cooler wars...
And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...
The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"
And don't forget...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...
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