14
Kicking Robots, by James Vincent (harpers.org)
submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by to c/techtakes@awful.systems
20 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

A Harpers contributer does the legwork and gets a head start on deflating the next dumb hype cycle.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 9 points 8 months ago (1 child)

But paying workers gives workers money, which means you lose. Instead of buying a robot, which gives another capitalist/company money, which means they win. They are the most class conscious class.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    They had robots in galts gulch, which means that all businesses need them. If you aren’t randmaxxing 24/7, can you really call yourself a technological visionary at the vanguard of the libertarian master race?

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    Did they? Dont think Rand thought that far and the robots were fan fiction.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 4 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    I can’t find any good sources right now, I’m absolutely not going to find a copy of that particular screed and look up the relevant bits, but I think the oil wells in galts gulch were automated, with self driving trucks, I think? It might also be implicit in the goods that are produced there, but that is drifting a bit into fanfic, I admit.

    Anyway, between boston dynamics and the endless supply of rand fans on the internet, it’s very hard to research without reading the damn thing.

    If I find a new source, I’ll report back.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    I might be able to borrow a digital copy and run a search through it, but im afk for now.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 4 points 8 months ago

    So, curse you for making me check the actual source material (it was freely available online, which seems somehow heretical. I was intending to torrent it, and I’m almost disappointed I didn’t have to) and it seems I’m wrong here… the anconia copper mine in the gulch produced like a pound of copper, and they use mules for transporting stuff to and from the mine. The oil well is still suspicious, but it just gets glossed over.

    I’m not prepared to read any more than that, so if there was anything else about automation in there I didn’t see it. I’d forgotten the sheer volume of baseless smug that libertarian literature exudes.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent