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A retired Penn professor has been blocking Uber Eats robots for months. This week, she got arrested for it (www.phillyvoice.com)
submitted 4 days ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/53250107

Police confirmed they had responded to a report of "criminal mischief involving a robot" on the 1200 block of Filbert Street around 1:16 p.m. on Wednesday. A woman on the scene ignored "multiple commands" to move, they said, resulting in a criminal violation notice for disorderly conduct.

Uber declined to comment.

Marvin, who plans to contest the charge on the grounds of her First Amendment right to protest, has been undeterred by the arrest. She plans to continue blocking Uber Eats robots and chatting with curious passersby who ask what she's doing.

"It allows me to talk to people about what's going on," she said. "It's always very interesting conversations that we have, and I think it's good to have those kinds of conversations in public space."

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[–] 0 points 3 days ago* (4 children)

You should dream bigger. We have the technology to not need delivery drivers any more, but you want to keep them? Why? Because you think neoliberal capitalism can't be replaced with something more just and socialist? That is my charge against this whole critique. Why the fuck do you want people working crappy delivery jobs?

All of this should be replaced by a national post office type of delivery service.

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  • [–] 6 points 3 days ago* (3 children)

    This kid is the difference between idealism and reality.

    In an idealist world, automation would fund UBI, which would fund a higher quality of living for everyone. Which is effectively parallel to what you're arguing here, in it's fundamental mechanics.

    As you can probably see, many Western nations don't have UBI. Why? Because automation doesn't give back to the people, automation provides more wealth to a few corporations and individuals.

    The same thing goes with delivery robots. It largely benefits the corporation, which can cut additional expenses by not having to pay a human. Where does that money go? It goes to line someone's coffers. If it was taxed appropriately, then that money could go back into the public, but it doesn't.

    People don't want to work crappy delivery jobs. They do it out of necessity in order to buy food and pay rent, and the buying of that food and the paying of that rent also increasingly goes to smaller set of large corporations.

    That's the reality.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 days ago

    I mean yes, but climate change is also a reality and presumably most deliveries are done via car. Or maybe scooter. And for scooter or bike this is also a dangerous job in traffic.

    This kid is the difference between idealism and reality.

    I would also say that it is ideology vs amorality, which is the prevailing system of belief currently in the west, and increasingly so. People do not believe that democracy works any more so you do not see any attempt at demands for regulations any more. That is not realism, that is fatalism.

    Liberalism / neoliberalism and the "international liberal order" can (I believe) be understood as a system that only allows capitalism to control government and society, and fundamentally no ideology. Ideology only serves as a facade or shield or distraction but there is no core.

    So the hysteria and willingness to abandon reality we see from fuckai (and other recent dividing frameworks) reflect that. Maybe it is even something that is deliberately pushed by the dark enlightenment around Peter Thiel, to erode belief in and functionality of democracy. But that is speculation.

    And even Musk understands that we're going to need UBI the more automation and as demand plummets due to poverty.

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