I'm an optimist. I think the economy is going to crash, and if we are smart about it, we will be set free.
In the 1800s, the main reason western culture ended slavery was because of the industrial revolution. Augmenting human labor with machines allowed industry to produce all the goods the market could sell with much less labor. It was a bumpy ride of course. It takes time for the free market to match labor skills with production demand, but in the end everyone benefited.
Fast forward to today when people fear for the loss of their jobs to automation. From robots making cars to self checkout at the grocery store, it looks like machines are replacing people. Like we have nothin' better to do than some brainless factory job.
----Our goal should be a twenty hour work week.---
This isn't revolutionary. It's simply the direction we are heading: we need this many goods, with automation we produce twice as much/ hour, we need work only half as many hours. But as automation gears up, imbalances stress the market. Worse yet, the 1% on top don't want any change that may upset the pyramid they are atop.Hence the need for a crash to reach the new labor market state. There are a few other things we really need to get there too:
-We need cheap energy. Alternate energy. Secret energy. There are estimated 4500 patents classified as secret because their use would "upset the market". Bastards.
-Debt Jubilee. A wiping out of all debts. Think about how much time we work just to service personal and government debt.
-We need less government, and absolutely NO New World Order. But we should consider the World Federalist Movement. It means individual rights and minimal military worldwide, without dictating how people choose to live.
The timing of all this is interesting with some crypto-currencies having the ability to replace bureaucrats. Etherium for example can hold and run contracts and programs. Registering your home, car, ect on the blockchain is just for starters. It may take 10 years just to figure out how we can use the blockchain, and government can't stop it.
Think of the possibilities! This could be the beginning of a human golden age beyond our dreams.
How can we prepare?
-Hold some money the governments don't control. Gold, Silver, Bitcoin. It won't take much, but the everyone should start with a little.
-If and when the economy crashes get active with our elected leaders and demand a short work week. When SHTF any sane leader should realize the need to get more people working productively even as less work is needed.
Then we can take our hobbies seriously. Where'd I put my guitar ?...
