The War on Normal People
Andrew Yang
14 min
7 Key Points
5 RateWhat's inside?
Explore the reality of America's vanishing jobs due to automation and the potential solution of Universal Basic Income to secure the future.
You'll learn
1. What's up with jobs in America and the robot takeover?2. What's this Universal Basic Income thing and why's it cool?3. How could free money change our lives and economy?4. Why are old-school jobs disappearing?5. What's work gonna look like in the future and how can we get ready?6. How can we make Universal Basic Income and other safety nets happen?Key points
01The workforce has been slowly shrinking for years and it won't stop unless we do something
Let's take a trip down memory lane. Picture a bustling factory in the 1980s, filled to the brim with workers. They're running machines, assembling products, packing goods - you name it. Now, fast forward to today. That same factory is still standing, but the number of workers? It's taken a nosedive. Machines and automated systems are now doing the jobs that humans used to do. This is a real-life snapshot of how our workforce has been slowly but surely shrinking over the years. And it's not just factories. This trend is happening everywhere, in all sorts of industries. It's all thanks to technology and businesses wanting to be more efficient and save money. Take the hotel industry, for example. In 2016, Hilton, a traditional hotel chain, had a whopping 169,000 employees. But then there's Airbnb, a tech-based platform that connects homeowners with travelers. In 2017, they had just 3,100 employees. Yet, they were still able to compete in the same market. It's a perfect example of how technology lets businesses do more with less. So, what does this all mean? Well, it's a double-edged sword. On one side, it means a lot of jobs that exist today might not be around tomorrow. On the other side, it means the job market is getting more competitive. There are fewer opportunities for job seekers, especially for graduates in certain fields. They might find that the skills they've learned aren't in demand anymore. So, what's next? What jobs will be able to withstand the tech takeover? How can we, as individuals and as a society, adapt to these changes? These are the big questions we need to be asking. One possible solution is Universal Basic Income. It's a way to rethink our approach to work and income, and it could help us tackle the challenges of a shrinking workforce. In a nutshell, the shrinking workforce is a complex issue that's been slowly unfolding over several decades. It's driven by tech advancements and economic factors, and it has big implications for all of us. Understanding this trend is key to navigating the future of work and making sure everyone has economic security.
02We need jobs more than jobs need us
Let's break down a pretty deep thought: "We need work more than work needs us". This idea is a big part of Andrew Yang's argument about the future of jobs in America. Basically, it means that we, as people, rely a lot on work - not just for money, but for our sense of purpose. But, the work itself? It's starting to need us less and less, thanks to technology and automation. So, why do we need work so much? Well, it's not just about the paycheck. Work gives us a sense of purpose, a feeling that we're contributing to the world. It gives structure to our days. It even shapes how we see ourselves. Think about it - when you meet someone new, one of the first things you ask is, "What do you do?" That shows how much we tie our identities to our jobs. But here's the kicker: work is changing, and fast. Technology, automation, and artificial intelligence are taking over tasks that used to be done by humans. You see it everywhere - from self-checkout lines at the grocery store to automated customer service. Yang talks about how even truck driving, one of the most common jobs in many states, is being automated. That brings us back to the idea: "We need work more than work needs us". As machines get better and better, they need us less. But we still need work - for money, sure, but also for our mental health. So, what happens if jobs keep disappearing? What happens to all the people who rely on those jobs for their livelihood and their sense of self? Yang doesn't just leave us hanging with that question. He suggests a solution: Universal Basic Income, or UBI. UBI is like social security, but for everyone. It guarantees a certain amount of money to every citizen, no matter if they're working or not. This could be a safety net for people whose jobs are threatened by automation. It could also give people the freedom to find work that they find meaningful, instead of just working to pay the bills. So, to wrap it up, "We need work more than work needs us" is a big idea that points to a big problem. But it also points to a potential solution. As technology changes the job market, we need to think about how to make sure people can still find purpose and financial security. And UBI might just be the way to do that.
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03Look at Amazon and retail - that's what automation does to jobs
04This tech revolution is unlike anything we've seen before
05Families suffer the most when jobs are lost
06The government needs to step in to help us live peacefully with technology
07Conclusion
About Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and former presidential candidate. He is the founder of Venture for America, a nonprofit that helps entrepreneurs create jobs. Yang is known for his advocacy of universal basic income. His ideas and policies were widely discussed during his 2020 presidential campaign.
