Low-wage jobs

No-one likes to have a low-wage job. Indeed, many of the advancements of civilization stem from our ingrained desire to avoid doing mundane, undesirable, and low-paying tasks. Machines of all types were developed to eliminate the need for people to do such tasks: sewing machines, washing machines, automobiles, automatic doors, factory robots and, since just recently, the thinking machines, the computers.

No-one needs to be a porter anymore! We can all get higher education and work as doctors*, architects and software developers!

Then, I'd like to ask, why is the economic inequality increasing in most countries? The rich get richer and the poor get poorer - the statistics don't leave room for debate here.

If ever-increasing automation is the future, why don't young people see future for themselves? Why can't they find jobs even after graduating from post-secondary schooling?

Aren't low-wage workers simply becoming no-wage workers?

I argue: If you don't want to do something yourself, don't buy a machine. Instead, pay someone to do it.

(*) By the way, check out the latest research on medical robots.

— London, ON, Oct 2012