George Rebane

For years these pages have heralded systemic unemployment caused by advancing technology.  The current strike of dock workers costing our economy over $4B per day is a milestone in this regard as their International Longshoremen’s Association, in addition to the usual pay increases, etc, also demands to become the gate keeper for dock-side introduction of new technologies.  Of course, this tack will do nothing but accelerate the introduction of such advancements and the commensurate reduction of labor costs as the militancy of government-backed unions ups the cost of labor above its normal rate of increase due to market forces.

And the socialist silly season of attempting to restrict and regulate AI developments will do nothing but make in-country innovation into surreptitious enterprises, and drive more expansive developments overseas where governments are not yet heavy-handed.  The exodus of companies that can most benefit from these future advances will launch a growing spate of whackamole legislation intended to slow corporate emigration.  At best it will be an exercise in futility; at worst it will hobble America’s industry and put a kibosh on our quality of life – all of it in the playbook of our hardworking neo-Marxists.

More later.