Lenny was thankful the Robot Taxi had picked him up as quick as it was. A 3 minute wait was intolerable so late at night, and heck, it felt like it might rain. Pulling up to his flat, he tapped the payment interface with his phone while clicking “no tip”. Damn robot didn’t need a tip. He needed a tip. He hadn’t pulled in a regular paycheck since all corporate owned McDonalds switched to fully automated “associates” three years ago. As he pulled the door handle the locks clicked with a familiar thud.
“Your credit card has been rejected due to insufficient funds. Please remit another method of payment please.” Robot Taxi driver had a comforting, yet strong female voice today. A touch of caribbean perhaps? Lenny wasn’t surprised.
“Yeah, sorry but that’s all I got. Lemme out and I’ll owe you.”
“I can only let you out Lenny, after I run a credit scan for other accounts which may satisfy this bill. Okay?”
“Sure, go ahead.” It’s not like he had a choice. The first time this happened Lenny spent three hours trapped in a Lexus, calling everyone he knew until his mother put the $17.48 fare on her Health Savings Account. He has learned how better to protect his pride.
“Lenny, I’m not finding any available lines of credit. Would you like to make a complimentary phone call to an acquaintance who could help you?”
“Uh, no.”
“In that case Lenny, I need to file for an electronic judicial adjudication of this unpaid debt in the amount of $23.87. Would you like to file for a hearing with a deposit of $50, or stipulate to guilt and accept the outcome of Electronic Arbitration?”
“Electronic Arbitration please.” Like he had $50 for a hearing deposit. PLEEEAAAAZZZE.
“ZZZZZZ-BING! Electronic Arbitration finds the plaintiff guilty of misdemeanor aggravated insolvency and misdemeanor negligent theft of services in the amount of $23.87. Your credit profile will reflect a State Lien of said amount plus a $125 fine and a Electronic Arbitration Convenience Fee of $3.75 for a total lien of $152.54 to be paid out of your next transfer of assets. Thank you and please don’t do this again.” Yep, he beat the system once more. Hell, he certainly never would be transferring enough assets to pay off the $23,476.76 he already owed the State Lien Fund. Suckers.
Doors Pop open. Robot Taxi Driver pips in, “Thanks for using Robot Taxi. Watch your head getting out and please be sure to rate me on the Robot Taxi app.” As he stepped out onto the sidewalk and watched the shiny new 2023 Camry pull away he looked down to his cellphone and the Robot Taxi app beckoning for his attention. He tapped a 4 out of 5 rating. No use getting the nice driver voice into trouble just because he can’t find a job.
51 percent of all American workers made less than $30,000 last year. Auto makers are not planning on selling $30,000 cars to Americans 10 years from now, they plan to sell them to Uber. GM, Ford and everyone else is ready for the driverless future. If the cost of cars doesn’t price America out of the habit the cost of insurance will.
Look at how many States have “Truck Driver” as the top vocation. Surprisingly four states list “Software Developer” tops. Then teachers. All three field could be replaced largely with software right now. Not in ten years… NOW.
If immigration hatred is the irrational reaction to fears of economic strangulation flavored with old-fashioned bigotry, we can’t just blame the bigotry. Farming, trucking, teaching… software engineering… these are all really under attack but not from without, rather from within. This is not conspiracy theory, this is fact as sure as gravity is fact. Economic gravity is pulling us to a future where mundane jobs don’t exist and we need to talk about it. The Democratic Party can’t fight the insanity that has gripped our adversaries without addressing the real threat.
Do we need to legislate “Walls” to protect jobs or do we need to Reinvent our economy to a true socialist manner with guaranteed food, housing, medicine and income? Neither sounds like a great solution but the resources and the potential are inspiring as they are daunting.
I hope DNC Chair Jones, or Dean or Ellison or Hogue imprint this message on the Democratic DNA just as I pray campaigns like Warren2020, or Gabbard2020 or Grandholm2020 stamp it onto the top of their stump speeches. This is an issue, like Global Warming, that must be addressed in the now because the future will arrive, like it or not.
