The world is becoming more and more globalized every day, with an increasing amount of skilled jobs in the United States going overseas. In response to this, the United States has become an economy which increasingly revolves around the service industry. Salaries vary immensely in the service field, but most people working in the field largely belong to the minimum-wage Wal-mart category. This has caused the Middle Class to decline and an increasing gap in wealth distribution to emerge, with the top 10% in this country earning 90% of the wealth in the United States.

While salaries are continuing to lower for the average American however, these people at least still have jobs. 20-30 years from now though, this may not be the case. It may sound far fetched, but robots/machines will largely replace many jobs for people in the service industry. Instead of a person cooking your burger at Mcdonalds for example, a robot/machine will, instead of a stock boy stocking the shelves at Wal-mart, a robot will, and this is just the start. Many jobs which require little thinking will be increasingly replaced by robots as this century moves forward.

With these jobs replaced, I wonder what these workers will be left to do to provide for themselves and their families. Will this economy force everyone to learn a skill or receive education? Will immigration largely cease since robots will provide even cheaper labor? I question how ready our country and perhaps even the world is for this technology.....

I agree Gojira, the education system has definitely failed many people in this country. We have an outdated elementary education system. Instead of students learning subjects they have an interest in, we have a country devoted to reading writing and arithmetic. While the 3 R's are important, the world requires a lot more than just the 3 R's. We need to modernize the education system and do it soon.

We already have 1 out of 10 high schools in America with a dropout rate of over 60% (aka "dropout factories"), a lack of skilled labor in many fields (because many young adults are either going to college, or not doing squat with their lives), and an increase in crime (because even the poor have to get money somehow).

I won't say I fully understand why there is not more of a focus on the education system of this country, but it seems like to me a large reason why is because people don't care about the education of others in this country. We have a "me first...and second" mentality in this country and many people (though not the majority) in this country seem to genuinely not care if a person receives a subpar education. Perhaps because they don't realize the benefits  that come with quality education.

On top of all that, the tax breaks given by conservative government policy favor the wealthy and cause the Middle Class to take on an even heavier burden. Not to mention the massive debt and trade deficit our country is taking on which is causing or will very soon cause a further decline in the standard of living for many people in this country.


We're already starting to see the signs with illegal immigration becoming such a large issue. After that could come widening discrimination against Muslims and Arabs and perhaps even blacks and Jews. Hate crimes are already on the rise.

Neorealist, you took what I said completely the wrong way. Perhaps some introspection is necessary on your part to figure out why you did that.

I was not saying that robots taking jobs is a bad thing, which you clearly thought I was saying, I was merely asking what will happen when people who work those jobs no longer can find work...a question which you failed to even attempt to answer.

And the question is....what happens to those who get left behind? There surely will be plenty of individuals who will be left behind, what role will they play in society? What role will they have in society? These are questions which I can't even speculate on.

Sad, but true....

Perhaps, or perhaps there will be work available we just don't know what yet. I think your right though, government intervention would be necessary. Especially if there is SEVERE underemployment. The question is, will the US cave to the interests of those who can't find quality work? It's not right now....

I think as you noted, the free-market does not provide a solution to this problem and in fact many problems because it is too primitive. It depends on ever expanding growth, unlimited resources, and regards human beings as mere numbers to be "capitalized" on.

Now i'm not saying other systems developed are any better, i'm just saying we're going to be facing serious problems soon enough in this country and I think we need to start becoming more aware of these problems. The most paramount of all of these problems being the education crisis we are currently faced it. A poorly educated America will lead to a third world America. Even the CIA Worldfactbook is acknowledging what is currently occurring in the US economy.

The onrush of technology largely explains the gradual development of a "two-tier labor market" in which those at the bottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html


Coincidentally, since 1980, the prison population of the US has tripled, while the US has continued to slash funding for education. In California alone, 21 prisons were built from 1984 to 1994 and only one University was built. Furthermore, California prison spending increase 209%, while education spending only rose 14%.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see a correlation between a decline in investment for education and an increase in crime. Anyone have any figures proving or disproving that theory?

Also, what do you all think? Does this need to change?