Comments on: Automating Hard or Hardly Automating? George Jetson and the Manual Labor of Tomorrow http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2013/02/automating-hard-or-hardly-automating-george-jetson-and-the-manual-labor-of-tomorrow/ A history of the future that never was Fri, 17 May 2013 21:40:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Sean http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2013/02/automating-hard-or-hardly-automating-george-jetson-and-the-manual-labor-of-tomorrow/#comment-2290 Sean Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:47:14 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=7820#comment-2290 The 30 or 20 our work week was supposed to be a full-time job you could support a family on, and even take a vacation to Las Venus every now and again. And if wages had kept pace with productivity, hours may have been cut so that the median worker would have to be paid $90K a year. Shorten that the work week to 32 hours and that becomes $72K a year. BTW, if George Jetson works two hours a day, and his work week is three days long, then his work week is SIX hours long. Wow! The 30 or 20 our work week was supposed to be a full-time job you could support a family on, and even take a vacation to Las Venus every now and again. And if wages had kept pace with productivity, hours may have been cut so that the median worker would have to be paid $90K a year. Shorten that the work week to 32 hours and that becomes $72K a year.

BTW, if George Jetson works two hours a day, and his work week is three days long, then his work week is SIX hours long. Wow!

]]> By: Chris Sobieniak http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2013/02/automating-hard-or-hardly-automating-george-jetson-and-the-manual-labor-of-tomorrow/#comment-1802 Chris Sobieniak Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:29:17 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=7820#comment-1802 I certainly didn't see that one coming, Sam. It's sure is getting that way. I certainly didn’t see that one coming, Sam. It’s sure is getting that way.

]]> By: Sam Adams http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2013/02/automating-hard-or-hardly-automating-george-jetson-and-the-manual-labor-of-tomorrow/#comment-1800 Sam Adams Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:06:21 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=7820#comment-1800 <i>By the year 2000, advances in automation were supposed to give us an average workweek of 30 or maybe even 20 hours. Maybe we wouldn’t even have to work at all.</i> And by the year 2000 there were LOTS of 20hr a week jobs. And by 2013 there were even more. Are we happier than we were back in 1962-63? I wonders... By the year 2000, advances in automation were supposed to give us an average workweek of 30 or maybe even 20 hours. Maybe we wouldn’t even have to work at all.

And by the year 2000 there were LOTS of 20hr a week jobs. And by 2013 there were even more.

Are we happier than we were back in 1962-63? I wonders…

]]> By: Lucian LS http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2013/02/automating-hard-or-hardly-automating-george-jetson-and-the-manual-labor-of-tomorrow/#comment-1799 Lucian LS Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:41:40 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=7820#comment-1799 Assuming the means of production are stil privately owned, the employers of tomorrow would have to be extremely altruistic to pay wages for people who don't have much to do. Or maybe pay 90% tax and support a welfare state. Now that's utopia, especially in a country like USA! Assuming the means of production are stil privately owned, the employers of tomorrow would have to be extremely altruistic to pay wages for people who don’t have much to do. Or maybe pay 90% tax and support a welfare state. Now that’s utopia, especially in a country like USA!

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