Eight Futures of Work: Scenarios and Their Implications(weforum.org)
weforum.org
Eight Futures of Work: Scenarios and Their Implications
https://www.weforum.org/whitepapers/eight-futures-of-work-scenarios-and-their-implications
3 comments
They aren't the most interesting scenarios. I'm quite a fan of scenario planning in general. The Global Business Network [1] used to do really good work in this area. The book "The Art of the Long View" is a classic book on the subject, and more resources here [2]
Is this comedy?
So, according to this, the assumptions are:
1. NO NEW TAXES!!!!!
2. No safety nets! If you are out of jobs, you are ed.
3. Thou shall work 40hr a week.
4. Governments can only act for/against immigration.
All of which are, obviously, interesting. I mean, even today, people are asking "the rich" to pay more taxes. Even today, people are looking for way to help their fellow human beings (in US, the current fights are cheaper education and protection for pre-existing conditions).
So, imagine a future with higher taxes and basic income. In that case, the whole shebang about "competition for jobs" looks really different. I mean, if you are guaranteed livable income, low-skill jobs will be the first to go (surprised! Raise your hand if you like to scrub toilets for $7/hr). If you are guaranteed livable income, skill acquisition becomes much less risky.
But of course, read their lips: no new taxes (and thus no new social safety nets whatsoever; don't you know that if you bail out the poor, society will disintegrate into chaos?)
All of which are, obviously, interesting. I mean, even today, people are asking "the rich" to pay more taxes. Even today, people are looking for way to help their fellow human beings (in US, the current fights are cheaper education and protection for pre-existing conditions).
So, imagine a future with higher taxes and basic income. In that case, the whole shebang about "competition for jobs" looks really different. I mean, if you are guaranteed livable income, low-skill jobs will be the first to go (surprised! Raise your hand if you like to scrub toilets for $7/hr). If you are guaranteed livable income, skill acquisition becomes much less risky.
But of course, read their lips: no new taxes (and thus no new social safety nets whatsoever; don't you know that if you bail out the poor, society will disintegrate into chaos?)