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In Japan, the robot isn't coming for your job; it's filling the one nobody wants

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111–120 of 258 posts

Re: In Japan, the robot isn't coming for your job; it's filling the one nobody wants

#111

The job no one wants? Grunting out 2.6 babies before you’re 35. Who’s paying for your nursing home? Tax the robot’s income? Will your demographic replacements vote for that?

> Grunting out 2.6 babies before you’re 35. * destroying your body, stripping your bones, getting diabetes and temporarily (or permanently) disabling yourself with issues no healthcare provider will take seriously for decades to come for 2.6 babies in your youth. ––– Someone called this a "belief." There's a 10% to 4% probability that the average teenage girl will die from childbirth, given the cumulative risk of pre…

This happens, but it's not representative. Interesting belief, it seems like it should be self-extinguishing, the cultures that don't believe this kind of thing will tend to take over over time.

Re: In Japan, the robot isn't coming for your job; it's filling the one nobody wants

#112

The job no one wants? Grunting out 2.6 babies before you’re 35. Who’s paying for your nursing home? Tax the robot’s income? Will your demographic replacements vote for that?

> Grunting out 2.6 babies before you’re 35. * destroying your body, stripping your bones, getting diabetes and temporarily (or permanently) disabling yourself with issues no healthcare provider will take seriously for decades to come for 2.6 babies in your youth. ––– Someone called this a "belief." There's a 10% to 4% probability that the average teenage girl will die from childbirth, given the cumulative risk of pre…

Nothing will destroy you physically, mentally, and emotionally than grinding 12hrs a day just so you can make someone else’s wealthier.

Re: In Japan, the robot isn't coming for your job; it's filling the one nobody wants

#113
post #110

I think that many signs are indicating that Japan will re-emerge as a major technology powerhouse in the coming decades. And being confronted early to demographic transformation will end-up being an advantage. On the opposite side I think that immigration is a temporary band-aid that doesn’t solve any of the structural issues.

Can you share some other signs you think may indicate it rising as a powerhouse? Living in Japan, I am interested what others see. Regarding immigration, Japan is actually making it a lot stricter now. Not sure how that will play out.

Miti is basically a second government with real power, finance and expertise, and they appear to bet on the correct things, it should have happened earlier but from what I have seen they are moving faster than EU on the semiconductor and robotics fronts.

Re: In Japan, the robot isn't coming for your job; it's filling the one nobody wants

#114
post #66

If Universal Basic Income was a thing, this would probably happen much faster globally

[flagged]

UBI is a solution to there not being jobs at all if they're all automated. Now whether we actually get to such a level is debatable.

Re: In Japan, the robot isn't coming for your job; it's filling the one nobody wants

#115
post #110

I think that many signs are indicating that Japan will re-emerge as a major technology powerhouse in the coming decades. And being confronted early to demographic transformation will end-up being an advantage. On the opposite side I think that immigration is a temporary band-aid that doesn’t solve any of the structural issues.

Can you share some other signs you think may indicate it rising as a powerhouse? Living in Japan, I am interested what others see. Regarding immigration, Japan is actually making it a lot stricter now. Not sure how that will play out.

[flagged]

Re: In Japan, the robot isn't coming for your job; it's filling the one nobody wants

#116
post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Grunting out 2.6 babies before you’re 35. * destroying your body, stripping your bones, getting diabetes and temporarily (or permanently) disabling yourself with issues no healthcare provider will take seriously for decades to come for 2.6 babies in your youth. ––– Someone called this a "belief." There's a 10% to 4% probability that the average teenage girl will die from childbirth, given the cumulative risk of pre…

This happens, but it's not representative. Interesting belief, it seems like it should be self-extinguishing, the cultures that don't believe this kind of thing will tend to take over over time.

Most of the world is below replacement rate (~2.1 TFR), the rest will get there in a decade or two. Educated, empowered women delay having children, have less children, or no children. Holds across both developed and developing countries.

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/08/15/5-facts-a...

https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~jesusfv/Slides_London.pdf

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/mapped-countries-by-fert...

Re: In Japan, the robot isn't coming for your job; it's filling the one nobody wants

#117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even tho you added an edit. You’re still wrong. Garbage collection is typically a high paying job because no one wants to do it. But people still consider it “below” them and don’t want to do it even when there’s a high unemployment rate.

I guarantee you that a lot more people would be willing to put up with it for $10 million a year.

You would probably need to face voters questioning whether that's the best way to use their money.

Re: In Japan, the robot isn't coming for your job; it's filling the one nobody wants

#118

I think that many signs are indicating that Japan will re-emerge as a major technology powerhouse in the coming decades. And being confronted early to demographic transformation will end-up being an advantage. On the opposite side I think that immigration is a temporary band-aid that doesn’t solve any of the structural issues.

I agree immigration is a band-aid, but that doesn't mean it can't be successfully used while planning and managing structural changes long term.

Of course that does make the issue more nuanced and harder to advocate for when we have all seen politicians don't usually push for long term solutions if their band-aid solution will outlast their term of office.

Re: In Japan, the robot isn't coming for your job; it's filling the one nobody wants

#119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even tho you added an edit. You’re still wrong. Garbage collection is typically a high paying job because no one wants to do it. But people still consider it “below” them and don’t want to do it even when there’s a high unemployment rate.

I guarantee you that a lot more people would be willing to put up with it for $10 million a year.

Ok, but society can't bear the cost of $10M garbage men, so either people will do it themselves or go without.

The same argument applies to any job: in most scenarios, it pays what it's worth to society at the market clearing price. The government can interfere via licensing, minimum wages, quotas, etc; but broadly the job pays what it's worth.

Re: In Japan, the robot isn't coming for your job; it's filling the one nobody wants

#120
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yikes, that's not the utopia I imagine at all. A world where nobody has to work sounds horrific.

> A world where nobody has to work sounds horrific. Why?

Because then the only way to obtain power and status is to wage war.
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