Why? Some people might see such a monopoly as causing a lot of job losses as other retailers are forced to close down if they can't compete with Amazon. You wouldn't care but this type of thing has happened before when big chain-store retailers put local mom-and-pop stores out of business and now those same retailers are getting put out of business by Amazon. People need employment and retailers closing down around the country shouldn't be seen as a wonderful thing. As large retailers vanish, then so might the malls and more jobs. It's great for Jeff Bezos as he'll eventually become the richest man in America, but not so good for people seeking local employment in retail business. Monopolies have never been good for the distribution of wealth.
Pour one out for all the buggy whip company employees. Maybe mom and pop should be getting into robotics and automation?
Sure it's easy to do. And it's good for the country too. ;/
In fact maybe we all should be considering what our options will be in 10 years if our chosen profession doesn't need us anymore. If casualties include members of your own family fuggedaboutit. We'll all be better off.
Why? Some people might see such a monopoly as causing a lot of job losses as other retailers are forced to close down if they can't compete with Amazon. You wouldn't care but this type of thing has happened before when big chain-store retailers put local mom-and-pop stores out of business and now those same retailers are getting put out of business by Amazon. People need employment and retailers closing down around the country shouldn't be seen as a wonderful thing. As large retailers vanish, then so might the malls and more jobs. It's great for Jeff Bezos as he'll eventually become the richest man in America, but not so good for people seeking local employment in retail business. Monopolies have never been good for the distribution of wealth.
Pour one out for all the buggy whip company employees. Maybe mom and pop should be getting into robotics and automation?
Sure it's easy to do. And it's good for the country too. ;/
In fact maybe we all should be considering what our options will be in 10 years if our chosen profession doesn't need us anymore.
I can say with almost 100% certainty that by 2030 to 2045 all blue and white collar jobs performed by people will be able to be replaced with automation, robots or artificial intelligence as long as it is economically viable to do so. Since people aren't becoming twice as efficient at the same cost every year and a half, the advantage goes to the non-humans. I'd commit all investment dollars to those companies best suited to take advantage of these inevitable advances.
I can say with almost 100% certainty that by 2030 to 2045 all blue and white collar jobs performed by people will be able to be replaced with automation, robots or artificial intelligence as long as it is economically viable to do so. Since people aren't becoming twice as efficient every year and a half, the advantage goes to the non-humans.
Are you accounting for new bluecollar jobs being created as a result or are you also stating that robots will build robots that will build service robots to service those robots that build service robots? So far, we've always seen industries fall to automation, but also create new markets as opportunities present themselves. How many on this forum have worked or currently work in an IT related field?
If there are no more blue or white collar jobs, what jobs will there be for humans? I guess "as long as it is economically viable to do so" is key since companies typically don't use machines unless it's financially viable considering it usually requires so much up front costs, like Musk and his fleet of robots.
Why? Some people might see such a monopoly as causing a lot of job losses as other retailers are forced to close down if they can't compete with Amazon. You wouldn't care but this type of thing has happened before when big chain-store retailers put local mom-and-pop stores out of business and now those same retailers are getting put out of business by Amazon. People need employment and retailers closing down around the country shouldn't be seen as a wonderful thing. As large retailers vanish, then so might the malls and more jobs. It's great for Jeff Bezos as he'll eventually become the richest man in America, but not so good for people seeking local employment in retail business. Monopolies have never been good for the distribution of wealth.
Pour one out for all the buggy whip company employees. Maybe mom and pop should be getting into robotics and automation?
Sure it's easy to do. And it's good for the country too. ;/
In fact maybe we all should be considering what our options will be in 10 years if our chosen profession doesn't need us anymore.
I can say with almost 100% certainty that by 2030 to 2045 all blue and white collar jobs performed by people will be able to be replaced with automation, robots or artificial intelligence as long as it is economically viable to do so. Since people aren't becoming twice as efficient at the same cost every year and a half, the advantage goes to the non-humans. I'd commit all investment dollars to those companies best suited to take advantage of these inevitable advances.
And who will have money to invest in 2030? Oh that's right, the ones who already had theirs. The 1% grows ever stronger. I'm not excited about the future of those who didn't, and the ones who never had the chance to. Unless we get over our hoarding selfishness the future looks bleak from here.
I'll say no more on what IMHO should be common sense. Even Alfred E Nueman will take notice. Sorry for the distraction.
Why? Some people might see such a monopoly as causing a lot of job losses as other retailers are forced to close down if they can't compete with Amazon. You wouldn't care but this type of thing has happened before when big chain-store retailers put local mom-and-pop stores out of business and now those same retailers are getting put out of business by Amazon. People need employment and retailers closing down around the country shouldn't be seen as a wonderful thing. As large retailers vanish, then so might the malls and more jobs. It's great for Jeff Bezos as he'll eventually become the richest man in America, but not so good for people seeking local employment in retail business. Monopolies have never been good for the distribution of wealth.
Pour one out for all the buggy whip company employees. Maybe mom and pop should be getting into robotics and automation?
Sure it's easy to do. And it's good for the country too. ;/
In fact maybe we all should be considering what our options will be in 10 years if our chosen profession doesn't need us anymore.
I can say with almost 100% certainty that by 2030 to 2045 all blue and white collar jobs performed by people will be able to be replaced with automation, robots or artificial intelligence as long as it is economically viable to do so. Since people aren't becoming twice as efficient at the same cost every year and a half, the advantage goes to the non-humans. I'd commit all investment dollars to those companies best suited to take advantage of these inevitable advances.
And who will have money to invest in 2030? Oh that's right, the ones who already had theirs. The 1% grows ever stronger. I'm not excited about the future of those who didn't, and the ones who never had the chance to. Unless we get over our hoarding selfishness the future looks bleak from here.
I'll say no more on what IMHO should be common sense. Even Alfred E Nueman will take notice. Sorry for the distraction.
Thanks to Apple (and other technology companies) the so-called "lower class" has never had it better in the history of the world. Even the very poor have TVs, phones, refrigerators, and more. And even though I think it's wrong for governments to offer these subsidies, it'll be possible for public housing to be "printed out" for the indigent.
Why? Some people might see such a monopoly as causing a lot of job losses as other retailers are forced to close down if they can't compete with Amazon. You wouldn't care but this type of thing has happened before when big chain-store retailers put local mom-and-pop stores out of business and now those same retailers are getting put out of business by Amazon. People need employment and retailers closing down around the country shouldn't be seen as a wonderful thing. As large retailers vanish, then so might the malls and more jobs. It's great for Jeff Bezos as he'll eventually become the richest man in America, but not so good for people seeking local employment in retail business. Monopolies have never been good for the distribution of wealth.
Pour one out for all the buggy whip company employees. Maybe mom and pop should be getting into robotics and automation?
Sure it's easy to do. And it's good for the country too. ;/
In fact maybe we all should be considering what our options will be in 10 years if our chosen profession doesn't need us anymore. If casualties include members of your own family fuggedaboutit. We'll all be better off.
No, but we also shouldn't let "jobs!" dictate progress, or we'll be stuck in old ways forever. What happened to all the carriage operators and buggy whip manufacturers? Those industries died in the 30 short years it took for mass produced cars to take over an industries oriented around horses for thousands of years.
Those coal jobs aren't coming back, no matter what Trump says. Do we continue to mine coal when the industry dies organically? People have to adapt and move on.
And yes, I'm personally adapting my career path based on changes in technology and automateD platforms replace things I used to do for people. I fully embrace this.
Those coal jobs aren't coming back, no matter what Trump says. Do we continue to mine coal when the industry dies organically?
How is it dying organically? There is no "organically" anywhere in this argument. Cut all energy subsidies (not constitutional) and you just watch what happens organically.
Interesting to see how amazon will leverage this. Discounts for prime members? WF has been on a downward trajectory for years, and amazon has weak profits despite amazing revenue. Their cultures also couldn't be anymore different. This combination will either turn up great or end up being an unmitigated disaster and result in closings.
Huge news. Potential ramifications for all AMZN rivals, including Apple. Biggest point not mentioned so far:
If Amazon offers Whole Foods customers discounts only if they become Amazon Prime members [as AMZN does to customers at its brick bookstores], then Jim Bezos taps into much of Apple’s demographic base, giving them access to free Prime media, etc. Becomes a turf battle with Apple Services.
PS Surprised that Whole Foods founder (ex Congressional staffer) John Mackey sold to Amazon, as Whole Foods unusual in NOT tracking its consumers through loyalty cards.
Much remains to be seen. Wouldn't want to prejudge. To my pleasant surprise, Bezos ownership is partly responsible I believe for improved tenacity of the Washington Post.
There’s no such thing as free media when content must be paid for. Besides, it’s not like Apple cannot offer incentives themselves. If they had a Netflix competitor and offered a discount to those who subscribed to it and Apple Music simultaneously that’d be something. Apple certainly missed the boat on buying Netflix early early on for a song.
It's hard to see this as a benefit to consumers. It often makes me uncomfortable when companies buy other established companies. Buying other companies can make sense but it's often enough not a result of a passion for a service or product, but simply to grow a company primarily for the purpose of further profits or accomplishments. The idea of serving the customer only goes so far as is necessary to maintain or grow a business, which isn't actually serving a customer at all but rather using other people to achieve more self interest.
It is easier in smaller businesses to have genuine customer service and interest, so I generally support that. Not that Whole Foods is small, but they just became a lot bigger and probably even more profit directed as more people will invest who care not about food but money.
This is a hugely important point to me. Greed gets me every time. Ruins many companies. Wish Apple were private and didn’t need to keep wall st. happy, so maybe then they could really put their money where their mouth is and leave the world truly better.
Why? Some people might see such a monopoly as causing a lot of job losses as other retailers are forced to close down if they can't compete with Amazon. You wouldn't care but this type of thing has happened before when big chain-store retailers put local mom-and-pop stores out of business and now those same retailers are getting put out of business by Amazon. People need employment and retailers closing down around the country shouldn't be seen as a wonderful thing. As large retailers vanish, then so might the malls and more jobs. It's great for Jeff Bezos as he'll eventually become the richest man in America, but not so good for people seeking local employment in retail business. Monopolies have never been good for the distribution of wealth.
Pour one out for all the buggy whip company employees. Maybe mom and pop should be getting into robotics and automation?
Sure it's easy to do. And it's good for the country too. ;/
In fact maybe we all should be considering what our options will be in 10 years if our chosen profession doesn't need us anymore.
I can say with almost 100% certainty that by 2030 to 2045 all blue and white collar jobs performed by people will be able to be replaced with automation, robots or artificial intelligence as long as it is economically viable to do so. Since people aren't becoming twice as efficient at the same cost every year and a half, the advantage goes to the non-humans. I'd commit all investment dollars to those companies best suited to take advantage of these inevitable advances.
The difference between Whole Foods and Walmart and others is healthy (non-GMO) food or at least limited GMO and marked properly like that garbage Monsanto. Now Whole Foods may get more GMO garbage that many (like myself) avoid. I hope not.
Gullible are we? GMO foods are no more harmful than any other food you might eat. Beyond that humanity has been breeding its food stocks for hundreds of years now to favor specific qualities.
Much, much longer than that. Our modifying of organisms at the genetic level begins many millennia with the earliest attempts at agriculture and animal husbandry. We had no notion of genes, but we knew what results we wanted and figured out that using the organisms that suited our needs best in an environment would result in better outcomes. We've been changing the landscape of this planet ever since.
A particular interesting read is the near impossibility of domesticating bovine. Without it, where would we stand today?
Wow. Congrats to John Mackey and the Whole Foods folks. Should result in same day delivery for more Whole Foods items, greater supply chain and logistics efficiencies that will help press down prices.
Yeah, um, no…
Bezos has said they are going to automate and layoff employees. Also, they are going to lower the prices of the food so that more lower income people can shop there. Basically, Amazon bought Whole Foods to destroy it.
The difference between Whole Foods and Walmart and others is healthy (non-GMO) food or at least limited GMO and marked properly like that garbage Monsanto. Now Whole Foods may get more GMO garbage that many (like myself) avoid. I hope not.
Gullible are we? GMO foods are no more harmful than any other food you might eat. Beyond that humanity has been breeding its food stocks for hundreds of years now to favor specific qualities.
Much, much longer than that. Our modifying of organisms at the genetic level begins many millennia with the earliest attempts at agriculture and animal husbandry. We had no notion of genes, but we knew what results we wanted and figured out that using the organisms that suited our needs best in an environment would result in better outcomes. We've been changing the landscape of this planet ever since.
A particular interesting read is the near impossibility of domesticating bovine. Without it, where would we stand today?
Our ancestors would have found something else.
Absolutely, but cattle has been so important to the world that you can find it in every society. From its sacredness is Hindu to being a major livestock export in the Hawaiian Islands, to being on feet, belts, and in the food or scientists in Antarctica right now. Could llamas, horses, bison, or oxen have filled the same livestock roll that cows do today?
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In fact maybe we all should be considering what our options will be in 10 years if our chosen profession doesn't need us anymore. If casualties include members of your own family fuggedaboutit. We'll all be better off.
If there are no more blue or white collar jobs, what jobs will there be for humans? I guess "as long as it is economically viable to do so" is key since companies typically don't use machines unless it's financially viable considering it usually requires so much up front costs, like Musk and his fleet of robots.
I'll say no more on what IMHO should be common sense. Even Alfred E Nueman will take notice. Sorry for the distraction.
Thanks to Apple (and other technology companies) the so-called "lower class" has never had it better in the history of the world. Even the very poor have TVs, phones, refrigerators, and more. And even though I think it's wrong for governments to offer these subsidies, it'll be possible for public housing to be "printed out" for the indigent.
http://www.archdaily.com/491666/first-3d-printed-house-to-be-built-in-amsterdam
Those coal jobs aren't coming back, no matter what Trump says. Do we continue to mine coal when the industry dies organically? People have to adapt and move on.
And yes, I'm personally adapting my career path based on changes in technology and automateD platforms replace things I used to do for people. I fully embrace this.
Our ancestors would have found something else.