Posted by fschmidt on
URL: https://mikraite.arkian.net/Stephen-Hawking-dangerous-times-tp950p979.html

Will wrote

His key point is that inequality is expanding.

Not much of an insight, everyone knows this.

The world used to be highly unequal. Then people revolted and made it more equal.

Equality rose and fell throughout history, basically depending on the merit of the average person which in turn depended on their religion.

Technology used to be an equalization force, but now is destroying equality, faster and faster, and nobody can stop it.

Technology is irrelevant.  Technology has been replacing jobs for several centuries now, and sensible societies just use the freed up labor for other things.

Another key point is that despite the financial inequality, people do have more information equality than ever. So, the poor are seeing what the rich have, and they ask why are we so unequal?

I think the opposite is true since in the past people actually looked at reality and now they look at the internet which is 99% nonsense.

Right now, in America, for example, the poor still has hope, e.g. Trump. But once they see that the inequality will only expand faster from now on, what will they do?

They will put their hope in the next conman until one of them finally ends democracy.

The article doesn't have a solution. But the realization of the problem is non-trivial.

I think the realization is trivial.

Will wrote

Then Trump will blame it on technology instead of China, or whatever he can sell to get reelected, then another 4 years.

No, technology makes a poor scapegoat.  Trump will blame it on China or some other group of people, as is the standard practice in history.