Andrew Yang is one of the more interesting candidates in the American political landscape. His core issue is the role that automation has played in the unemployment ravaging the working class people all over the world. Manufacturing, in particular has taken a profound hit. Trump was able to effectively exploit this dynamic, particularly in the midwest. His prescription though, was to blame free trade, and offer up a nationalist vision complete with protectionist trade policy. Not that I necessarily disagree with at least some of these proposals but he misdiagnosed the problem.
The problem is not trade, it is automation. Automation is making these jobs obsolete argues Yang. In his review, Karlin writes:
The important takeaway in this is that the blame of white nationalism or "white-lash" misses an important fact that Karlin makes in another article: mortality rates amongst middle-aged White American males increased from 1999-2013.
Karlin bases his data on the research of Kase and Deaton (2015)
The current left is largely oblvious to this phenomenon and there are important ideological reasons for this oblvion which I will write about in further post.
The important point is that Yang has correctly diagnosed the issues facing Americans and many others and his prescription, at least for the USA, is a good one.
Suffice to say that economics is an important consideration and economics can and should not be measured by GDP but instead job participation. This is what politicans left and right need to be focussing on.
Without a free and open press, the distribution of differing ideas will become impossible and the free exchange of ideas is an essential aspect of human development. Freedom of expression is another human rights theme that I will return to this year as more concern is expressed surrounding "cancel culture" and internet censorship.
Themes of economic politics, freedom of expression, and human rights will be focussed for me throughout the next year.
The problem is not trade, it is automation. Automation is making these jobs obsolete argues Yang. In his review, Karlin writes:
- There are now less than 400 NYSE floor traders, down from 5,500.
- Legal review: Humans have 60% accuracy, AI already at 85%.
- Friend of Yang’s who works in a ride-sharing company says that according to internal projections, half of all rides will accrue to autonomous vehicles by 2022.
The important takeaway in this is that the blame of white nationalism or "white-lash" misses an important fact that Karlin makes in another article: mortality rates amongst middle-aged White American males increased from 1999-2013.
Karlin bases his data on the research of Kase and Deaton (2015)
The current left is largely oblvious to this phenomenon and there are important ideological reasons for this oblvion which I will write about in further post.
The important point is that Yang has correctly diagnosed the issues facing Americans and many others and his prescription, at least for the USA, is a good one.
Suffice to say that economics is an important consideration and economics can and should not be measured by GDP but instead job participation. This is what politicans left and right need to be focussing on.
Without a free and open press, the distribution of differing ideas will become impossible and the free exchange of ideas is an essential aspect of human development. Freedom of expression is another human rights theme that I will return to this year as more concern is expressed surrounding "cancel culture" and internet censorship.
Themes of economic politics, freedom of expression, and human rights will be focussed for me throughout the next year.
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