blogs.ubc.ca/bengeorge

The world has taken front row seats to observe a game changing movement – the Arab Spring. After seeing what can be accomplished through comradery and cooperation, a group of American’s staged a protest movement which placed them in the heart of the world’s financial district. It was thusly named the Occupy.

The Washington Post tells the story of Andrew McAfee and Eric Brynjolfsson, Co-authors and MIT professors and their book, “Race Against the Machine”, describing technology’s role in the rising unemployment rate and income disparity.

Simply put, despite the many advancements in technology over the last century, these improvements have served to take away jobs from those without any unique skills in the labour force. The average American is a labourer with no college education. As technology improves, these men and women will lose their jobs, and unemployment rates will continue to rise.

If we are indeed going to challenge the government and demand financial reform along with stricter corporate guidelines, perhaps we should stop endorsing the technology which supports these corporate giants.

The Washington Post – Occupy Wall Street and the high cost of the technology revolution