MDF meeting Sheffield Sat Feb 25th on Automation.

The next Midlands Discussion Forum meeting is scheduled for Saturday the 25th of February 2017 between 2 and 6 pm upstairs at the Rutland Arms, 86 Brown Street, Sheffield S12BS, just a short walk from the central Railway and Bus stations. All welcome.
Titled: ''The Robots are coming - Look Busy - Automation,Work,Class and Communism' (adapted from a related text) and will take a critical look at related ideas on these themes such as those in Paul Mason's book Post Capitalism.
Previous discussion threads on this site worth looking at are these:
http://libcom.org/forums/theory/paul-mason-end-capitalism-has-begun-18072015 and
http://libcom.org/blog/artificial-intelligence-tech-workers-universal-income-interview-13102015
There is also this:
http://libcom.org/library/capitalist-realism-renewed
Worth picking out some of the linked texts in those threads even if you don't want to plough through the whole discussion.

Sorry that first link should

Sorry that first link should be:
http://libcom.org/forums/theory/paul-mason-end-capitalism-has-begun-18072015 if not already corrected by the moderator.

And on a lighter note there

And on a lighter note there is this easy to read short article which summarises popular interest in this subject as a useful introduction to a discussion:
www.bigissuenorth.com/2017/02/rise-of-the-robots/23867
slow connection sometimes but does work.

Quote: The Roberts are coming

The Roberts are coming - Look Busy - Automation,Work,Class and Communism

Should that not be 'the robots are coming'? That's predictive text for you. Technology, eh.

And I was so careful! Yes

And I was so careful! Yes 'Robots' of course - will get amended eventually. Thanks.

In terms of the cultural and

In terms of the cultural and political implications of the 'new' technologies there is a short review of Franco 'Bifo' Berardi's book 'After the future' by Ben Lear in the library here that is relevant to our discussion.

good article here on why

good article here on why fears of automation taking jobs are overblown http://cepr.net/blogs/beat-the-press/the-bureau-of-labor-statistics-hasn-t-heard-about-automation

Statistical analysis is not

Statistical analysis is not my strong point but......As I understand it productivity increases achieved through capital investment as measured across capitalist society as a whole have historically remained in the low percentages but with more substantial increases in the Marxist defined 'productive' of value sectors of labour being offset to a larger degree by relatively low percentages in the 'non-productive' sectors of labour. It is an argument that the most recent advances in AI, IT and robotics into the whole of both sectors that threatens a more significant shift in the level and quality of general employment assuming no other offsetting factors?? And it can still be both disruptive and damaging to our existence when significant leaps in productivity in key sectors of the economy take place even if these are offset in the longer run at the level of society as a whole.. Top level statistics do not necessarily provide comfort or reassurance to us in the reality of everyday life.

This open discussion meeting

This open discussion meeting next Saturday now.

So for anyone coming to this who hasn't read the Paul Mason book there is a pretty good summary and comment on it here :
https://newleftreview.org//II/100/rob-lucas-the-free-machine
And this short anarchist influenced text might make a good contentious start to a discussion:
https://selfcertified.wordpress.com/2016/12/07/the-robots-are-coming-look-busy/