It is possible that technology will eliminate jobs. It does not seem obvious to me that technology will eliminate work. For it to eliminate work, you’d have to believe all the children were educated, all the old people were cared for, all the parks were clean, all the roads had their potholes filled, and I don’t think we’re anywhere near running out of work. So the question is how to convert work into jobs.
We don’t want more jobs. We want more meaning, and a higher standard of living for all Americans. If jobs are part of the path to get there, then those jobs are good, as far as jobs go.
Humanity is more important than money
It is time to upgrade to Human-Centered Capitalism.
Think about these activities:
Parenting or caring for loved ones
Teaching or nurturing children
Creating art, music, dance
Working in struggling regions near our hometowns
Preserving and improving the environment
Reading or writing for pleasure or personal growth
Preventative health care
Character-building for your kids, your team, yourself
Building community connections
Having a hobby
Becoming involved in local government
Many of us do some or many of these things, and usually, we don’t do them for money. What these activities add up to is a normal life, a well-rounded life of care and character, rich in community and creativity and balance.
However, capitalism moves and energizes the modern world. What capitalism values, our world does more of. What it doesn’t, we do less of. Many of us feel like the activities of a normal life are becoming harder and harder to accomplish.
How can we preserve what we truly value as humans, what matters to us beyond money?
In the US, our current form of capitalism is failing to produce an increasing standard of living for most citizens. It’s time for an upgrade.
Imagine a new type of capitalist economy that’s geared toward maximizing human well-being and fulfillment.
Human capitalism has a few core tenets:
- Humanity is more important than money.
- The unit of an economy is each person, not each dollar.
- Markets exist to serve our common goals and values.
Capitalism has to be made to serve human ends and goals.
The government should adopt these measurements:
Average physical fitness and mental health
Quality of infrastructure
Proportion of the elderly in quality care
Marriage rates and success
Deaths of despair; substance abuse
Global temperature variance and sea levels
Re-acclimation of incarcerated individuals and rates of criminality
Artistic and cultural vibrancy
Dynamism and mobility
Social and economy equity
Civic engagement
Cybersecurity
Responsiveness and evolution of government
References:
Humanity is more important than money