As we’re able to produce more material goods with fewer people, that ought to lead not only to more chefs and yoga instructors and private security guards but also more preschool teachers and cops and home health aides. There’s an argument out there that “we can’t afford” the larger public sector that’s currently projected for the future. But we can afford it, and the fact that in the future we won’t need as many manufacturing workers to have all the manufactured goods we need is a big part of the reason.
From Making Things
The problem is that there a gap between what we can afford and what people will pay for. We’ve had 30 years of government on credit. Asking people to now pay for the services they use is a shock now. How else can you explain the contrast between people voting for people who promise to cut government and people being aghast when those same people want to cut services.
