1% vs 99% Social War: Perhaps There is A Nightmarish Surprise in Store?
A study by Oxfam in January suggested that the richest 1% now have more wealth than the rest of the world combined.
Source: http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/an-economy-for-the-1-how-privilege-and-power-in-the-economy-drive-extreme-inequ-592643
There are think tanks that questioned the credibility of the study and suggested that there is actually greater equality.
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35339475
The Rich gets Richer, while the Poor gets Poorer
From where I stand, I believe that the wealth gap between the haves and have-nots is actually widening and the pace of that is accelerating. I suppose I should not be surprised since a lot of these happenings (the capital accumulation due to capitalism and the social changes) have been predicted by Karl Marx many years ago.
Value of the 99%
In the past, for the bourgeoisie, there was a need for a big labour force to drive productions. There was also a need for the brightest human minds to come up with ideas and innovations to improve the world, or maybe just to entertain the elites.
Social Revolution as a Reset Button
And in the past, when inequality reached a tipping point, when a big enough number of people were boiling beyond frustration, a revolution rose resulting in the reorganisation of societal and property relations. The bourgeoisie may have been rich and influential. They may have hired many guards to ensure their safety. However when it comes down to it, they can be overwhelmed by the sheer number of people.
The Rise of Drones and AI
In recent times, there have been phenomenal progress in the fields of drones and AI. In terms of drones, a lot of money and research have been poured into drones to be used as military tools, as weapons. As a result, they have evolved to become rather good at killing, even massive numbers at a time.
Aside from that, machines have also gotten very good at driving productions. Hm... the 1% might think: we no longer need the 99% for farming, working in factories etc.
As for AI, thanks to a neural network using deep learning, Alphago has managed to beat (in a rather convincing manner) Lee Sedol at go/weiqi/baduk in March this year. This is an achievement many thought to be at least 10 years away. Moving forward, the development of AI should improve exponentially. In fact, even as it stands today, many are already creating music and art (creative works that some people assumed AIs will never be able to perform). Hm… the 1% might think: we no longer need any creativity nor brain power from the 99%.
1% to Initiate the Next Social War?
I am all for non-violent global social reorganisation and pray this will come to pass.
In his article: https://steemit.com/life/@calaber24p/why-i-believe-the-upcoming-mass-automation-movement-has-the-potential-to-start-a-class-war, @calaber24p suggests that mass automation might lead to rising unemployment and subsequently a class war. Therein lies my worry.
In the hypothetical future war, I am afraid that the 99% will stand no chance… at all. I also shudder to think, maybe the 1% will initiate the next social war instead. The 1% might no longer see any use nor value that the majority of the 99% (maybe some will be spared, who knows) can bring to the table. And armed with an army of drones (either piloted by people choosing to side with the elites, or by AIs taking order from the same), the 1% can probably decimate the 99%.
I know there are kind and philanthropic people within the 1%. But from history, there have also been wars started by the elites solely for their benefits.
At Their Mercy
I may be overly paranoid over this but I'm just not comfortable with the situation where my life is left at someone else's mercy.
If this is a possibility, however remote, will you be able to sleep soundly at night?
You make a compelling case for how AI can be dangerous. It's just one of many, but it is one that demands analysis.
I do have a problem with your initial premise - this picture of "wealth" and a 1% and 99%. Think about it for a second: some of your organs use more blood than others. It's just a hierachy... if nobody is willing to make or do things for that money, that money isn't worth much. Most rich people I know, are creators of employment and wealth. They don't just hand out their money, but they do hand it out in a way that adds value.
Money becomes meaningless past a margin. There are not a lot of things that millionaires and billionaires can do, that you or I can't do. We are all limited by technology, and we can all benefit from it equally... technology is quite a democratizer!
Hi @dagelf, thanks for reading and I appreciate your thoughtful analysis. I agree that hierarchy is quite unavoidable in our society. I believe in the meritocracy system and I am happy to be under the hierarchy of people who have added more value to the world than I've done. These people deserve their rewards and kudos to them.
I mentioned in my article that there are kind and philanthropic people within the 1%. Many rich people, like you mentioned, creates employment and wealth for others (a good form of wealth redistribution). However, don't you think the redistribution of wealth is going way too slow (if not in the wrong direction) and that many rich and powerful people are opposed to other effective ways like tax reforms?
As for everyone benefiting equally from technology, to a big extent, yes many forms of technology are widely and affordably accessible. But I don't think I'll be able to form an army of drones like a billionaire could.
Have you watched this? I've been watching his vids lately - interesting stuff. Certainly related to what you're writing about -
I've not heard of shemitah before this @kevinwong, thanks for the sharing the video. I think he makes a lot of good points about the economy. And the parts where governments are preparing for something big seem a bit fishy. Hopefully they're not going to initiate any social war against the 99% :)
Interesting talk