Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/17/bill-gates-job-stealing-robots-should-pay-income-taxes.html
Talk about an interesting comment, your mind goes about 50 ways in how to respond.
i think we need to look at this from Bill Gates perspective:
- Bill Gates understands robots will take a high % of jobs
- Gates also understands those people being replaced pay taxes and so does the company -- so this would mean loss of $ to feed the "system".
- If McDonalds had to pay taxes for all it's kiosks that replace workers -- would they replace workers?
I would also add the following:
- Humans also go out to eat at lunch -- robots don't eat -- what would happen to this business?
- Robots don't pay any taxes -- they don't buy anything -- they don't shop -- think of that?
I am mixed in that robots or automation is like going from a "horse and buggy society" to "automobiles". I am not against automation.
It's a complicated question.
I think at high level, the rulers of this world are thinking ahead and realize there will be NO TAX BASE with high robotic automation.
An EU Commissioner has come out and said "no way" they would approve this ( http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/02/bill-gates-robot-tax-eu.html). But I find their logic a bit off. They want to raise the salary of the other jobs -- like teachers salaries. Not just raise taxes -- he says. But how or where does a teachers salary come from --- taxes. Hmmmmm.
My solution is change the tax system (which there will always be one -- somehow) --- and go to a Value Added Tax approach as in Europe. In the US, this would be a sales tax increase on everything or use tax and abolish the current tax system.
Ideas -- thoughts ???
Thank you for reading...
Very interesting article, no ideas yet to respond...
It really does make you think...but these are the times we face. It's global. There many stakeholders wanting their way as you can see. This is about power IMHO.