When Robots Take Your Job, But Still Pay You Less: The 45-Year Slippery Slope

When Robots Take Your Job, But Still Pay You Less: The 45-Year Slippery Slope

So let’s take a stroll down memory lane, but not the “good old days” we’ve been sold. No, this stroll’s going to the 1970s at a General Motors factory, where skilled workers made around $19 an hour, which, thanks to inflation math, translates to a solid $77 today. Sounds great, right? Skilled labor, decent pay—pretty much the American Dream in action.

Flash Forward to 2023: Meet the Future of Auto Manufacturing

Now let’s shift to Tesla. Watch a video of their factory from this year. Look around. Wait...where are the workers? Oh, there are a few, but they’re mostly just operating robots, which do everything else. Robots! The future is here, folks. The factory might as well be an assembly line for Terminators. But here's the kicker: Tesla’s workers? They're making an average of $23.60 an hour. Yes, you heard that right. While the past had skilled workers earning the equivalent of $77 an hour, today's workers are barely getting a quarter of that—while machines do all the heavy lifting.

A Record-Breaking Paradox: Manufacturing Output vs. Worker Pay

Here's where the story takes a dark turn: U.S. manufacturing output has skyrocketed over the years, but the number of human employees has tanked, and those still around? They’re earning less money, despite working in the same industry. Machines took the jobs, but they didn’t replace the wages. What happened to all that extra cash from productivity gains? Spoiler: It went straight to the top 1%. Meanwhile, wages have barely crept up and have absolutely not kept pace with inflation.

Thank You, Tariffs (Sarcasm Intended)

But wait, there's more! What’s Trump’s brilliant solution to all this? Slap tariffs on imports, which might sound great on paper, but in practice, it means doubling the cost of everything we need, including the raw materials and parts to build these cars. So, while companies like Tesla automate jobs and pay less for human labor, you’re paying more for everything. Your paycheck's already thin, and now your cost of living is getting fatter.

So, What’s the Endgame?

Imagine this: A future where robots make everything, but instead of making more money, people make less—and the top 1% scoops up all the profits. Sound like a dystopia? It’s happening in real-time, and it’s all happening while politicians tell you they’re “fighting for American workers.” Spoiler alert: The real fight? Robots vs. Humans. And it’s not going well for humans.