Bill Gates: robots should pay taxes

[Hermit For Peace]

Robots that steal jobs from American workers should pay taxes. I like the idea.

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https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/flip.it%2F8cMq78-robots-that-steal-human-jobs-should-pay/f-5ddcad1b31%2Ffoxnews.com

[Unapologetic Chinaperson]

This is, to me, reminiscent of Pikkety's tax on wealth; in this case, it's wealth that's invested in capital that would be used to create even more wealth for business and the 1%.

I wonder if that's how we would fund a universal basic income when the time comes.

[Dr. Arch]

Not a bad idea. It encourages employing people and not machines.

[Enduro]

I can see myself supporting this.

[KingSweden]

Not a terrible idea on th merits. Will be really important to consider solutions like this once automation takes off and the tax base erodes further

[Classic Conservative]

I can see myself supporting this.

[Dr. Arch]

Looking at how people are responding to this, I think this has the potential to gain backing from voters of multiple ideological backgrounds.

[Heisenberg]

I can see myself supporting this.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

If you want to disincentivize robots, rather than directly taxing them, simply require them to be depreciated over 35 years (35 years chosen because your best 35 years of wage income determine your Social Security benefit) as if they were a worker.  You're still left with the need to define a "robot" for the tax code, but there's no need to invent a new tax.

[Intell]

Lovely Idea.

[mencken]

Automobiles and computers should also pay taxes, to make up for the revenue lost from horse breeders and slide-rule manufacturers.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

Automobiles and computers should also pay taxes, to make up for the revenue lost from horse breeders and slide-rule manufacturers.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

Looking at how people are responding to this, I think this has the potential to gain backing from voters of multiple ideological backgrounds.

-Yeah; the Luddites and enemies of economic growth.

[TJ in Oregon]

Looking at how people are responding to this, I think this has the potential to gain backing from voters of multiple ideological backgrounds.

-Yeah; the Luddites and enemies of economic growth.

What's the point of having greater economic growth if ordinary Americans can't experience the fruits of it? Growth at the expense of its human actors ultimately leads either to a small elite class holding all assets and power or to a socialist state wherein the government pays off the majority of society to get high all day while the 1% work, likely for the idea of power. The latter is the dystopia of choice for the left. I'd like to see if we can develop policies to avoid it. Putting a tax on machinery is not an attack on capitalism but an attempt to salvage capitalism.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

Looking at how people are responding to this, I think this has the potential to gain backing from voters of multiple ideological backgrounds.

-Yeah; the Luddites and enemies of economic growth.

What's the point of having greater economic growth if ordinary Americans can't experience the fruits of it? Growth at the expense of its human actors ultimately leads either to a small elite class holding all assets and power or to a socialist state wherein the government pays off the majority of society to get high all day while the 1% work, likely for the idea of power. The latter is the dystopia of choice for the left. I'd like to see if we can develop policies to avoid it. Putting a tax on machinery is not an attack on capitalism but an attempt to salvage capitalism.

-No; it's an attack on capitalism. I can understand theoretical cases in favor of protectionism (keeping production at home, etc.), but not against automation. And, historically, Americans have always experienced the fruits of greater productivity growth (except maybe in the 1933-1940 period, but that was due to FDR's pro-labor-union anti-unemployed agenda). The last time Americans really felt the economy was booming in every way was in the late 1990s, when productivity was booming as well. Not sure if you know this, but since 2011, productivity in manufacturing has flatlined. Since 2009, the U.S. has had a productivity growth rate identical to that in the stagflationary 1970s. The end of this deplorable state is really the only thing that can save the Trump economy.

[Lief 🗽]

It's a good idea, but not really sure how you define "robot." Are self-checkout kiosks at the grocery store robots?

[Green Line]

It's a good idea, but not really sure how you define "robot." Are self-checkout kiosks at the grocery store robots?

Yes, and they should be taxed.  They eliminate jobs.

[Hermit For Peace]

It's a good idea, but not really sure how you define "robot." Are self-checkout kiosks at the grocery store robots?

Yes, and they should be taxed.  They eliminate jobs.

Just a side note of possible interest: a couple of local grocery stores took out their self-checkout lanes because of the high theft rate they were experiencing at them. But the question is, did they add a worker to replace them? You'd never know it at one of the Stores which is an Albertson's. The manned checkout lines are always long with few lanes open.

[Green Line]

It's a good idea, but not really sure how you define "robot." Are self-checkout kiosks at the grocery store robots?

Yes, and they should be taxed.  They eliminate jobs.

Just a side note of possible interest: a couple of local grocery stores took out their self-checkout lanes because of the high theft rate they were experiencing at them. But the question is, did they add a worker to replace them? You'd never know it at one of the Stores which is an Albertson's. The manned checkout lines are always long with few lanes open.

Well, if the lines get long enough due to poor customer service, people will take their business elsewhere.

[RI]

Sounds like another corporate tax that would just be passed on to consumers.

[TJ in Oregon]

Looking at how people are responding to this, I think this has the potential to gain backing from voters of multiple ideological backgrounds.

-Yeah; the Luddites and enemies of economic growth.

What's the point of having greater economic growth if ordinary Americans can't experience the fruits of it? Growth at the expense of its human actors ultimately leads either to a small elite class holding all assets and power or to a socialist state wherein the government pays off the majority of society to get high all day while the 1% work, likely for the idea of power. The latter is the dystopia of choice for the left. I'd like to see if we can develop policies to avoid it. Putting a tax on machinery is not an attack on capitalism but an attempt to salvage capitalism.

-No; it's an attack on capitalism. I can understand theoretical cases in favor of protectionism (keeping production at home, etc.), but not against automation. And, historically, Americans have always experienced the fruits of greater productivity growth (except maybe in the 1933-1940 period, but that was due to FDR's pro-labor-union anti-unemployed agenda). The last time Americans really felt the economy was booming in every way was in the late 1990s, when productivity was booming as well. Not sure if you know this, but since 2011, productivity in manufacturing has flatlined. Since 2009, the U.S. has had a productivity growth rate identical to that in the stagflationary 1970s. The end of this deplorable state is really the only thing that can save the Trump economy.

What difference does growth make if it doesn't employ more people? Who cares how much an iPhone costs if no one has a job? Decentivizing machinery would help ensure that if we do have growth it would actually mean more jobs, rather than more production from less.

[Xing]

I can see myself supporting this.

[pbrower2a]

...but we can all use automobiles and computers. As production becomes a monopoly of a class that can dispense with people as employees, then we have a huge dichotomy between  productivity and people.   

[Zioneer]

...but we can all use automobiles and computers. As production becomes a monopoly of a class that can dispense with people as employees, then we have a huge dichotomy between  productivity and people.   

Agreed. I don't know much more about the dynamics of this proposal, but I could see myself supporting this.

[The_Doctor]

This is, to me, reminiscent of Pikkety's tax on wealth; in this case, it's wealth that's invested in capital that would be used to create even more wealth for business and the 1%.

I wonder if that's how we would fund a universal basic income when the time comes.

Amd bingo was his name ...yeah the automation age will create enormous amounts of wealth but also enormous amount of creative destruction and a rethinking of wealth and work in 21st century America and developed world.