Technological unemployment

ttp://swfchan.com/11/50844/?reel6.swf
Is there really an issue of ``technological unemployment" or is this a case of fear-mongering in the global economic downturn?
The presentation states that people laid off due to automation of their jobs have no prospects of employment. What about maintenance and development of new technology?
Are we reaching a point where everyone has to have a degree to remain competitive in the market?

Watch and discuss.

PS. Please consider that this flash was made by a person notorious for stating conjecture as fact. Use an appropriate sceptic filter (ie. brain) to filter out interesting tidbits.

no one needs a degree, just technical training.  you don't need to publish in journals to learn to fix a god damn robot

Given a choice between lrning something and working in sweat shop, would you honestly choose the latter?

This crap has been going on since the 1800s, but the world hasn't fallen apart, and there remain plenty of employment opportunities.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite

Among the jobs that are least likely to get pwnd by machines: artists, musicians, scientists, politicians, lawyers, chefs...  why? Because they all require significant brain power in ways that computers can't be easily designed to do: eg creativity, social interaction.

When there is a true overabundance of resources, and thus goods produced, welfare will increase; the government can afford to give more free food for the unemployed.  Ideally, machines would just automatically acquire natural resources, produce stuff, and repair themselves.  In such a case humans can live in luxury, without a need for employment.

>>3
Careful, there, buddy. You're bordering on Kurzweil-esque Singularity speak. That can get you flamed pretty hard around here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity