Automation, competition, new business methods, new desire from consumers, they are all part of the creative destruction of the free market. The destruction can be real, but the creation is too, and is typically much larger, esp. over time.
Stagnation with the same technology, trade relationships, and jobs isn't possible even if it was desirable. (Not that your advocating stagnation.)
Slowing down technological change might possibly increase employment, but overall I think its more likely to decrease it. And its not as if most of our unemployment is technological, not many years ago we had pretty much full employment. The housing bubble, financial crisis, recession, and slow recovery, where not the result of automating manufacturing. |
