Last night on 4 corners, the future of work illustrated the bleak prospects of our youngest and older finding jobs.
There was a young guy who was an electrical engineer. Couldnt get a job out of 100 tries. Now he is a casual labourer and planning to be a science teacher. By the time he gets there, there will be no jobs for science teachers.
In our haste to automate everything from check out people to lawyers, we have basically shot ourselves in the foot.
Now we have casual insecure labour, things such as Airtasker (tying someones shoelaces or picking up their mail), and "we'll call you when we need you" jobs. Don't get me going on outsourced tasks to overseas.
Compounding this, was our zeal in buying every piece of cheap junk that the Chinese could make and ship.
We have mortgaged the future for no real gain. Our houses are full of things that break in two weeks.
Putting the theories of classical economics ie comparative advantage and the evils of mercantilism aside for the moment...............
Its time to put up the trade barriers again. This country could survive easily. Things might be more expensive in the beginning but everyone would have work. No dole for able bodied people, farm work and factory work.
Produce food and make our own things. Isolated for 10 years from the crack pot economies all over the world, Australia could be self sufficient and a more normal balance of work/life would be restored.
As it is, get used to your kids living at home for 40 years and the terrible toll that mass unemployment takes.
