you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 15 points 2 years ago (2 children)

as a luddite you should know that automation‘s goal never was to save us from unwanted labour. But of course this would have to be accomplished first, before your second assumption can ever come true.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 11 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I read an article (probably linked to from here) about how “Luddite” isn’t the insult many people think it is. Luddites weren’t dumb, or superstitious and needlessly afraid of technology.

    The historical Luddites were knowledgeable regarding technology. They weren’t anti-technology in general, they simply didn’t trust the rich and powerful to use it in a way that genuinely benefited society as a whole. Unfortunately, capitalists did what capitalists always do - they used machines to churn out inferior goods and cut worker pay. That’s why Luddites destroyed/sabotaged machines.

    After learning that, I started considering Luddite a compliment.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

    Cool! I‘d also see it as a compliment. That‘s why I was surprised that a fellow luddite would interpret it differently. Alas, it was just this little word that made us stumble. But yeah, the Luddites knew that machines weren‘t evil. But that they would be used to generate more profit and not to lessen their toil

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    Yeah I agree. That's why I said it was their ostensive goal. Their actual goal has only ever been profit.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    ah, now I get it. You meant ostensible goal

    Edit: I also had to look it up )

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Oh huh TIL. I also looked it up, and it seems like a real doozy of a word. I had no idea. Looks some some dictionaries say that the two words are interchangeable, whereas others distinguish between them, and in the latter case, I used the wrong one. Language is fun!

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    “'Inflammable' means ‘flammable’? What a country!”

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago (1 child)

    Haha, what’s this from again?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    It’s a classic, from way back when The Simpsons was good.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments