Farms Fund Robots to Replace Migrant Fruit Pickers

[Plane]

Who will own these robots?

[Xavier_Onassis]

Who will own these robots?
==================================
Rich people, of course. because they will be quite expensive.

Basically rich people buy stuff for two reasons:
(a) stuff to impress others: Rolex watches, Malibu mansions, Lamborghinis. Jimmy Choo Shoes.
(b) stuff to make them richer.

Robots of this sort are of the second type. Basically. members of the same social class as people who once owned slaves.

Except owning robots is not going to be illegal.

Eventually, there will be pig and cattle-butchering robots and chicken-plucking and dismembering robots, and watching this huge machine  murder, bleed and dismember dumb animals will be truly grisly to watch, so they won't put them on TV, until some clever guy videotapes it and sticks it on YouTube, and it will provoke a lot of controversy, which will die down like the photos of Abu Graib.


Eventually, we will continue to eat the robomurdered hogs, cows and chickens and will try hard to not think about it and will assuage our guilty consciounces with the though that we are not controlling these evildoing machines.

The hogs, cows and chickens will suffer for shorter periods of time, but this does not mean that we will see it this way.

Wait and see. You know that this will happen.

[kimba1]

for some reason this reminds me of the cotton gin
this might increase labor demands since this makes higher harvesting yields

[Xavier_Onassis]

I noticed these words on some lunchmeat the other day:

"mechanically separated meat", which made me imagine what the machine might look like.

[kimba1]

umm
mechanically separated meat

It`s actually quite good
potted meat is made of it
with mayo on a ritz that`s good eatin.
I think it`s origins relates to how spam came about.
technology it sooo wonderful atimes

[Xavier_Onassis]

I didn't say it tasted bad.

But 'mechanically separated meat" sounds grisly. I can't help but think of (a) what the machine that did this might look like, and (b) then I think about the fact that said machine would not know the difference between a dead animal andf a live one (or me, for example). This gives me the creeps.


I don't know anyone who has a mechanical meat separator. I can't find a picture of one online, either.

[Amianthus]

I don't know anyone who has a mechanical meat separator. I can't find a picture of one online, either.

[Universe Prince]

Eventually, we will continue to eat the robomurdered hogs, cows and chickens and will try hard to not think about it and will assuage our guilty consciounces with the though that we are not controlling these evildoing machines.

Speak for yourself. I'll be too busy enjoying eating the meat.

[Brassmask]

UP, don't be so hard on sirs.  He likes cheap fruit so.......

Well, there's that 'ol line yet again......start with a false premise, no need to go any further

So, you're quibbling with the assumption that you like cheap fruit?

Are you then proposing that you don't like cheap fruit ergo you prefer expensive fruit?

Or are you proposing instead that don't like fruit at all?

Or are you proposing that you like fruit but price has no bearing on you're liking it?

Would you be more inclined to agree with the premise if I were to change "cheap" to "inexpensive"?

And even more importantly, did you even fucking read the whole thing because my assumption that you, like most people who consume fruit, are inclined to like your fruit to not cost $50 a pound is but only a part of the whole conundrum of the immigration issue and my assumptions about your stance on that issue based on the profile I have developed of you through several years of your constant, moronic blathering.

[sirs]

UP, don't be so hard on sirs.  He likes cheap fruit so.......

Well, there's that 'ol line yet again......start with a false premise, no need to go any further

So, you're quibbling with the assumption that you like cheap fruit?  Are you then proposing that you don't like cheap fruit ergo you prefer expensive fruit?

I'm debunking your notion that sirs wants cheap fruit.  Sirs doesn't mind cheap fruit, but not at the cost of our national security, sovereignty, & rule of law.  Sirs likes fruit priced at what the market says fruit ought to be priced at.  If illegal immigration were enforced, the price of fruit would indeed likely go up, as Fruit Growers would be unable to exploit those just trying to come to America, and largely price out legal immigrants.  Sirs has no problem if the price were to go up as a result.

Perhaps next time you'll think before you type

[Brassmask]

Ok, I'll cede whatever nitpickery you are deeming as necessary to truly represent your position.

I'd like to ask you this though, by your comments, it seems that you feel that the farmers are exploiting those just trying to come to America so do you feel that there should be some punishment meted to those growers for employing illegal immigrants regardless of what your inclinations are for the illegal immigrants and what should be done with or to them for coming here illegally?

For in discussions with the wife on this subject, it is our opinion that until the employment of said illegal immigrants becomes so high-risk a practice thus stemming the demand for the illegal immigrant's oh so succulent low-cost labor, illegal immigration will continue in the same way that till we make life better for so many Americans that they won't seek to escape into the fog of marijuana, the high-octane joy of X or the fast-forward framing of cocaine those illegal immigrations will also continue.

[sirs]

Ok, I'll cede whatever nitpickery you are deeming as necessary to truly represent your position.

You want to minimize your gross misrepresentation of my position as "nitpickery", you go right ahead

I'd like to ask you this though ....do you feel that there should be some punishment meted to those growers for employing illegal immigrants regardless of what your inclinations are for the illegal immigrants and what should be done with or to them for coming here illegally?

Yes.  

Anyone that knowingly hires illegal immigrants, exploiting them in order to pay lower wages, and minimize (if completely ignoring) their tax obligations, should be prosecuted for those laws that are already on the books.  I'm still fascinated in watching how so many who support easing, if not abolishing immigration requirements, seem to shed not a peep of protest at those individuals/companies/corporations who will undercut legal immigrants and American citizens, & grossly paying illegals under minimum salary wages.  I'm equally fascinated at the sheer lack of condemnation towards entities such as Bank of America, who openly were aiming credit cards to "undocumented immigrants" (read illegal), that required a massive deposit (for them), a credit limit that was likely only equal to that deposit, coupled to huge interest rates.  Nary a hint of protest.  Just continued misrepresentations that such a position on my part & like minds, was akin to being against immigration in general, if not outright racism

But back to your point, enforcing current immigration law, which would include fines, if not incarcerated, to those who knowingly exploit illegal immigrants, would substantially decrease the amount of illegal immigration

[Brassmask]

The characterization of nitpickery aside, it appears that you and I agree on the immigration issue.

Illegal immigrants will continue to cross the borders illegally and in large numbers until it becomes apparent that Americans will not be willing to employ them for any reason.  American farmers, companies and individuals needing maids and yard workers must become unwilling to risk huge fines and/or jail time (I say make it both) in order to pay less for that labor.

Not knowing the particulars of work visas and permits and so forth, I can't say what the answer is but a simple work visa is simply a way for illegal immigrant to get in without risking death by snake bite, drowning or shotgun after which they will simply disappear knowing full well the government will not seek them out.

[Amianthus]

The characterization of nitpickery aside, it appears that you and I agree on the immigration issue.

I bet the difference between you two is in one word in the sentence "Anyone that knowingly hires illegal immigrants," - knowingly.

[Plane]

Who will own these robots?
==================================
Rich people, of course. because they will be quite expensive.

Basically rich people buy stuff for two reasons:
(a) stuff to impress others: Rolex watches, Malibu mansions, Lamborghinis. Jimmy Choo Shoes.
(b) stuff to make them richer.

Robots of this sort are of the second type. Basically. members of the same social class as people who once owned slaves.

Except owning robots is not going to be illegal.

Eventually, there will be pig and cattle-butchering robots and chicken-plucking and dismembering robots, and watching this huge machine  murder, bleed and dismember dumb animals will be truly grisly to watch, so they won't put them on TV, until some clever guy videotapes it and sticks it on YouTube, and it will provoke a lot of controversy, which will die down like the photos of Abu Graib.


Eventually, we will continue to eat the robomurdered hogs, cows and chickens and will try hard to not think about it and will assuage our guilty consciounces with the though that we are not controlling these evildoing machines.

The hogs, cows and chickens will suffer for shorter periods of time, but this does not mean that we will see it this way.

Wait and see. You know that this will happen.

Farmers and farming contractors will be the owners , Tractors , combines , harvestors of all sorts are very expensive already this is an advantage that large farmers have over small farmers , already this has made the small farmer a vanishing breed because there is no way to match the mechanised effeciency of the big farm.

A small farmer will tend his orchards himself and hire  a contractor to bring labor or robots , but his lower scale operation will never produce the capital required to mechanise his small farm to the better effeciency of the large farm.

I have some hope in that small farmers can make partnerships with each other and share the initial expense , but the Grange is weak and sick .
I have some hope in hydroponic cultivation being done on small scale for specialty crops.
I have some hope in herbs and rare plants which take a lot of attention.
I have some hope in organicly raised crops that can demand a premium price.

But I have a realistic assessment that the main part of our Nations farming effort will be done by large corporations that are connected with the land by their profit motive.