>>509561749
Anon, the American underclass is being deported. I thought it was just a sort of political gesture or social signal to appease the masses, but it may very well be to make way for automation. There are many facets to this issue:
>14th Amendment
This is the birthright citizenship part of the US constitution. It was added after slavery. Repatriation back to Africa had been happening for decades, but this ensured a constant underclass of cheap labor. It was tried and upheld during a massive influx of foreigners during the Industrial Revolution, again for cheap labor. The current political climate is to abolish this amendment, presumably because cheap human labor is obsolete.
>US abundance of cheap labor meant no innovations in automation for some industries
This is particularly true for agriculture. Even going back as far as Cesar Chavez, we had organized efforts against automation. That didn’t stop the technology from advancing, it only stopped its implementation in the US. We’ve now reached a point where the tech is cheaper than the Mexican slaves. Meat processing as well, with Marel doing insane stuff like slicing up chickens with laser precision using water jets.
>population decline
If you look at pre WW2 birth rates, and compare where they would have led the US to where the demographics actually landed, there were 70 million excess births after the war and before 1966. They went on to have more than a replacement rate as well. There are 40 million people aged 55 to 65. Another 60 million are over 65. 100 million people total; 30% of the country that are either retired or will be in the next ten years. AI and automation are being rushed in to replace the near-retirees.