Americans get much less paid vacation than other developed countries: https://econotb.wordpress.com/2012/...-vacation-days-in-the-u-s-vs-other-countries/ They also work much longer hours: https://theworldneednow.blogspot.fr/2015/10/us-needs-shorter-work-week.html How do feel about this? Would you like a better work/life balance? Maybe give up some material possessions in return for time off with family and friends?
Lower hours would be consistent with productivity enhancement. However, you'd need a radical transformation of US capitalism (based around the premise of achieving much greater levels of equity).
I think work life balance is a bunch of bullshit. We only work 40 hours a week, which easily leaves plenty of time to pursue other interests, not to mention that in this day and age live is becoming rapidly automated. What used to be a full time job(homemaker) can now be done in a few minutes a week with a few clicks. We might gradually shift to 20-30 hour work weeks as automation takes over, but that's because of a declining need for labor. Not because some whiny idealists have extremely poor time management.
The comment about automation is correct however with reduced labor, tax will be diminished. To compensate you would need a high energy tax which would essentially tax robots and computers. Then as companies produce their own power, like wood mills do by burning left over saw dust, you would have to instead tax emissions.
That's why I think Sander's Medicare for All plan is incredibly stupid. Let's create a giant, unfunded entitlement, and base what revenue it will generate on employment.
Not really. We'd just see acceleration of positive deindustrialisation: shifting labour towards service sector and bespoke product.
