and, yes, you would expect the union movement to be conservative and reactionary about this, because it always is.

stated tersely and bluntly, just about everything i've read from the union movement on this topic demonstrates a staggering level of ignorance about actual marxist economics - because these are people that organize on the ground, and have no doubt never read any marxist theory.

so, they'll say things like "we should resist a ubi in the face of automation because higher wages and good jobs are preferable", which is both total delusion and a literal negation of the entire concept of communism, which is supposed to be about the emancipation of the proletariat from menial labour. no, communists should not choose "good jobs" over freedom from capitalist expropriation! i used to call them brainwashed, but the truth is that it's worse than that; they're just ignorant, and disinterested in the theory they're supposed to represent. they don't know what they're even talking about, anymore.

so, they will no doubt resist ubi in the face of encroaching automation, just like they resisted cross-border unions and labour reforms during globalization - to their extreme detriment.

i tend to cite malatesta as having the insight that these groups will always operate in the interests of capital, because they don't know any better. they don't want communism; they want to protect their privileged positions in capitalism, and, like their capitalist masters, they don't have the foresight to see that their arguments are self-defeating - that they're just going to end up with nothing, as their boss automates their jobs.

the left is supposed to embrace technology, not move against it in reactionary or conservative ways, and detroit has a history of leading the way on embracing changes brought on by technology, in that manner.

this is the future, and we have an opportunity to push it forward right now, as we are assembled, in a time of crisis.