“We need more robots”: Boulet
Labour minister Jean Boulet says Quebec needs more robots, not more immigrants. But Quebec is happy to bring in temporary workers to save some industries, always without extending them the same rights as residents or citizens – essentially treating them as disposable robots.
Meanwhile, refugees are waiting while their cases drag on slowly through our bureaucracies. And some experts chiefly worry about temporary workers diluting the pool of French.
(Another tab pileup, another infodump.)
Ephraim 22:14 on 2022-06-20 Permalink
Yes, robot nurses, robot doctors, robot SAQ employees, robot casino dealers, robot politicians…
maggie rose 23:05 on 2022-06-20 Permalink
Ephraim – I like the idea of robot politicians. They don’t really need penthouses, do they?
Mitchell 07:24 on 2022-06-21 Permalink
@Kate — your comment has historical resonance. If I remember correctly, it was RUR that introduced “robot” into English. And isn’t the root meaning of “robot” serf or slave?
Kate 08:08 on 2022-06-21 Permalink
Karel Čapek coined the word from Czech robota (“drudgery, servitude”). Interestingly, according to the Wiktionary, “robot” had already been borrowed into German to describe a system of serfdom.
Ephraim 10:19 on 2022-06-21 Permalink
To be honest, we don’t really need politicians at all. We could replace them with direct voting on key issues. Instead you would have ad hoc groups to further each political idea who would disappear after the vote. And government bodies which would have to report on why or why not we should implement each idea. Just make it easier to vote than having all those referendums in Switzerland. The idea of Politicians is sort of archaic in the age of information. We need someone with grand ideas and charisma to lead us in the right direction, but most of the rest of it could be voted on our smart phone and be done with it. We could make the National Assembly into an old folks home… oops… it already is.
Kevin 10:43 on 2022-06-21 Permalink
It’s always demographics. It’s just amusing that it’s catching the boomers off-guard.
It’s the Catherine Koetter cartoon “I can’t believe it. I forgot to have children” writ large.
https://statistique.quebec.ca/docs-ken/vitrine/vieillissement/index.html?theme=population&tab=6
JaneyB 11:57 on 2022-06-21 Permalink
@Ephraim – unfortunately, we need politicians and parliaments because the general population is often ignorant and/or busy. Imagine the world that QAnon people could make on a committee. I’m recalling even benign cases like ‘Boaty McBoatface’. The general population has flashes of wisdom but they are sooo defenceless against real manipulation – as we’ve been seeing for these past smartphon-ian years.
Ephraim 13:40 on 2022-06-21 Permalink
@JaneyB – That would be the point of the ad hoc committees, they would be the point of information. Look at Switzerland… it’s mostly referendums. What we really need is a Prime Minister and leaders of the opposition. We don’t really need the individual members of parliament. In many cases, they are the same people who would have voted for Boaty McBoatface anyway.
I once spoke to my MNA (MM from SQ) and I asked about their view of the Generations Fund…. and basically they just wanted to spend it all, not even a thought about what this might mean for future generations. Quickest way to lose my vote… steal money from babies.
Chris 10:02 on 2022-06-22 Permalink
Ephraim, only 43% of eligible Ontario voters could be bothered to vote last month, and those elections are only every 4 years. If you think people will be bothered to vote in even more frequent direct voting, I have a bridge to sell you.
Ephraim 13:28 on 2022-06-22 Permalink
Chris… they might, if you do it on your smart phone. But let’s be realistic, not voting is agreeing to accept everyone else’s choice… That’s why there is a fine under the Hare method of voting.
In fact, we could require a quorum majority in order to pass any laws that have a spending attached… salary increases beyond inflation, any new spending, but not require it for savings. It would be almost impossible to increase taxes! I bet they would found incredible ways to save money if they couldn’t easily increase taxes and they wanted salary increases in government. Ah,so much innovation from lack of ways to simply tax more or spend more…
Joey 16:07 on 2022-06-22 Permalink
@ephraim wouldn’t it be simpler to just hand over the keys to the CPC?