Great Replacement: Trump Boasts Robots Will Replace Jobs Gaps At Ford Auto Plant. Ford CEO Claims Nobody Wants To Work, But Mechanics Disagree
"You're going to have a thing called robots, and robots are going to be a big factor. I predict that robots are going to be a big factor in the future and it's going to help out."
In a recent interview with CBS Evening News, aired on January 13th, President Donald Trump, while visiting a Ford Motor Co. manufacturing plant in Detroit, Michigan, lauded that robots would be filling for all the open jobs at Ford.
Host Tony Dokoupil said to the President, “The CEO of Ford had said not long ago he’s got 5,000 open mechanic jobs. He can’t find people willing [to work].” Before he could finish his sentence, Trump exclaimed that this is a “good thing” and that the robots will fill in the labor holes.
“That's a good thing, Tony. That means it's vibrant. You could also have things where you have so many people and they can't get jobs. It's true. We are doing so well it's hard.
“Now, what's going to happen is people are being trained rapidly, and you're going to have a thing called robots, and robots are going to be a big factor. I predict that robots are going to be a big factor in the future and it's going to help out.
“But you have a situation now where our economy is doing so well that it's not that easy to get people. We're training people. They're training people. Companies are training people and they're doing well.”
Following up on that, Dokoupil asked, “What is the future for jobs like these?” He mentioned that one worker he talked said he is worried about robotics taking his job. Trump pushed back and claimed hypocrisy, saying that one minute there is a shortage and the next minute people are worried of being replaced. Nevertheless, Trump replied:
“Look, we're going to need help because we're expanding so rapidly that we need people are going to make a lot of money. A a skilled worker, a person with talent, education in what they do, not education in nuclear physics, education what they do, they're going to make a lot of money.
“[…] I think that robotics are going to be great because this country won't have enough people if we don't have it. Our people are going to be trained and they're going to make more money than they've ever made before.”
The WinePress has reported several times in recent weeks on the Trump administration’s explicit ambitions to replace American workers with robots in factories, and will use these robots as an excuse to promote pseudo economic and job growth.
SEE:
Ford CEO Says He Can’t Find Workers
For context, in November Ford’s CEO Jim Farley claimed that he has thousands of open, high-paying jobs at the company, but cannot find enough people to fill those roles - roughly 5,000 open mechanic positions despite a $120,000 salary.
“We are in trouble in our country. We are not talking about this enough. We have over a million openings in critical jobs, emergency services, trucking, factory workers, plumbers, electricians, and tradesmen. It’s a very serious thing.”
Farley has repeatedly sound-off on this issue a number of times last year.
At a separate forum event in December, he reiterated a similar message, saying: “The older workers who’d been at the company said, ‘None of the young people want to work here. Jim, you pay $17 an hour, and they are so stressed,’” Farley said.
However, a number of auto mechanics came forward and rebuked the Ford CEO for his comments, saying that they are unfounded and tone deaf, claiming that not only is he over-simplifying the problem, he himself is directly responsible for not having a competent labor force that wants to work at Ford, the staff does not the necessary ever-growing education to do the job, the extra overtime required to make repairs, the absolute shotty quality of modern vehicles (not just Ford), etc.
On top of this, another issue arises: the cost of new (and used) modern vehicles. Americans are simply tapped out and cannot afford these prices, as new vehicles slowly rot on the lots across the U.S. This is a broader American auto-manufacturer problem in general.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
Proverbs 29:7 The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.
Ecclesiastes 5:8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
Once again, Trump and his administration are bragging that Americans are going to be replaced with robots. It’s the World Economic Forum’s 4th Industrial Revolution agenda, plain as day.
It is not a black and white issue as this country loves to make it into. The questions CBS asked Trump demonstrate, by design, the paradox that has been created: large gaps in the workforce that cannot be easily filled for a myriad of reasons, far beyond the blasé excuse of, ‘everyone is lazy and doesn’t work;’ while at the same time rapidly replacing those gaps with robots and in time those who are currently employed.
Again, there exists today in the Westernized workforce, especially America, where these companies want all this experience, but prospecting staff can’t get that experience needed because they are busy trying to get the necessary education and training needed just to walk in the door, and companies don’t want to give the proper training to do the job.
There’s more to life than making work and company loyalty one’s whole identity; and more Americans have increasingly hit that wall.
One comment under Uncle Tony’s Garage said it well:
American private equity billionaires understand late-stage capitalism. They are just trying to extract the maximum profit from the economy, before the whole house of cards collapses. All their mergers and acquisitions have led to just a few massive corporations controlling most of the well-known, iconic brands.
The current business model is to play on this ‘brand loyalty’ myth, by gouging as much as humanly possible, before shuttering the factories, laying off their workers, declaring bankruptcy, and walking away with fat severance packages and pensions.
Rinse and repeat.
On point. It’s a consolidation and collapse by design.
Let’s also not forget that this is the same Ford who is the king of planned obsolescence, perpetual breakdowns and repairs; and is a leader in the “you’ll own nothing and be happy” model. I’ve documented several times over the years on The WinePress:
Blue Screen Of Death: Ford Car’s Software Update Fails And ‘Your Vehicle Cannot Be Driven’
Ford Awarded Patent That Reports You To Police If You Are Speeding
Oh yeah, let’s work for that traitorous company!
Ford and other companies are making their vehicles so that you have to see a licensed dealer, making it harder on the owners and local mechanics to make repairs. Notice the word mechanics: these modern vehicles require the technician to wear multiple hats anymore just to make a ‘simple’ repair.
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On one of his missionary journeys, the apostle Paul visited Athens, Greece, where he said he witnessed “the city wholly given to idolatry,” and who were “too superstitious” and worshipped a plurality of gods and deities, though the people acknowledged that there was still one God above all that was a mystery to them. When questioned by the philosophers …
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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As an retired auto tech, the business as a whole is making for owners of/ CEO's of autos, tech's get hosed left and right, can't make any mistakes(fixing car) don't get much training and need 10's of thousands of dollars of tools to start. I will say of all the engine work I did, no stupid robot could do it, ya couldn't put all of the knowledge it takes in it's program; the touch and feel of things would be impossible( feel and fit of parts and seeing and identifying small wear imperfections, and the like) So I don't get more mad about all this I'll shout up.
All that being said, I loved working on cars and engines, the pay structure and politics of the job is what makes it terrible, not the actual work.
As someone who has worked in automotive robotics for over 3 decades, I promise you that there are ZERO robot maintenance. Without people, they quickly become worthless garbage.