It's not flattering to say the US is moving toward massive low-paying underemployment

The flattery comes in when, rather than attributing the fact to the real reason, you chalk it up to our awesome success at automating people out of jobs (a constant drumbeat in the press lately). Now, like magic, instead of having a failed economic policy on our hands and people justifiably upset over it, there's nothing to blame but the steady, noble, and relentless march of Innovation and Progress, and better get with the program, people!

It's not really automation, it's more outsourcing and competitive advantage. In fact, automation could theoretically make production more viable, which would bring electricity demand back up.