The few startups I’ve interviewed at were full of very smart people who were very bored and spent their days finding the most complex way to implement web forms. I remember one explaining how they had implemented this insane distributed database that synchronized over the network so the text fields would be the same if you switched browsers half way through filling a form out.
I also don’t use travel agents anymore. Automating things isn’t bad, society not providing safety nets is the problem.
It's the most literal form of "a race to the bottom".
The point is blaming a business for trying to lower costs and stay competitive is asinine. If the problem is people aren’t qualified to do work or are unable to feed/house themselves, that is for the government to address since they have the power to tax. No individual business can solve this problem.
Go ahead and let the businesses profit. And if you need to tax 90% of the profit to provide a minimum standard of living for your citizens then so be it.
There is no reason a business has any responsibility to its employees outside of paying them for services performed in accordance with labor laws.
Yes there is. Work is not just writing a paycheck and be done with it. It's more than that: it's working together towards a future that is better for all parties, in a sustainable way.