Technology 4 min read

U.S. Tech Manufacturing Will Fall Behind With Trump's Economic Plan

U.S. President Donald Trump | Evin El-Amin | Shutterstock.com

U.S. President Donald Trump | Evin El-Amin | Shutterstock.com

U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic plan makes little mention of automation–in a world where automation is inevitable.

There’s some mystery surrounding what will be done to acclimatize those who lose their jobs to automation. In fact, among President Trump’s budget cuts are some of former U.S. President Barack Obama‘s job training initiatives meant to ready industries that will be affected.

How will the USA take on the future if we’re avoiding the challenges of Industry 4.0?

Can Trump's USA face challenges of Industry 4.0?Click To Tweet

The U.S. Is Already Falling Behind

Edgy Labs has previously covered the ways in which China is surpassing the U.S. in preparation for the automation transition.

One of the main factors–investment in cleantech providing dividends–doesn’t seem to be on the current U.S. President’s economic radar. He has already rejected international climate change deals and promised to return coal jobs to the U.S.

As we saw during his first 100 days, many of Trump’s campaign promises are yet to be accomplished such as repealing and replacing Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act). We even saw Trump flummoxed during a key test of his commitment to his constituency: the Carrier negotiations. It seems that the author of The Art of the Deal didn’t deliver as he had promised that he would.

Perhaps therein lies a glimmer of hope. If health care policy is being determined by a collaboration between bipartisan legislators and the desires of the U.S. President, perhaps automation policy will also be an organic development. We just have to hope that this process begins before other countries are transitioning into a future where we’re not included.

Trump Plans to Cut Investment in Job Training

Despite many signs pointing toward the rapid transition from our current job system to automation, the President and his cohorts seem focused on rejuvenating the fossil fuel industry and the blue collar factory workers that drove the U.S. economy in decades past.

Almost totally contrary to his predecessor, President Trump has spent much of his time in office undoing the work of the Obama administration.

tech manufacturing
Suwin | Shutterstock.com

The Obama administration conceived of the TechHire Initiative to transition Americans into technology jobs with specialized training. Trump’s plan shows the Department of Labor getting a 36% cut to funding for training/employment services.

The irony? Initial numbers suggest that we would see more automation of jobs under Trump–experts suggest that the key difference is that worker displacement will be more severe under the current budget.

“America First” Could Make America Worse

Many unskilled jobs–factory, service, freight or otherwise–will become automated within the next 20 years.

Despite this, the President’s plan calls for divesting from education and investing in outdated economic practices. Echoing his campaign motto “Make America Great Again”, Trump released his “America First” energy plan. This plan also includes major cuts to government spending with focuses on education and the EPA. Many believe that the President’s goals will actually set up the American workforce for failure. 

automation
Ktsdesign | Shutterstock.com

Not even Trump can architect the U.S.’s way out of losing hundreds of thousands of jobs to automation. Pro-tip: human ingenuity and creativity could never be replaced by a robot. Despite new information coming daily, many questions are floating around after President Trump’s economic plan announcement. Among those questions:

  • What industries do you think will benefit most from automation?
  • Which industries could benefit most under Trump’s proposed economic plan?
  • What could a plan for automation under Trump look like?

But the biggest question might be: how will America be affected by President Trump’s economic plan?

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  1. Bryan See July 28 at 6:49 am GMT

    What industries do you think will benefit most from automation?

    Tech, space and automobile manufacturing. I guess.

    Which industries could benefit most under Trump’s proposed economic plan?

    It benefits Big Oil, as well as Russia’s Rosneft, controlled by President Vladimir Putin, friend of Trump and prime Phobosgator. Big Coal, as well as those of Russia’s. I think Putin will benefit. Not just Putin, but also his allies including Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

    What could a plan for automation under Trump look like?

    Total Luddism toward automation, and all forms of modern tech. Just like Putin.

    Putin is clearly wanting to destroy the Western tech supremacy and restore Russian power, because his regime is betting on the past, and is being saved by the Luddites all across the world. In other words, he is realizing right-wing and reactionary and xenophobic Bulgarian seer Baba Vanga’s prophecy about Russia and Putin, in which nothing will be left on Earth but the glories of Vladimir. She said:

    “Everything will melt away like ice yet the glory of Vladimir, the glory of Russia are the only things that will remain. Russia will not only survive, it will dominate the world.”

    Nowadays, many Russians wonder if Vanga’s prophecy about Russia is going to come true some day or not. In 1979, during her meeting with writer Valentin Sidorov, Vanga said: “All will thaw, as if ice, only one remain untouched – Vladimir’s glory, glory of Russia. Too much it is brought in a victim. Nobody can stop Russia. All will be removed by her from the way and not only will be kept, but also becomes the lord of the world.”

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