The War on Normal People: The Truth About America's Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future

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From 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, a captivating account of how "a skinny Asian kid from upstate" became a successful entrepreneur, only to find a new mission: calling attention to the urgent steps America must take, including Universal Basic Income, to stabilize our economy amid rapid technological change and automation. The shift toward automation is about to create a tsunami of unemployment. Not in the distant future—now. One recent estimate predicts 45 million American workers will lose their jobs within the next twelve years—jobs that won't be replaced. In a future marked by restlessness and chronic unemployment, what will happen to American society? In The War on Normal People, Andrew Yang paints a dire portrait of the American economy. Rapidly advancing technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics and automation software are making millions of Americans' livelihoods irrelevant. The consequences of these trends are already being felt across our communities in the form of political unrest, drug use, and other social ills. The future looks dire-but is it unavoidable? In The War on Normal People, Yang imagines a different future—one in which having a job is distinct from the capacity to prosper and seek fulfillment. At this vision's core is Universal Basic Income, the concept of providing all citizens with a guaranteed income-and one that is rapidly gaining popularity among forward-thinking politicians and economists. Yang proposes that UBI is an essential step toward a new, more durable kind of economy, one he calls "human capitalism." Cover Title Copyright Contents Dedication Epigraph Introduction: The Great Displacement I. What’s Happening to Jobs 1. My Journey 2. How We Got Here Jobs Don’t Grow Like They Used to Number of Employees at Major Companies: Present Day versus Past Years 3. Who Is Normal in America Educational Attainment of People (25 Years and Over) by Sex & Race (2016) Median Personal Income by Educational Attainment (2015) Median Value of Assets for Households, by Age & Educational Attainment (2013) 4. What We Do for a Living Largest Occupational Groups in United States (2016) Clerical and Administrative Staff Sales and Retail Food Preparation and Service 5. Factory Workers and Truck Drivers 6. White-Collar Jobs Will Disappear, Too EPS Estimates Down for J.M. Smucker in Past Month 7. On Humanity and Work 8. The Usual Objections II. What’s Happening to Us 9. Life in the Bubble Six Paths to Six Places Popular Job Destinations for College Graduates Most Popular States for Post-Graduation Employment Life in the Bubble 10. Mindsets of Scarcity and Abundance Scarcity Makes You Think Differently 11. Geography Is Destiny Where Jobs Disappear Change Can Be a Four-Letter Word Many Different Economies 12. Men, Women, and Children 13. The Permanent Shadow Class: What Displacement Looks Like 14. Video Games and the (Male) Meaning of Life 15. The Shape We’re in / Disintegration III. Solutions and Human Capitalism 16. The Freedom Dividend 17. Universal Basic Income in the Real World 18. Time as the New Money 19. Human Capitalism The Next Stage of Capitalism 20. The Strong State and the New Citizenship Leaders beyond Money Real Accountability Technology on Our Minds The New Citizenship 21. Health Care in a World without Jobs 22. Building People Education in the Age of Automation People (Still) Learn from Other People Education Starts at Home College Isn’t Always the Answer Why is College So Expensive? New Schools Rediscovering Ideals Conclusion: Masters or Servants Acknowledgments Notes Introduction: The Great Displacement 1. My Journey 2. How We Got Here 3. Who is Normal in America 4. What We Do for a Living 5. Factory Workers and Truck Drivers 6. White-Collar Jobs Will Disappear, Too 7. On Humanity and Work 8. The Usual Objections 9. Life in the Bubble 10. Mindsets of Scarcity and Abundance 11. Geography is Destiny 12. Men, Women, and Children 13. The Permanent Shadow Class: What Displacement Looks Like 14. Video Games and the (Male) Meaning of Life 15. The Shape We’Re in/Disintegration 16. The Freedom Dividend 17. Universal Basic Income in the Real World 18. Time as the New Money 19. Human Capitalism 20. The Strong State and the New Citizenship 21. Health Care in a World Without Jobs 22. Building People Newsletters