Charlie, what are you looking so glum about?

You’d be looking glum too if you had just lost your job.

Yeah, I guess I would. What happened?

I was replaced by a robot. Fifteen years I spent learning my assembly skill. I was the best worker on the line. The foreman said so. The other guys said so. They gave me raises. Now all of a sudden the boss brings in this robot, and they say it will do the job as well as I did. And I’m fired.

And will it?

Probably. They took videos of me for three months while they were writing its program. Like a jerk I was flattered. I showed off. Worked even harder than usual. Did everything extra careful. I screw myself. So they dumped me. For a golden parachute they gave me a week’s wages. Less deduction for the health care policy, which they canceled. Only thing they didn’t scrub was Social Security, but I’m only fifty-five. And now there’s no more paychecks. Had to use my credit card to pay the rent this month. Where will next month’s rent come from?

Well, my professors say you have to look at the big picture.

Big picture? What big picture? Who are these professors? Can they be replaced with robots?

Doubt it. They’re economists. Give lectures at school. They say when productivity goes up and consumer confidence goes up at the same time the signs are good. The economy is showing signs of health.

So?What signs?

So, with you getting fired the number of workers in the labor force just went down. But with the robot in place output didn’t change. On the contrary, it probably went up, so that means productivity went up. More stuff produced per worker. And you added to your credit-card debt — that’s supposed to show increased consumer confidence. So in other words the overall economy got a boost.

Some boost. I’m the one that got the boost. Right out the door. Frog marched out of the bar and onto the sidewalk.

That’s the short-term view. My professors say you have to evaluate it from a broader perspective. A rising tide raises all boats.

All I know is that this kind of a rising tide is swamping mine.

No, no. Look at it this way. With productivity up and people’s confidence improved they will be encouraged to buy more stuff and the stuff they buy will be cheaper. Your company (excuse me, your “ex” company) will now have a fixed cost for getting your job (excuse me, your “ex” job) done. No more sick days, snow days, holidays, weekends off, sick babies, insurance and Social Security contributions — just the fixed and predictable cost of the robot. Same expense every hour, every day, every week, every month, and lower than before. No more raises; just tax deductible depreciation. So the company will be able to budget better, and the prices of its products can be reduced. And everyone will be able to live cheaper than before.

Using what for money?

Charlie, you can’t just look at this from just your individual perspective. We’re a country. We’re forced to compete in the world economy. You’re an undereducated white blue-collar guy. My professors say you have to look at it from the point of view of the overall economy. Some people will be hurt, some will be helped, yes, but in the long run it’s the net effect on the economy that matters.

Forgive me, buddy, but that’s bullshit. It’s my rent that matters. And my groceries. To me and to my wife and my kids. Who’s going to pay my bills? Are these economists of yours going to stop by my house every Friday and drop off a paycheck? If they do they’re going to have to wear galoshes; my mortgage has been under water for five years already.

I see your point.

Don’t see my point. Rescue me.

Me? I’m not a social service agency. I’m just a Pell Grant student trying to live off Tacos and my Pell Grant and a flex-time call service job until I get my Economics degree. Then there ain’t no robot going to replace me. No robot economists in the works that I’ve heard of so far.

I wouldn’t be too sure of that if I were you. Ever hear of Artificial Intelligence? Don’t you read the papers?

Nope. My man says they’re all phoney. Just made-up fake news. Not like his Tweets. Straight from the heart. He speaks for me.

That’s how he made billions of dollars — speaking for you?

That was then. This is now. Besides, his wife is a real ten. I’ve checked it out on the Net.

Good luck, Charlie.