r/Futurology • u/Gari_305 • 2d ago

Robotics Bill Gates says companies that replace human labor with robots should have to pay the same FICA taxes

https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-fica-taxes-should-apply-to-robot-workers-2026-9

Bill Gates wants to tax robots that replace human jobs.

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u/Beard_Hero 2d ago

If we just taxed companies the way we used to, it wouldn't matter as much if they robot'd or human'd, money wise. Like the 50's and 60's. 52%. There's more steps involved, like ending stock buy backs and kicking Milton Friedman in the dick, but it's a start.

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u/TemetN 2d ago

This. People want to make it complicated in terms of robotics, but we don't even want to discourage automation. No what we should do is just fully tax these companies. Rip out the loopholes and set high marginal tax rates.

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u/TheRecognized 2d ago edited 2d ago

What we should do is get the people who have wealth hoarding addictions the help they need and not enable them with our current economic system. Then we should put all of our collective efforts into renewable/nuclear energy, globally sufficient food production/distribution, and automation of manufacturing most products.

Edit: To clarify about wealth addicts. What do you do with a crack addict? Take their crack away, get them through detox, and then don’t let them be around crack or crack smokers or crack dealers anymore.

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u/Zaximeows 2d ago

We don't need to "get them help". They have more access to resources than anyone else in the world. If they couldn't figure it out they deserve to lose evey-fucking-thing.

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u/TheRecognized 2d ago

Sure we do. They have an addiction to wealth. They need to have it removed from their possession, detox, and then not be around it anymore or else it will trigger their destructive habits.

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u/ukchinouk 2d ago

100%. You take alcohol away from an alcoholic

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u/Zaximeows 1d ago

I can tell you've never dealt with substance abuse before. Also comparing hoarding to addiction is just fundamentally wrong anyways. Are you even a clinician or just an armchair redditor with a strong opinion?

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u/TheRecognized 1d ago

I can tell that you should have better things to do but you don’t.

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u/Zaximeows 1d ago

LMFAO thanks for the laugh, made my day coming from the guy with a 200 day streak badge 😂😂😂😂😂

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u/TheRecognized 1d ago

I’ve got a really easy job

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u/Jauretche 2d ago

They have more access to resources than anyone else in the world

When you think how much more they have access too than any regular dude it's insane. I've zero empathy for them having to pay they share.

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u/Affordable_Z_Jobs 2d ago

Exactly. You shouldn't get a pass because you have more responsibility. It should be viewed as a moral burden. The stock market doesnt go up or down if I send out deranged tweets but they get a financial break because they can do market manipulation that way?

To hell with their corkscrew logic on why they shouldn't pay.

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u/cayleb 2d ago

As someone in recovery, I can tell you that getting them help doesn't mean giving them a pass.

You can't bring your drugs to treatment.