One very interesting question is how capitalism will respond to the automatisation of the service sector, which is inevitable? Where will it pool the surplus labor? When productivity increases rapidly at the expense of a market sector, it could produce a situation where we have an abundance of goods and no consumers. There are 3 potential strategies to employ for them. 1. Stop technological progress (unlikely). 2. Install some sort of "Bread'n'Circus" welfare society built on imperialism and cloth in some "progressive" ideology (likely). 3. Eliminate the surplus labor (unlikely).
2. Install some sort of "Bread'n'Circus" welfare society built on imperialism and cloth in some "progressive" ideology (likely). Indeed the most likely option in my opinion too. Actually, we already see this tendency forming, if we observe the concept of the welfare state. However, the capitalists will never give the underclass more crumbs from their table than they have to, nor does capitalism produce more than is profitable. Therefore as long as capitalism exists, so will an artificial and unnecessary state of material scarcity for the vast majority of the people. We wont see a truly equal society, as long as the price system is in place.
No, but most people does actually not care for equality - they just want a "better" material standard - and does not give a damn about who is in charge of the means of production unless it is a crisis. The thing with an automated society (under PS conditions) is that we could see a general unemployment level of 20-30%. Then we could end up with some "socialist" or "green" system controlled by the bourgeoisie.
