Post: #1

I did a search and didn't find any threads focusing on this specific topic, I find a lot of historical skills interesting that were forgotten or became obsolete due to technology and other factors. It's easy to understand these days how many jobs for men can feel meaningless or detached from any sort of production, creativity, or masculine tradition. I respect the comments from older posters talking about how numerous basic life skills aren't being passed down anymore, and I think it goes even deeper than just parents.

Schooling and media almost seem to look down on self-sufficiency or traditional male professions that involve violence, risk, and labour. Cue Fight Club speech. I've posted a couple older videos that today would certainly generate shaming from PC critics:


If you grew up in Canada during the 80's or early 90's, you probably remember this first video. Seeing the last man just floating down the river stuck with me since I was a kid, and the song also has some game truths.




This next clip is longer but the highlights are in the first 6 minutes. Men could take anywhere from 20 mins to 20 hrs at sea to kill a single whale, dealing with storms, overturned boats, sharks and potential fires from rope friction. Check the Nantucket Sleighride.




I may develop these ideas further in the future, didn't want to make my first post too long, just want to spur discussion on some of the following:

What effects will this have on future generations?
What will be considered essential knowledge to preserve?

Also post any trades/skills from the past that you admire or that exemplify traditional masculinity

Post: #2

most of my male friends have become male escorts who get fucked in their asses. i am the only alpha male left in the group. funny how life turns out, huh?

Post: #3

Self driving cars will make alot of drivers unemployed.

Post: #4

Surely it can only go so far before society begins to implode? Think Luddites.

Agriculture also comes to mind. Barely two generations ago a small farm would employ two dozen workmen. A generation ago it was half a dozen tractor drivers. Now it's one tractor driver and the boss. Completely autonomous tractors now exist and it is only legislation which prevents their wholesale use.

How are those being made redundant due to technology going to afford the products produced by the robots that replaced them?

Post: #5

These jobs haven't 'disappeared' at all. Its just that people are so disconnected from rural and remote regions of their countries that they don't cross paths with these folks anymore. Scotian, on this forum, is a canadian thats done work in the oilsands. Western Canadian oil work has been around for a long time and is booming.

Myself, I worked in Canadian logging and tree planting camps for 15 years, bears, bad weather, people dying, getting limbs severed. Go and fire up "sometimes a great notion" with Paul Newman on netflix. West coast logging is still like that today.

Yes, these operations employ fewer workers than they did 40 years ago but they can't find enough people to fill the positions today because school guidance counsellors with a degree in social studies push everyone to university and claim these jobs are extinct. These jobs need high school or 2 year college and balls to do, thats it.

Post: #6

(06-02-2013 02:11 AM)ao85 Wrote:  Self driving cars will make alot of drivers unemployed.

I don't know if that's necessarily true, but I think we could see a lot of low wage overseers for those positions.

Post: #7

In Brooklyn at least, no more "dock workers".

Also a lot less mafia, the mafia was wild in the 1980's/early 90's in my neighborhood...

Post: #8

(06-02-2013 09:46 AM)TheCaptainPower Wrote:  In Brooklyn at least, no more "dock workers".

Also a lot less mafia, the mafia was wild in the 1980's/early 90's in my neighborhood...

Yeah, I watched the 2nd season of The Wire, and it revolved around the Stevedores union losing jobs as safer technology takes over. I'm sure we'll see fewer manual labour jobs as robots are put in place.

Maybe this will create even more of a status/price gulf between products made on a mass scale and those with a human touch?

I was talking with a independent tailor last year and he said he was closing up shop, like many others of his generation. However, we're also seeing the rise in demand for partially custom suits in our younger generation, with services like Indochino, so it could also be an issue of access and ability to satisfy a global market.

Post: #9

(06-02-2013 08:39 AM)TheKantian Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 02:11 AM)ao85 Wrote:  Self driving cars will make alot of drivers unemployed.

I don't know if that's necessarily true, but I think we could see a lot of low wage overseers for those positions.

It's really fascinating to think of the implications of Google's self-driving cars. Will our future look like Minority Report? I also watched a science program about how Volkswagen is working on advanced crash detection systems (i.e. in case a child runs out on to the street) that was actually inspired from the visual recognition instincts of insects.

Could we we see a rise in men manually racing cars purely for sport, enjoying the thrill if they didn't have to get frustrated during their daily commute?

I agree with ao85 that we could see a lot of drivers unemployed as the technology gets safer. But I think at a certain point you'd have one human monitoring many cars, almost like a vehicle traffic controller, just to make sure everything is behaving per usual.

Here's a good breakdown, even if some claims seem exaggerated: http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/20...trillions/

Post: #10

(06-02-2013 07:51 AM)roberto Wrote:  Surely it can only go so far before society begins to implode? Think Luddites.

Agriculture also comes to mind. Barely two generations ago a small farm would employ two dozen workmen. A generation ago it was half a dozen tractor drivers. Now it's one tractor driver and the boss. Completely autonomous tractors now exist and it is only legislation which prevents their wholesale use.

How are those being made redundant due to technology going to afford the products produced by the robots that replaced them?

This is something that puzzles me. There will be no jobs and shit loads of people. Maybe the conspiracy people are right and they'll start culling us all!

Post: #11

A mason is definitely a dying breed across Canada.... Hard work but you can make a fortune now since there aren't many left

Post: #12

(12-09-2013 03:53 PM)Teedub Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 07:51 AM)roberto Wrote:  Surely it can only go so far before society begins to implode? Think Luddites.

Agriculture also comes to mind. Barely two generations ago a small farm would employ two dozen workmen. A generation ago it was half a dozen tractor drivers. Now it's one tractor driver and the boss. Completely autonomous tractors now exist and it is only legislation which prevents their wholesale use.

How are those being made redundant due to technology going to afford the products produced by the robots that replaced them?

This is something that puzzles me. There will be no jobs and shit loads of people. Maybe the conspiracy people are right and they'll start culling us all!

Haha, you remembered this thread after reading one from today (can't remember which one but I did the same)? That was my first post on here

There was an excellent thread a couple of months ago that delved into the consequences of such a future, such as cheap drugs to keep the masses stupid. One quote from a poster that sticks in my mind was 'this is why right wing governments still vote for benefit increases'. It keeps the plebs from revolt. Keep them in their blue pill world, on cheap alcohol, rubbish foods and naff TV.

It would be well worth resurrecting that thread if it can be found?

Edit- I think it was the thread about McDonalds not paying their workers 'enough to live'

Post: #13

(12-09-2013 04:02 PM)BIGINJAPAN Wrote:  A mason is definitely a dying breed across Canada.... Hard work but you can make a fortune now since there aren't many left

There will always be a need for highly skilled labor. No where in the near future will robots be able to lay a foundation or frame a house. Probably will a machine be able to rebuild a car.

Notice I said highly skilled. A lot of men are lacking the drive to stay competitive in the markets. The day you come complacent is the day you face layoff's. I noticed a lot of this working offshore. Companies offer training, but old school dudes just want to get off the rig and fuck off, as most of the schooling is offered during the off rotation. There's still mech's around here that refuse to use diagnostic software on new vehicles. Then they bitch when the younger guys get a raise and out earn.

Guys that sucked it up and trained diversified their skills list, and had more mobility to move upwards, or to another company. Tech is moving so quick now we have no choice. Companies now are looking for jacks of all trades to cover more in the skills pool.


I'm grossly behind on my certification tree. Gotta get busy next year or I'll be 'that' guy making $10 hr building starters in emechs shop.

Post: #14

(12-09-2013 04:11 PM)roberto Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 03:53 PM)Teedub Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 07:51 AM)roberto Wrote:  Surely it can only go so far before society begins to implode? Think Luddites.

Agriculture also comes to mind. Barely two generations ago a small farm would employ two dozen workmen. A generation ago it was half a dozen tractor drivers. Now it's one tractor driver and the boss. Completely autonomous tractors now exist and it is only legislation which prevents their wholesale use.

How are those being made redundant due to technology going to afford the products produced by the robots that replaced them?

This is something that puzzles me. There will be no jobs and shit loads of people. Maybe the conspiracy people are right and they'll start culling us all!

Haha, you remembered this thread after reading one from today (can't remember which one but I did the same)? That was my first post on here

There was an excellent thread a couple of months ago that delved into the consequences of such a future, such as cheap drugs to keep the masses stupid. One quote from a poster that sticks in my mind was 'this is why right wing governments still vote for benefit increases'. It keeps the plebs from revolt. Keep them in their blue pill world, on cheap alcohol, rubbish foods and naff TV.

It would be well worth resurrecting that thread if it can be found?

Edit- I think it was the thread about McDonalds not paying their workers 'enough to live'

Haha, yeah I'm trying to figure out how I came to it! That's an interesting point, and I'll try to find the thread and bump it.

Post: #15

(12-09-2013 03:53 PM)Teedub Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 07:51 AM)roberto Wrote:  Surely it can only go so far before society begins to implode? Think Luddites.

Agriculture also comes to mind. Barely two generations ago a small farm would employ two dozen workmen. A generation ago it was half a dozen tractor drivers. Now it's one tractor driver and the boss. Completely autonomous tractors now exist and it is only legislation which prevents their wholesale use.

How are those being made redundant due to technology going to afford the products produced by the robots that replaced them?

This is something that puzzles me. There will be no jobs and shit loads of people. Maybe the conspiracy people are right and they'll start culling us all!

I think it was in a Michio Kaku video I was watching recently about the future, that made passing mention of this.

If we truly reach a point where robotics and automation replace the majority of human workers, society will have to massively restructure to provide a form a welfare for the majority.

Post: #16

Anyone get the chance to take trade-type classes in high school? Automotives, woodworking and welding were all once options where I went, but were phased out for electronic music and dance/drama classes. Don't see why they culled that stuff, it really inspires a sense of accomplishment in young men. You get assigned to build something, and your resultant product is a direct result of how much work you put in. Only classes that really reflect that now in high school is math, physics and chemistry now, which isn't exactly "hands on."

Post: #17

Quote:Anyone get the chance to take trade-type classes in high school? Automotives, woodworking and welding were all once options where I went, but were phased out for electronic music and dance/drama classes. Don't see why they culled that stuff, it really inspires a sense of accomplishment in young men. You get assigned to build something, and your resultant product is a direct result of how much work you put in. Only classes that really reflect that now in high school is math, physics and chemistry now, which isn't exactly "hands on."

Yeah I had automotive, wood and metal shop, welding, electronics. My cousin just graduated and he said they have a robot welder and some CNC and good CAD programs there now.

Some guys I went to school with took the welding courses and then dropped out after grade 10 (earliest allowed by law) and went working the pipeline. They would show up to parties with new trucks and a stack of cash.

I know some patternmakers that are having a hard go. Concrete guys are making serious bank and the ironworkers are gearing up for some big jobs. Skilled trades are cyclical.

Post: #18

I don't think ive ever seen an actual butcher more than a few times in my life.

From what I understand, there used to be one on most busy street corners that serviced the whole neighborhood.

Now we have Costco doing that.

Post: #19

Still quite a few butchers where I live.

Post: #20

Butchers in the UK are still going strong. Two in my small town.

Post: #21

(12-10-2013 03:55 PM)roberto Wrote:  Butchers in the UK are still going strong. Two in my small town.

If you're in Yorkshire, they're probably Halal!

Post: #22

I once worked for a guy who was a welder but also a certified blacksmith , I don't think there's many of those around these days.

Post: #23

(12-10-2013 04:01 PM)Teedub Wrote:  

(12-10-2013 03:55 PM)roberto Wrote:  Butchers in the UK are still going strong. Two in my small town.

If you're in Yorkshire, they're probably Halal!

Haha, no, I'm darn sarf mate!

You joke, but a very high percentage of meat produced for commercial catering in the public sector (schools, prisons, NHS etc) is Halal by default. I believe around 25% of all meat nationally is Halal. All the budget chicken is Halal in the local cash and carry.

Islam accounts for 4.8% of the UK population, so it's far exceeding demand.

A lot of the cheap chicken is from abroad, so it could well be that they are just slaughtering as cheap as possible with a bloke and an axe in some third world shithole, under the guise of meeting a demand in the UK.

Post: #24

^ Could be that. Or... it could be that when Muslims are accidentally served non-Halal, they scream, shout and threaten violence to catering staff at schools! Even when it's a 'multi faith' one...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...chool.html

Quote:‘The school have failed the children,' one parent said yesterday. ‘How did this meal get into the school system to be fed to the children?

Oh for heaven's (pun intended) sake grow up you zealot! Haven't you got more to worry about than what fucking food the school is serving.

Anyway, it's all been resolved:

Quote:All 1,400 students at Moseley School are served Halal meat only

Diversity eh.