Also, maybe eventually the farmer finds another machine that does even better work, except he himself isn’t smart enough to run it. But his neighbor is, and eventually buys enough to buy the farmers land. Soon instead of hundreds of famers with their own machines, you have a dozen.
I’m not sure if the point I was making, such as it was, reduces down to the same “This leads to less people needed per machine, and the replaced people can’t easily go elsewhere,” or if there is a fundamental difference with the farmer not being able to pass on his land & occupation and no longer having a stake in the process.
Also, maybe eventually the farmer finds another machine that does even better work, except he himself isn’t smart enough to run it. But his neighbor is, and eventually buys enough to buy the farmers land. Soon instead of hundreds of famers with their own machines, you have a dozen.
Taking an analogy too literally, I think. :-P
I’m not sure if the point I was making, such as it was, reduces down to the same “This leads to less people needed per machine, and the replaced people can’t easily go elsewhere,” or if there is a fundamental difference with the farmer not being able to pass on his land & occupation and no longer having a stake in the process.