What is the purpose of replacing man with machines?

People saying there isn't enough work for everyone..yet, machines are being used to replace people. Even grocery stores are using self serve check outs. So, are we helping to make things worse for people by supposedly having progress again?

Those who sell things are in it for the money
Machines are cheaper than people

That is the sad inhuman cold hard fact

The rich and super rich don't care about jobs
They care about stock price and bottom line

and they have this GREAT DEAL....where we tax the huge demographic of the working middle class to pay for those who don't work

Ask any Wal-mart employee how short staffed they are compared to 10 years ago
Not old Sam Waltons company any more
and his 3 kids are 3 of the richest people in the world....the stock has gone up over $20 a share in like 6 years....by cutting cost....which is people

And K-marts look like a Ghost town in Bosnia

Making things worse...maybe...
as most problems in society...we let them happen by just
trying to be good people
and as most problems in society...for the source
just follow the money

I've been giving your answer some thought... wondering... what would you do to change it and set things a little more right?
Would it even make a difference if people stopped using self check outs or other things that are replacing people in jobs?

I think it would make a HUGE difference if we stopped using self-checkout lanes. For one thing, stores would be forced to admit that service matters, and hire more people. Consequently, their employees would become more valuable to them, which may even entice them to give them better benefits, including health care.

That is a tough one....
But at walmart if the lines get too long
they just call other workers out of other departments to be cashiers....lol...
so they already thought of that

In the end you are helping the other workers
(not cashiers).....by using the self check out

In a Utopian society we might share work hours
and spend less to live......and have more free time

Or we might as a society .....we might mandate
governments to some how sanction Companies
that don't have enough workers merely due to bottom line greed.....and incentives for those that do a good job

BUT....Governments always screw things up through bureaucratic patronage or favoritism

...lol...hell that is what eventually drives governments....especially those with lobby systems

and then society in general views achievement
as only a personal selfish thing

So.....How do you motivate individuals and societies and governments to be different???

Once again......the Rich and powerful have been
on step ahead of the masses....
Because they have been motivating and manipulating individuals, societies and governments.....since the beginning...Right?

It would take a very large , very determined
cooperative effort to create any worthwhile change.....

Hey.....this soap box won't hold me gonna climb off now.....and listen for feed back

Maybe in the end.....to keep working
you just have to be hungry enough...or greedy enough...or both

and too self righteous to turn to charity or crime

Or learn how to build and maintain the machines.....that take the jobs from others

HHHhhhhmmmmmmm?????

Thinking this over... many business don't seem to have a real interest in their employees.. they have their applications online, do phone interviews and whatnot... seems to me, people are trying to cut out the personal touch as much as possible.
Now, most places are hiring less than full time.. even if it's only ten hours a week less, they don't have to give anything extra.. bonuses or benefits.
Is it me or is it mainly bigger business that seem to be replacing people with machines?

"So.....How do you motivate individuals and societies and governments to be different???"
I have no idea and would really like to know... Maybe a swift kick in the butt?   

Well farmers buy machines to save labor

and just in my life time the work for Ranch or farm hands has dwindled quite a bit

It's like 10 jobs on one big farm ....where there used to be 1 or 2 jobs on 40 little farms

But yes ....I agree that the bigger corporations

that sell stock are the worst for giving a darn about employees......they are just a cost

But Skilled labor that works for companies
that make money from their labor.....still try to keep employees happy....after all they make money on their ability...like Carpenters,Plumbers,
Masons, Oil Field workers.....and many in the Medical Field

...as far as....
"So.....How do you motivate individuals and societies and governments to be different???"

Things/tricks like in WW2 used to get the population to back the war effort

ON BOTH....Sides

Propaganda.....both subtle and in your face

Cripes....we have a Black President(no judgment intended just an example) in a country
that 30 years ago had segregation
Whites in Boston had riots when they tried to implement bussing ...YES LIBERAL Boston ,Mass.

SO....how did they pull that(a black president) off ?(again no judgement...just an example)

How did they pull that off?
People are just more enlightened and tolerant
now a days????? REALLY??

Changing the publics view is an art and science
you can learn in college......and they have been perfecting it for over 5000 years

NOW.....ask your self?
Who cares(has a vested interest) about workers enough to start and pay for an intensive campaign of attrition to make sure everyone
has a happy job?

And ask your self
Are we as people of society in competition
with......each other?

Fish in a barrel?

I'll start with your last question. Yes, we are taught to compete at very early ages. Board games, school gym class, sports, grades, skills, jobs, wages, beauty pageants, homes and possessions, baked goods, music... seriously, I believe just about everything has winners, losers and those in between.. that just about everything is a competition... and I still don't see why competition is supposedly needed so much... over working together.

"NOW.....ask your self?
Who cares(has a vested interest) about workers enough to start and pay for an intensive campaign of attrition to make sure everyone
has a happy job?"
Does anyone really care, except some little people who have no real power?

Maybe not....Little people that have NO power
need an advocate....or to work together
at the grass roots level
and find advocates.....

No judgment or offense intended
But .....the Blacks....The Latinos
.....the gays.....and feminist all did it

I see your point... just not sure where one would even start.