Technology Rescues People From Poverty – but It’s Also Coming for Our Jobs

November 01, 2017

WRITER

Glenn just read Dan Brown’s book “Origin,” a novel that uses facts to anchor a science fiction thriller. So obviously, he had some thoughts about our changing world. On today’s show, Glenn shared some predictions for the future, including what robots will mean for our jobs and how rapidly technology will change the world we know now.

Here’s some of what Glenn covered in this segment:

How we should expect more technological change in the next 20 years than in the last 100

Why technology is rescuing countless people from poverty

What the rise of robots will mean for millions of jobs

Why he calls himself an “optimistic catastrophist”

Listen to the above clip to hear Glenn's answers to these questions and more.

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

So I'm going to talk to you, believe it or not, on what matters most. But I want to start with a book that I just finished by Dan Brown. It's called Origin.

I was in the bookstores a couple weeks ago, and I just bought a stack of books. And Origin was one of them.

And I don't even know why -- I've read two fiction books in the last, I don't know, three years. And the -- and those -- both of them have been in the last 45 days. This one, I -- I read. And I wasn't -- I wasn't even really sure why, other than the premise intrigued me, which is a guy like Elon Musk has figured out, you know, where we came from. And says that he can disprove God.

And I thought, "Okay. Let's see where Dan Brown is going with this one." I know it's going to make the Catholic Church look bad. I got that. What else is he going to do?

I urge you to read this book. It's a -- it's a great -- you know, it's a great Dan Brown book. It's in the same spirit as the Da Vinci Code, et cetera, et cetera. You will spend a lot of time on Google looking things up, going, that's not true. Is that true?

And believe me, I spent a lot of time on Google. And a lot of the stuff in it is true. I mean, it's a real faction book, rather than fiction. It's got a lot of truth to it, and you'll learn a lot about history and everything else that you didn't know.

The -- I don't want to wreck this. But the -- the discovery is not so great. However, the point that they make on humanity and how life is going to change. Very early on, you're introduced to an AI that is this Elon Musk's right-hand man.

And nobody even knows he's AI at the beginning. Because he only is calling and talking to people on the phone or on headsets, et cetera, et cetera. And everybody thinks he's a real guy. And early on, you find out that he's not a real guy. He's AI.

And the premise of the book is, there is real trouble coming our way. And I want you to read this book, because it puts it into fiction. But in a way that, if you can get past some of the religion bashing, which I think is not completely over the top -- it's a little annoying at times. But if you can get past that, you will learn a lot on what you should be concerned about.

A friend of mine sent me something from what's called Mauldin Economics. And he -- this writer, this economist is worried about the fragmentation of society, along with a few other things.

He said, lately my life has been completely packed with speeches and meetings and in-depth, often lengthy conversations, and ongoing research. But I'm always asked, what's on the top of your mind? What are you thinking about? What keeps you up at night?

It's become an emotional question for me, because the answer doesn't come easily. It's complex. And more than a little unsettling. It's evolving out of the research and writing that I am doing about the age of transformation.

Now, this guy is -- this guy is -- he's cut from my same cloth. So you would know.

He is not a catastrophist like I am. I always look for the catastrophe in things. I'm the guy who you don't want on the first half of the ride of the Titanic. But you definitely want me, you know, as we're getting the lifeboats.

I'm the guy on the way to the iceberg, going, "This thing is going down. And there's not enough lifeboats." Once we hit the iceberg, I'm like, "We're going to make it. We're going to be fine. Don't worry. Just, everybody get into a lifeboat."

I'm an optimistic catastrophist. And he strikes me as the same kind of guy. And he said, "We're going to see massive technological changes in the next 20 years. We will see more change and improvement in the next 20 years than we've seen in the last 100."

Now, think of that. Remember, it's been almost 18 years, 17 years now since September 11th. It's been 20 years. Think how fast that has gone.

We're going to see more technological change in the next 20 years, I contend in the next ten, than we've seen in the last 100.

He said, let's start with the good news. In 1820, some 94 percent of the world's population lived in extreme poverty. Ninety-four percent of the world's population lived in extreme poverty. By 1990, that figure was 35 percent.

In 2015, the extreme poverty number was only 9.6 percent. Think of that.

Now, what brought us there. Capitalism. When you can go in 1820, to 94 percent of the world, living in extreme poverty, and it had always been that way -- and one thing changes. Freedom comes to the world for the first time. Freedom and security for the first time, under our Constitution.

And now, it's at 9.6? Forty percent of those who remain impoverished live just in two countries, Nigeria and India, both of which are growing rapidly and will see their extreme poverty significantly decrease in the next 20 years.

There is research to show that, on a global basis, the poor are getting richer faster than any other group.

Let me say that again: There is research that shows, on a a global basis, the poor are getting richer faster than any other group.

If you look beyond the US and Europe -- if you don't look beyond the US and Europe, that's not the conclusion you come to. But Africa and Asia, absolutely. The Industrial Age and free market capitalism, for all of its bumps and warts, have lifted more people out of poverty and extended more lives than has any other single development. The collapse of communism has been a great boon to humanity, even if it is still talked about in -- in favorable ways in western universities.

Now, he talks about the collide that is coming because of jobs. Every new robot replaced 5.6 workers in 2007. And every additional robot per 1,000 workers reduced the percentage of total population employed by .34.

Also reduced wages. Every robot by .5 percent. There is a loss coming of 3.4 million jobs by 2025.

Remember, we're talking about industrial robots only. Not all robots. And any software. Especially not AI.

The future of work conclusion that 90 percent of all driving in the US will be transportation as a service, by 2030.

Let me say that again. Ninety percent of all driving in the US will be what's called TAAS. Transportation as a service. Ninety percent of all driving.

That's an Uber service. The good news is that the average family will save $5600 a year in transportation costs, keeping an extra trillion dollars in Americans' pockets. Think of the time that will be freed for activities other than driving, not to mention the traffic jams that will be reduced. The officers believe that freeing time now spent commuting to work, plus faster transport times, will lead to an increase of GDP between 500 million and as much as $2.5 trillion.

Of course, governments will lose as much as 50 billion in gasoline taxes, as we shift to electric engine and alternative forms of power systems. The bad news is a lot of people will lose their incomes. 228,000 auto repair shops in the country, employing 647,000 workers. That's a minimum data from BLS. When a new car will last for a million miles and have fewer than 30 moving parts, what are we going to -- what are we going to do in auto repair jobs?

The auto industry employs 1.25 million people directly, another 7.25 million indirectly. Not all driving jobs will be lost, but the authors estimate that about 5 million jobs, with a reduction in national income of 200 million. And if we need fewer cars, the estimated new vehicle annual unit sales will drop by 70 percent by 2030, to around 5.6 million vehicles, versus the 18 million that will be sold ten years prior in 2020.

So what happens to all of those jobs? He's talking about a massive, massive loss of -- of income and a massive loss of jobs and businesses that are starting to close down.

But then he gets to something that is really disturbing. And that is the fragmentation of our society. We'll get to that in a second.

What our response to Israel reveals about us

JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Contributor | Getty Images

I have been honored to receive the Defender of Israel Award from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The Jerusalem Post recently named me one of the strongest Christian voices in support of Israel.

And yet, my support is not blind loyalty. It’s not a rubber stamp for any government or policy. I support Israel because I believe it is my duty — first as a Christian, but even if I weren’t a believer, I would still support her as a man of reason, morality, and common sense.

Because faith isn’t required to understand this: Israel’s existence is not just about one nation’s survival — it is about the survival of Western civilization itself.

It is a lone beacon of shared values in the Middle East. It is a bulwark standing against radical Islam — the same evil that seeks to dismantle our own nation from within.

And my support is not rooted in politics. It is rooted in something simpler and older than politics: a people’s moral and historical right to their homeland, and their right to live in peace.

Israel has that right — and the right to defend herself against those who openly, repeatedly vow her destruction.

Let’s make it personal: if someone told me again and again that they wanted to kill me and my entire family — and then acted on that threat — would I not defend myself? Wouldn’t you? If Hamas were Canada, and we were Israel, and they did to us what Hamas has done to them, there wouldn’t be a single building left standing north of our border. That’s not a question of morality.

That’s just the truth. All people — every people — have a God-given right to protect themselves. And Israel is doing exactly that.

My support for Israel’s right to finish the fight against Hamas comes after eighty years of rejected peace offers and failed two-state solutions. Hamas has never hidden its mission — the eradication of Israel. That’s not a political disagreement.

That’s not a land dispute. That is an annihilationist ideology. And while I do not believe this is America’s war to fight, I do believe — with every fiber of my being — that it is Israel’s right, and moral duty, to defend her people.

Criticism of military tactics is fair. That’s not antisemitism. But denying Israel’s right to exist, or excusing — even celebrating — the barbarity of Hamas? That’s something far darker.

We saw it on October 7th — the face of evil itself. Women and children slaughtered. Babies burned alive. Innocent people raped and dragged through the streets. And now, to see our own fellow citizens march in defense of that evil… that is nothing short of a moral collapse.

If the chants in our streets were, “Hamas, return the hostages — Israel, stop the bombing,” we could have a conversation.

But that’s not what we hear.

What we hear is open sympathy for genocidal hatred. And that is a chasm — not just from decency, but from humanity itself. And here lies the danger: that same hatred is taking root here — in Dearborn, in London, in Paris — not as horror, but as heroism. If we are not vigilant, the enemy Israel faces today will be the enemy the free world faces tomorrow.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about truth. It’s about the courage to call evil by its name and to say “Never again” — and mean it.

And you don’t have to open a Bible to understand this. But if you do — if you are a believer — then this issue cuts even deeper. Because the question becomes: what did God promise, and does He keep His word?

He told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.” He promised to make Abraham the father of many nations and to give him “the whole land of Canaan.” And though Abraham had other sons, God reaffirmed that promise through Isaac. And then again through Isaac’s son, Jacob — Israel — saying: “The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I give to you and to your descendants after you.”

That’s an everlasting promise.

And from those descendants came a child — born in Bethlehem — who claimed to be the Savior of the world. Jesus never rejected His title as “son of David,” the great King of Israel.

He said plainly that He came “for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And when He returns, Scripture says He will return as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” And where do you think He will go? Back to His homeland — Israel.

Tamir Kalifa / Stringer | Getty Images

And what will He find when He gets there? His brothers — or his brothers’ enemies? Will the roads where He once walked be preserved? Or will they lie in rubble, as Gaza does today? If what He finds looks like the aftermath of October 7th, then tell me — what will be my defense as a Christian?

Some Christians argue that God’s promises to Israel have been transferred exclusively to the Church. I don’t believe that. But even if you do, then ask yourself this: if we’ve inherited the promises, do we not also inherit the land? Can we claim the birthright and then, like Esau, treat it as worthless when the world tries to steal it?

So, when terrorists come to slaughter Israelis simply for living in the land promised to Abraham, will we stand by? Or will we step forward — into the line of fire — and say,

“Take me instead”?

Because this is not just about Israel’s right to exist.

It’s about whether we still know the difference between good and evil.

It’s about whether we still have the courage to stand where God stands.

And if we cannot — if we will not — then maybe the question isn’t whether Israel will survive. Maybe the question is whether we will.

When did Americans start cheering for chaos?

MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND / Contributor | Getty Images

Every time we look away from lawlessness, we tell the next mob it can go a little further.

Chicago, Portland, and other American cities are showing us what happens when the rule of law breaks down. These cities have become openly lawless — and that’s not hyperbole.

When a governor declares she doesn’t believe federal agents about a credible threat to their lives, when Chicago orders its police not to assist federal officers, and when cartels print wanted posters offering bounties for the deaths of U.S. immigration agents, you’re looking at a country flirting with anarchy.

Two dangers face us now: the intimidation of federal officers and the normalization of soldiers as street police. Accept either, and we lose the republic.

This isn’t a matter of partisan politics. The struggle we’re watching now is not between Democrats and Republicans. It’s between good and evil, right and wrong, self‑government and chaos.

Moral erosion

For generations, Americans have inherited a republic based on law, liberty, and moral responsibility. That legacy is now under assault by extremists who openly seek to collapse the system and replace it with something darker.

Antifa, well‑financed by the left, isn’t an isolated fringe any more than Occupy Wall Street was. As with Occupy, big money and global interests are quietly aligned with “anti‑establishment” radicals. The goal is disruption, not reform.

And they’ve learned how to condition us. Twenty‑five years ago, few Americans would have supported drag shows in elementary schools, biological males in women’s sports, forced vaccinations, or government partnerships with mega‑corporations to decide which businesses live or die. Few would have tolerated cartels threatening federal agents or tolerated mobs doxxing political opponents. Yet today, many shrug — or cheer.

How did we get here? What evidence convinced so many people to reverse themselves on fundamental questions of morality, liberty, and law? Those long laboring to disrupt our republic have sought to condition people to believe that the ends justify the means.

Promoting “tolerance” justifies women losing to biological men in sports. “Compassion” justifies harboring illegal immigrants, even violent criminals. Whatever deluded ideals Antifa espouses is supposed to somehow justify targeting federal agents and overturning the rule of law. Our culture has been conditioned for this moment.

The buck stops with us

That’s why the debate over using troops to restore order in American cities matters so much. I’ve never supported soldiers executing civilian law, and I still don’t. But we need to speak honestly about what the Constitution allows and why. The Posse Comitatus Act sharply limits the use of the military for domestic policing. The Insurrection Act, however, exists for rare emergencies — when federal law truly can’t be enforced by ordinary means and when mobs, cartels, or coordinated violence block the courts.

Even then, the Constitution demands limits: a public proclamation ordering offenders to disperse, transparency about the mission, a narrow scope, temporary duration, and judicial oversight.

Soldiers fight wars. Cops enforce laws. We blur that line at our peril.

But we also cannot allow intimidation of federal officers or tolerate local officials who openly obstruct federal enforcement. Both extremes — lawlessness on one side and militarization on the other — endanger the republic.

The only way out is the Constitution itself. Protect civil liberty. Enforce the rule of law. Demand transparency. Reject the temptation to justify any tactic because “our side” is winning. We’ve already seen how fear after 9/11 led to the Patriot Act and years of surveillance.

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

Two dangers face us now: the intimidation of federal officers and the normalization of soldiers as street police. Accept either, and we lose the republic. The left cannot be allowed to shut down enforcement, and the right cannot be allowed to abandon constitutional restraint.

The real threat to the republic isn’t just the mobs or the cartels. It’s us — citizens who stop caring about truth and constitutional limits. Anything can be justified when fear takes over. Everything collapses when enough people decide “the ends justify the means.”

We must choose differently. Uphold the rule of law. Guard civil liberties. And remember that the only way to preserve a government of, by, and for the people is to act like the people still want it.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Stand with Voddie Baucham’s family in this time of loss

In the quiet aftermath of a profound loss, the Christian community mourns the unexpected passing of Dr. Voddie Baucham, a towering figure in evangelical circles. Known for his defense of biblical truth, Baucham, a pastor, author, and theologian, left a legacy on family, faith, and opposing "woke" ideologies in the church. His book Fault Lines challenged believers to prioritize Scripture over cultural trends. Glenn had Voddie on the show several times, where they discussed progressive influences in Christianity, debunked myths of “Christian nationalism,” and urged hope amid hostility.

The shock of Baucham's death has deeply affected his family. Grieving, they remain hopeful in Christ, with his wife, Bridget, now facing the task of resettling in the US without him. Their planned move from Lusaka, Zambia, was disrupted when their home sale fell through last December, resulting in temporary Airbnb accommodations, but they have since secured a new home in Cape Coral that requires renovations. To ensure Voddie's family is taken care of, a fundraiser is being held to raise $2 million, which will be invested for ongoing support, allowing Bridget to focus on her family.

We invite readers to contribute prayerfully. If you feel called to support the Bauchams in this time of need, you can click here to donate.

We grieve and pray with hope for the Bauchams.

May Voddie's example inspire us.

Overcoming loneliness: Connecting in a disconnected world

Loneliness isn’t just being alone — it’s feeling unseen, unheard, and unimportant, even amid crowds and constant digital chatter.

Loneliness has become an epidemic in America. Millions of people, even when surrounded by others, feel invisible. In tragic irony, we live in an age of unparalleled connectivity, yet too many sit in silence, unseen and unheard.

I’ve been experiencing this firsthand. My children have grown up and moved out. The house that once overflowed with life now echoes with quiet. Moments that once held laughter now hold silence. And in that silence, the mind can play cruel games. It whispers, “You’re forgotten. Your story doesn’t matter.”

We are unique in our gifts, but not in our humanity. Recognizing this shared struggle is how we overcome loneliness.

It’s a lie.

I’ve seen it in others. I remember sitting at Rockefeller Center one winter, watching a woman lace up her ice skates. Her clothing was worn, her bag battered. Yet on the ice, she transformed — elegant, alive, radiant.

Minutes later, she returned to her shoes, merged into the crowd, unnoticed. I’ve thought of her often. She was not alone in her experience. Millions of Americans live unseen, performing acts of quiet heroism every day.

Shared pain makes us human

Loneliness convinces us to retreat, to stay silent, to stop reaching out to others. But connection is essential. Even small gestures — a word of encouragement, a listening ear, a shared meal — are radical acts against isolation.

I’ve learned this personally. Years ago, a caller called me “Mr. Perfect.” I could have deflected, but I chose honesty. I spoke of my alcoholism, my failed marriage, my brokenness. I expected judgment. Instead, I found resonance. People whispered back, “I’m going through the same thing. Thank you for saying it.”

Our pain is universal. Everyone struggles with self-doubt and fear. Everyone feels, at times, like a fraud. We are unique in our gifts, but not in our humanity. Recognizing this shared struggle is how we overcome loneliness.

We were made for connection. We were built for community — for conversation, for touch, for shared purpose. Every time we reach out, every act of courage and compassion punches a hole in the wall of isolation.

You’re not alone

If you’re feeling alone, know this: You are not invisible. You are seen. You matter. And if you’re not struggling, someone you know is. It’s your responsibility to reach out.

Loneliness is not proof of brokenness. It is proof of humanity. It is a call to engage, to bear witness, to connect. The world is different because of the people who choose to act. It is brighter when we refuse to be isolated.

We cannot let silence win. We cannot allow loneliness to dictate our lives. Speak. Reach out. Connect. Share your gifts. By doing so, we remind one another: We are all alike, and yet each of us matters profoundly.

In this moment, in this country, in this world, what we do matters. Loneliness is real, but so is hope. And hope begins with connection.