>>No one is out of a job
You missed the point.
Frankly, it is an insult to the trades to assign them to pushing buttons. They have value beyond that, but the process doesn't really allow for it at that point.
The reason I brought it up is very simple. Believe it or not - I have much better things I could be doing with that piece of equipment than whatever it is you have it doing - unless it is some kind of single-stage, special purpose machine made just for the process at hand. I have designs and inventions which the company has no interest in pursuing or confidence in venturing. I am sure you are paid and have plenty of accolades to your value to society, and it's cute - but quaint.
I am far from the only one this applies to. I would absolutely LOVE to have some of that high end industrial equipment.
Of course, if I worked my entire life and never spent a penny of that income, I would still not be able to afford that piece of equipment. Maybe I could pick it up at auction - but realistically, the only way I get started is with a substantial loan and appeal before capital investors.
In theory, this is good, but most of these people are kind of stupid. The theory of capital investment screening out bad projects should prevent … Well, most of what society had become. From those gilette commercials to most of sony's movies to the policies of google and facebook.
So - forgive me for not having much faith in the capacity of people, looking to add businesses to their spreadsheet, to understand the nuances of a proposal or anything other than what kind of profit they will be receiving. If I were to approach them with, say, cold fusion - what do you think would happen?
I am not saying I have it - but what I am saying is that the motivations of capital investors are not the production of a product in demand or a satisfied customer. These people have a large influence on who survives and who dies as not only employees, but as businesses, as well.
They don't control everything, but they have a good sniper's nest camped out and can put down most who poke their head up for too long.