Forum Post: creating jobs?

What if we simply don't need everyone to work to provide ALL of the goods and services needed by our society?

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-09-07/opinion/rushkoff.jobs.obsolete_1_toll-collectors-robots-jobs?_s=PM:OPINION

I just re-read a 1952, yes 1952! novel by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. "Player Piano" about a society where machines do ALL the work. Nobody is particularly happy - Engineers and Managers get to do some work and are the upper elite part of society. Workers are no longer needed and are either in the Army or Reconstruction and Reclamation Corp (Reeks and Wrecks) and ALL of their needs/wants are taken care of, to a degree higher than when they were workers. It kinda reminds me of Louis CK's routine of "Everything is amazing and nobody is happy!"

So, are we there yet? or on the way? It's only a theory that a capitalistic economy keeps growing to provide a (good) job for everyone who wants one. We had 25 years of population growth (250 million in 1980 to 300 million in 2005) which hides a crumbling foundation because with growing population more and more "stuff" is needed. But if a society doesn't grow it's population, how is it even theoretical to have ever increasing GDP - at some point don't we have all the "stuff" we need? And with efficiency and technology isn't all our "stuff" lasting longer before needing replacement?

With amazing productivity gains, why aren't we ALL (including 1% wealthy CEO's) working 20 or 25 hours per week and spending lots more time playing with our kids and going to the beach?

Lastly, a government cannot create jobs with money (taxes) that are first taken out of the economy and then put back in the economy. Even worse, they can't do it with borrowed money. A government CAN make it easier or more difficult for businesses to be established and grow, so if there are policies that are making it difficult, those need to be closely examined and reversed ASAP