Is 3D printing heralding further losses in Manufacturing Jobs and Will this lead to more Social Unrest in the Future?

I have posted a number of links at the end of this article to some sites where you can see what they are doing now, at the beginning of this 'new' technology.  And as I was looking through them last week, in between digesting all the news of the riots and their aftermath I started to think what 3D printing might do in relation to the job markets across the world!

One of the issues that people have said about the rioters, including me, is that they are an 'underclass' within society, created because they have been left in a financial wilderness by politicians because they either will not work or they cannot work or they do not have the skills or the education to allow them to work.

Another reason has also been that there has been a steady downturn in the number of manufacturing jobs available to the population as a whole over the last 40 years and it seems to me that the small number of jobs still available, may well get even smaller with the advent of this technology as it becomes increasingly available to the manufacturing industry.  Or will it?

Lets face it, there is no point in manufacturing goods if no one has the money to buy them and if the masses are unable to go out to work to earn money, who, other than those who are already rich will be able to afford to buy anything.  And while we recognise that there are more and more rich people in the world surely these are always going to be outnumbered by the clamouring classes who are poor!

When I was growing up in my hometown of Coatbridge in Scotland it was expected, no, it was known, that I would end up in one of the many steel works or knitwear factories that the town was famous for.  I know there were dozens of them, because I trawled around most of them as a kid with my home made cart with bottle crates on them asking the workers for their empty pop bottles, which I could then take to the shop and claim the refund, between that and biking between weddings for the 'scramble' on Saturday mornings was a great (and most times) the only source of pocket money we had, as we were an economically (not deprived) challenged family.  But as I got closer and closer to 15 and leaving school all these factories and steel works started to close down in the late 60's heading into the 70's and for many like me, there were only two ways you could go, Military Service or the Dole. I chose the former , but many of my peers chose the latter and the downward spiral into alcoholism as a bottle of Buckie was relatively cheap and as I understand it today there is as much controversy around it now as there was then!

So, will manufacturers adopt the new technology or will they be bribed by governments not to?  Or will they recognise that if there are no people in jobs and earning money to buy the goods that they produce, then there is little point in adopting it?  Only time is going to answer those questions but it may be time we haven't got judging by the riots and the comments from the "I want" brigade who instead of continuing to say "I Want" are now going out and becoming criminal arsonists who are prepared to now "just take" what they want and damn the consequences!

Have a look at the links below, surely it is only a matter of time now before these machines are super sized and developed to the stage where they can produce fully working parts and full size bits of cars and machines and surely will not be good for those employed directly in manufacturing, the economy and all peoples while we still rely on a monetary driven society?

 What do you think?

Best Wishes

Wikipedia    3D Ball Bearings  3D Motorcycle Aeroplane created using a 3D printer in world first: Scientists create aircraft with 100mph max speed | Mail Online  3D body Parts