What I gathered from this reading was Marx trying to grapple with how automation/ machines/ robots would affect capitalism. Amazingly, this piece was written over 150 years ago and we are now reaching a time in society where automation, robots, and AI are taking over a lot of labour jobs. I believe this piece tries to argue that automation would bring about the end of capitalism because once these jobs have been taken, society will develop new means of social thought and cooperation outside of the capitalist framework that we are bound by today.

This discussion reminds me a lot of Andrew Yang's "Universal Basic Income" platorm point. The concept that every American adult would recieve $1000/ month. Although regarded as the "Freedom Dividend" as to relieve extreme poverty, stress, and increase bargaining power for workers. However, complete automation is something that is also considered in an UBI proposal especially for those who will lose jobs from it. I have read up about systems where the profit made from complete automation would contribute to a UBI and that there are pilot programs for this happening in the UK and Canada. Considering how fast that technology is advancing, I feel the urgency of creating and working on legislation in this area to beneift those being affected.