I don't know the source, so it's hard for me to comment but logically the problem as stated is plausible. i.e. legacy debt preventing the move to more efficient methods.
However, the conclusion i.e. therefore replace humans with humanoid robots does not. And then tacking on unionization is just a different subject altogether. You can staff some aspects of a factory with robots and the human's work shifts from production to maintenance. I've talked to automation people and robots can be very problematic and something "advanced" I would imagine much more so.
Although not recent, some referred to the robots as "Bob" blind one-arm builders. If very well calibrated and designed for a specific task, they can be ok, except when they go wrong. To think some "AI" driven general purpose robot is going to substantially replace human labor any time soon... I very seriously doubt that. Especially with that kook as leadership.
You are right no one would invest in that. To be a real start-up plan, you need future projections built in. No one is going to invest in a static gold-pooping rate. If you can scale that production year over year, now you have an investable project.
I assume the bigger problem is the switch to a wartime economy that has no good outcome. All that production is not going toward future productivity, in fact, quite the opposite. I am no expert in this but that's my view.
I don't know if China can afford to cut off Russia but it looks like they control enough of that income pie that it's a very effective threat. Maybe not full control “vassal state” but it's a pretty strong position for negotiations and how's that going to get weaker over time? Then again I've heard China's economy isn't that great right now.
What's the media going to report on? Outrage click bait or someone average saying average things? Not to say extremist are not real but extremists are disproportionately reported compared to majority views which skews our perceptions. How much is done on purpose or as a result of the news business, I can't judge but biased sources pick up on the parts they like and amplify them or even manipulate them to tell the story that want to tell.
I do truly believe that for the vast majority of people, we are closer in that the things we collectively believe than we do not. But it doesn't take many devoted people to whip up a mindless mob.
Elon Musk bets Tesla on Optimus, says over 1,000 robots working in factories next year ( electrek.co )
Elon is the gift that keeps on giving. He's decided that because it's Friday, we should all have a pile in....
Tesla claims it has 2 Optimus humanoid robots working autonomously in factory ( electrek.co )
The problem with GIMP ( www.spacebar.news )
Russia-China gas pipeline deal stalls over what Moscow says Beijing's unreasonable price demands in major blow for Putin ( www.reuters.com )
Here is the paywalled article...
Google Chrome’s plan to limit ad blocking extensions kicks off next week ( arstechnica.com )
Trump supporters call for riots and violent retribution after verdict ( www.reuters.com )
The inside story of Elon Musk’s mass firings of Tesla Supercharger staff ( finance.yahoo.com )
Archive.org link...