Wealth isn't zero-sum. Your friends who got laid off had their jobs automated. Now what will happen, is they will go to other parts of the economy and add value where they are more needed. Total economic output has just increased and the world economy is now slightly more productive (same number of people making more stuff). You can't protest against your friends losing their jobs in this instance and not do the same for every previous technological invention going back to the wheel, all of which put someone out of a job. Because what you'd be advocating for is a lot of suffering and misery, in the form of material poverty.
If you want to protest against a lack of social policies contributing to wealth inequality, then just do that.
> All while you of course will still pay full price for whatever they offer.
Wealth isn't zero-sum. Your friends who got laid off had their jobs automated. Now what will happen, is they will go to other parts of the economy and add value where they are more needed. Total economic output has just increased and the world economy is now slightly more productive (same number of people making more stuff). You can't protest against your friends losing their jobs in this instance and not do the same for every previous technological invention going back to the wheel, all of which put someone out of a job. Because what you'd be advocating for is a lot of suffering and misery, in the form of material poverty.
If you want to protest against a lack of social policies contributing to wealth inequality, then just do that.
> All while you of course will still pay full price for whatever they offer.
It's far cheaper.