Bucky figured out most of the problems we would be facing about now, and many of the solutions. He pointed out that, if we used our technology to efficiently supply our needs, we would be able to work for about two years and then retire having paid for our the rest of our lives during those two years. This would be possible starting sometime in the '70s. The important thing to remember about Bucky is that he was an engineer. A real one, not a software "engineer" (like me), and he calculated what he talked about. He was not a philosopher.
If you're relatively successful, this isn't too far off from reality. If for example you make $75k after taxes, your living expenses is $25k, and you invest the rest with a 8% return, you can retire after 10 years and have a safe withdraw rate of 3.5% (equaling 25k) in perpetuity.
