Two feasible future scenarios: a high-tech utopia -- and a high-tech dystopia

Two different far future scenarios are discussed: Both have a highly automated manufacturing sector with a small workforce, and a large labour-intensive service sector. The first, �utopian� scenario is inspired by the Marxian vision, with some important modifications: Limits to consumption still exists, certain goods and services are still exchanged in a market. It is argued that the Marxian utopia is a useful �asymptote� to strive for, even if it can never be reached. The second, �dystopian� scenario has few workers in manufacturing just like the first. Manufacturing, and the much larger service/servant sector, is run on authoritarian capitalist lines. It is argued that profit rates can be sustained indefinitely in such an economy. The current worldwide attempts from corporations to take over service activities that have until now been in the public sector domain is discussed in the light of this