I'd really love to see a Universal Basic Income implemented. Partly because I think it would fantastic if everyone was free to pursue their avocations. I love the idea of the explosion of creativity it would create. I also love that all of the industries and people who rely on low wage workers but regularly dump on them would suddenly be screwed. "Sorry Martha, you're going to have to wait 2 hours for that latte. All the baristas you like to scream at because they don't foam your milk correctly have left to pursue their dreams. Guess you'll have to learn how to do it yourself!"
"Gee, sorry. We are unable to open this big box store. All of our workers left us. Something about "fuck your slave wages".
Ahhh. A girl can dream.
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9 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I have some agreement with it. Here is a podcast from Sam Harris were he does a talk and interview about it: [samharris.org]
gsiamne
Level 8
July 8, 2018
2
I agree. More and more vacancies in the arts are being filled by the middle classes because they're the only ones who can afford to do it.
Ellatynemouth
Level 8
July 8, 2018
3
I suspect this may become necessary anyway since more and more workers will eventually be replaced by automation, robots, and A.I. I wouldn't be surprised if the teaching profession is eventually taken over by A.I.
Hermit
Level 7
July 8, 2018
5
No jobs and no income makes for a shitty economy. Who is going to buy what the robots make?
I wonder if a lifetime subsistence dividend for every citizen could be implemented. It would be funded by a massive public trust fund invested in stocks and bonds. Every social program could be eliminated along with taxes and public debt.
It’s not all that far-fetched—Alaska has its permanent fund. Canada funds pensions that way. Norway has something like that.
From a national perspective, having to do work is a liability. As time goes by there’ll be more robots and less need for labor, but the bounty from those robots will need to be distributed somehow. Just think of the free time for hobbies, education, relaxation, socializing, etc. For those hell-bent on getting rich, they still could. (Those people are society’s drones BTW)
WilliamFleming
Level 8
July 8, 2018
3
That is a nice thought too. Don't forget that the things we like to do are work as well, however. How many of us would teach, write, create public art, volunteer at old folks homes or pet shelters. These things are work that society needs and makes life better but so many of us are just scrambling to survive.
The guaranteed income was proposed by Milton Friedman in his 1962 book "Capitalism and Freedom". There's not much that Professor Friedman, the godfather of our all-volunteer military, got wrong during his distinguished career.
Friedman's idea was to replace the current welfare system, not add on to it. And of course we couldn't afford a guaranteed income for the whole world, so we would first have to control the borders of the USA, which one of our two major political parties seems to be opposed to doing. So while the guaranteed income is probably a good idea, I don't expect it to be adopted any time soon.
doug6352
Level 7
July 8, 2018
0
I think Norway tried this recently (maybe in the last 5 years) and it failed.
How would you fund it here in the USA? Basically everyone gets a welfare check?
bigpawbullets
Level 9
July 8, 2018
1
It was in Finland, and it didn't get evaluated one way or the other. They just stopped due to a change in political opinion. [theguardian.com]
@doug6352
Thanks for the clarification Doug. I wonder why they canceled their program......
Trump just gave away 1.5 trillion dollars to the rich, what would have happened if he split it up and gave it to everyone making under 200000 $.
I think so too, I would ideally like to see the minimum wage abolished at the same time to really see the market at work. I think a lot of people would work for very low wages at things they like and the really crummy jobs would have to pay a lot more to draw workers, since they wouldn't be forced into it by desperation.
Buttercup
Level 8
July 8, 2018
3
Just think about it. One would be able to do what they wanted. The economy would flourish, everyone would feel better and be able to pay their bills. The economy would flourish as the money would circulate instead of being stockpiled in corporate accounts. Won't happen as long as we have to make rich people richer, this allows for the economy to suck.
dalefvictor
Level 8
July 8, 2018
3
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