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Universal basic income is the same thing as modern marxist theory and marks the end of the American empire, just like what happened to the roman empire. The roman empire debased its currency from 90 to 5 percent silver.

Rich77 2 July 11
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Debasing the currency has something to do with guaranteed income?. Since when?

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I didn’t realise that there ever was an official American Empire except in fiction, but of course American tentacles of power do reach around the world and it has wielded that power both overtly and covertly, but always in the political interests of US big business, and not really for the good of those American citizens on the margins., economically speaking. Call Universal income Marxist theory if you like, but all communist ideals and philosophies can’t just be dismissed as unworkable or undesirable.

There is way too much division and differential in our western societies (I’m British), and we need to take a hard look at our capitalist systems and realise that that are serving the interests of the corporate sector and the rich and not the rest of us. The middle classes are largely doing okay, but they are shrinking now, as since around 2000, the younger people of today’s generation are actually poorer than their parents, with less social mobility or ability to own their own homes. Political ineptness, and doctrine is largely to blame, and an unwillingness to address the problem of poverty. The market will always push wages down at the bottom for the lowest wage earners and elevate them for the top percentile ...so the rich get richer and the divide between rich and poor gets bigger. A Universal basic income would go some way to address this, and we should at the very least be open to having discussions around this idea and any other new models which could start to realign the wealth and values of our societies.

Much of what you say is absolutely correct but (always a but) we also have to look at our own culpability. We always look for the cheapest product. We, the public, are responsible for the situation with China. Cheap products sell and expensive ones not so much. This includes services as well. I once got into a debate with my brother-in-law about him using undocumented laborers to get his roof replaced. He is a pilot and has a upscale house in Dallass with a pool. He kept telling me he wanted to help out a struggling worker with a family but wouldn't listen to my story about a legal resident also with a family and who also got healthcare and other benefits. I also pointed out his extreme conflict-of-interest of which he admitted. We all (myself at times included) make excuses to pay bottom dollar often at the expense of the community.

@JackPedigo That, of course is human nature. There has to be a conversation in society to make people realise that it’s in everyone’s interest to raise the living standards of the poorest by increasing their income...they in turn will then have increased spending power to go back into the economy, and also increase the tax revenue instead of being a tax drain.

@Marionville I feel, as you said, that is human nature and it is difficult to change that. Right now, as you know, we are having a real problem getting the ultra-wealthy to chip in a fairer share. In Seattle a viable way has been found and we hope it works. Many of us see that the government by, for and of the people is supposed to help bring about an equitable balance and obviously is failing badly. The intrusion of industry has skewed the playing field. Some here know my circumstances, history and stance on the subject of immigration (it is not about immigrants but a policy in which all, immigrants and citizens must live. My late partner, an immigrant, asked her 2nd graders what is more important people or dirt? We will always be subservient to the systems that sustain us). How can we ever reduce poverty when we actively bring in millions of people who are poor and low skilled? We cannot and it is this forcing of an unsustainable policy that is driving a lot of the global right-wing movements.

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Exactly! Inequality is the biggest killer known to man.

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