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I think it's more that in countries with social security, people aren't forced to work on such low wages (or more precisely, on low income as a self-employed pe
by ptaipale 11y ago
I think it's more that in countries with social security, people aren't forced to work on such low wages (or more precisely, on low income as a self-employed person).
If people have their rent and food and medical care paid for, and have access to a spectrum of free public services, it's not worthwhile to take the toll of labouring and fixing the clothes and shoes for others.
I can typically buy new, good quality shoes (made in Asia by people who have no social security) for the price of one or two simple repairs to shoes. My current favourites are six years old now, made by Ecco somewhere in China, and they show no significant signs of wear outside. I had to have them fixed once when a puppy chewed the heel of one of them a bit.
The problem is bigger in European welfare states than in the US. It's going away, though: the welfare state structures will be ramped down radically within a decade or two.
- guard-of-terra 11y agoThat's where basic income would shine. Both social security and repair stalls! People that do it for socialising and odd buck.
- ptaipale 11y agoThat basic income still has to be funded somehow, and even without it the public services (plus some self-employed or begging income) of modern welfare state provide a standard of living that is far better than the income of large numbers of people in poor countries. Opening the borders with current welfare structures (or any "basic income" that covers everyone) will lead to insolvency of the public sector and loss of confidence to government by the people who pay taxes. Welfare system or open borders, choose one. This is a bit simplistic, but there's no escape from this problem.
- guard-of-terra 11y agoWelfare system!