If the economy isn't doing well, then the government SHOULD be running a deficit. If they run a surplus, then they're depressing the economy even more. Also, r

If the economy isn't doing well, then the government SHOULD be running a deficit. If they run a surplus, then they're depressing the economy even more. Also, running a deficit by providing services (universal income included), is far better for the working poor and middle class than Quantitative Easing (i.e. jacking up asset prices, which predominantly benefits the rich). Universal income is essentially the same as Steve Keen's suggestion of a modern debt jubilee, in which the level of private debt is returned to reasonable levels by expanding the money supply and paying down privately held debt. This would reset the clock, so to speak, allowing economic growth to continue. Whether such a policy makes ecological sense is, of course, a separate issue. Edit: clarified "paying down privately held debt"