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The moral hazard is that it contributes to stagnation, something like the spaceship in "Wall-E". Social activity isn't much of a substitute for knowledge progr
by jtuente 11y ago
The moral hazard is that it contributes to stagnation, something like the spaceship in "Wall-E". Social activity isn't much of a substitute for knowledge progress. I'd argue that improvements in the quality of life would be more significant by giving purpose and drive to the population as a whole (young and elder), something more akin to the spaceships in Star Trek, where menial tasks are handled auto-magically and problem solving is handled by the crew.
- JoeAltmaier 11y agoI wouldn't dismiss social tasks. It gets people involved in community, including knowledge progress. And who are we to decide what purpose and drive to give a population? The minimum for health and growth is socializing.
- vertex-four 11y agoMore generally, I really wouldn't trust centrally planned "knowledge progress" or socialization or whatever tasks any more than I'd trust most other centrally planned control of a society's lives. Whether it's a good idea or not, there's nobody I'd trust with that power.
- JoeAltmaier 11y agoHey, the market economy is already 'planning control of lives'. We're talking about loosening those controls. By removing the threat of starvation and homelessness.
- vertex-four 11y ago> the market economy is already 'planning control of lives' Not (entirely) centrally (yet). If you piss off the wrong individual, or stand out to whatever degree, you still have a shot at a somewhat decent life. There's nobody outside of work you have to obey for threat of losing your livelihood. I was agreeing with you - basic income only works if everyone gets it, if there isn't a test for getting it, so that there's very little way it can be denied.
- JoeAltmaier 11y agoI don't see an issue with requiring folks to ask for it - by participating in society to some small degree, easily measured.
- vertex-four 11y agoThe issue is that someone has to decide what "participating in society" actually means. Today, it's often seeking work or working for pay - but we already agree that there's ways of participating in and contributing to society that don't involve that. I'm sure that whatever you or anyone else can come up with that's "easily measured", there's people who contribute to society in other ways, and people who can't participate in the way that you want.