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I think it would be politically difficult to replace most or all existing entitlement programs with a basic income. When you get a bunch of disabled people up
by aetherson 11y ago
I think it would be politically difficult to replace most or all existing entitlement programs with a basic income.
When you get a bunch of disabled people up on stage and they say, "Wait a minute, we are genuinely unable to work most jobs, and we have special needs to just get through the day, and you propose to just give us the same amount of money you do to some 22 year old healthy slacker from a good family who wants to take a few years to play X-Box?" and you're already trying a very very contentious policy proposal, is that the hill you want to die on? If not, we still have disability.
What about the just genuinely irresponsible mother who blows her income on, whatever, in-app purchases, and then she and her children are homeless and starving. Do you say, "Well, tough break, you could've been more responsible" or do you have programs to keep them fed and off the streets? Food stamps and Section 8 are back.
Healthcare pretty much has to continue to be separately subsidized unless you want anyone who has enough bad luck to have an expensive health condition that exceeds the value of basic income to die.
At that point, is there a really significant entitlement program still off the table?
(Edit: Sorry, yes, of course there is one significant entitlement program not touched on above: Social Security. I think you might somewhat reasonably make a basic income essentially "Social Security for everyone," and avoid having a special carve-out for seniors by saying, "We're not taking away your social security, we're just giving social security to more and more people.")
- kmonsen 11y agoI always thought it would replace existing programs, but you have made me realize this is not true. I guess in the end it comes up to do we believe in personal responsibility or not, and if the state or parents are responsible for children. (It looks like I am in the camp that does not think children should starve because they have irresponsible parents).