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I hope you can see how other people see it very differently. First, basic income can be implemented different ways, including a base that everyone gets regardle
by ewzimm 11y ago
I hope you can see how other people see it very differently. First, basic income can be implemented different ways, including a base that everyone gets regardless of income, fair in the same way that everyone gets equal access to the roads regardless of income. Anyone can get to where they're going, but how enjoyable that trip will be depends on what kind of car you can afford. There are still huge advantages to being wealthy.
Second, there are a lot of indications that the way to make money in modern capitalistic society is not to add value to society but to extract value from it. The more surefire way is to game the financial system, and you see huge firms that nearly crash the worldwide economy making billions. There's also a ton of money in gaming the legal system, which is why patent trolling is such big business. And that's just the beginning. Look at the Panama Papers! When you look at the worldwide economy, corruption is everywhere, and the most corrupt make the most profit.
You may disagree, and I hope I'm wrong and your right, but to a lot of people the viewpoint that the economy is essentialy fair and beneficial to society looks naive. When you get into the messy details, it begins to look to a lot of people like the more damage you do to society, the more money you make.
I sincerely hope that there's something I'm missing that says that corruption is just a small problem, the wealthy are getting what they deserve, and that the system is working. I'm still open to the idea.
- yanilkr 11y agoYou think UBI will eliminate corruption? All the money collected as taxes goes to the govt every year and the govt is still in debt and taxes go up every other year. People voluntarily invest their extra savings in the wall street, look at the level of productivity and innovation that brings. the prices of electronics keeps going down. Looks like wall street is the clear winner here. Corruption is everywhere and only the free market reduces it.
- slfnflctd 11y ago> it begins to look to a lot of people like the more damage you do to society, the more money you make This is mostly why I abandoned all hope of 'big' entrepreneurship. You cannot compete if you have a conscience. Someone who knows a few more schemes or a few more influential people will destroy you. I am 100% certain I can add value in the right situations. However, if the market makes those situations untenable via barriers to entry, misleading marketing, backroom deals and whatever other means, what options am I left with? Ugly ones. Basic income at least allows for the possibility of people contributing to society without involving the almighty dollar. It may or may not work, but whoever doesn't think that possibility is worth exploring needs to give me a hell of a good reason. The cost of food and shelter for your average human is not gonna break the damn bank.