In economics there is a saying: "There's no free lunch." Basic Income gives people a free lunch. What is the "opportunity cost" of that free lunch? For thos

In economics there is a saying: "There's no free lunch." Basic Income gives people a free lunch. What is the "opportunity cost" of that free lunch? For those of you unfamiliar with "opportunity cost", here's an example: - you have two passions at age 18: software and playing in rock bands. You want to become a professional in one of those fields. The rock band choice prevents you from being in a place long enough to be hired to write code. And vice versa. - You choose to write code. Ten years later you are at the top of your game, age 32. You own a condo and are married and on an 'executive track' at the company you work for. But had you chosen the 'rock band' career, who knows? Maybe you would have taken off and at age 32 have a string of hit records, millions of fans and million$ in wealth. That's the 'opportunity cost' -- you cannot do both. Okay back to Basic Income. A person receiving Basic Income could replace that income by working more. But they don't work more because, why should they? The opportunity cost of Basic Income is that lost productivity in the economy, the lost output from that person. Who knows how large that economic benefit to society is, when it's replaced by "Basic Income for everyone."