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Agreed. While I think a basic income is a good idea, the people I think it will make better off don't actually want it. They want jobs. Perhaps we should be con
by natrius 10y ago
Agreed. While I think a basic income is a good idea, the people I think it will make better off don't actually want it. They want jobs. Perhaps we should be considering a new Works Progress Administration instead.
- malka 10y agoLet's bury lots of 100 USD bills and give people a shovel.
- RangerScience 10y agoA portion of those people will make their own jobs. Most of that portion are some form of artist - I know dancers, leatherworkers, acrobats, and event planners that would readily go after UBI - although what's interesting is that al those people already DO have jobs, just not the ones they want, or that pay the bills well enough.
- natrius 10y agoUnderpaid people who are pursing their passions will be fine with a UBI. People who lose their jobs to machines will have to rebuild their idea of why their life has value from scratch, and a UBI makes it clear that other people are still creating lots of value in the world—enough to fund checks for you. Lots of people don't have productive passions. They were focused on being valuable to their family and community instead. What now for them?
- RangerScience 10y agoThis is an extremely good point. Adaptation, classification, a change in how people define themselves? You point out what I think would end up being a rough patch, but one worth going through.
- Retra 10y agoMaybe you should let those people speak for themselves. But I guess if you did that, we'd never hear anything.
- natrius 10y agoThey are speaking for themselves. They want protectionism that will make us all less wealthy, and won't address the reality that automation is the real competitor. Someone has to come up with a good solution that makes everyone happier, or we'll get popular "solutions" that are harmful.
- Retra 10y agoFirst you say they want jobs, now you say they want 'protectionism.' I think you are very confused, arguing from this vague stereotype. More importantly, UBI doesn't prevent people who want jobs from getting jobs, so that seems a completely irrelevant thing to bring up anyway.
- natrius 10y agoIn the US, two popular anti-establishment candidates campaigned against free trade. Protectionism is popular. It's not a stereotype. I get that UBI doesn't prevent people from getting jobs. I support it. It's just not a solution for people who's jobs have been automated away because lots of people were never looking for the freedom to accept a job that pays less the way UBI allows. It's like shortening Everest to improve mountain climbers' quality of life.