5 ms·

I agree with half of that idea. Benefits should be part of the social contract of society. You should get them as part of paying taxes. Also, if you want to

by mjevans 10y ago

I agree with half of that idea. Benefits should be part of the social contract of society. You should get them as part of paying taxes. Also, if you want to shift the tax burden for these benefits from employers to employees that should be reflected in a raise of both income and taxes for employees.

gremlinsinc 10y ago
I agree immensely as a remote contractor, my wife gets good benefits but if she lost her job it'd be a struggle. I think it'd make more sense, if we can't get a single-payer all paid insurance plan going, why can't the government have a democratized benefit pool where you'd pay employee prices for the same benefits as a freelancer? It would just make more sense to me.. Or at least some sort of freelance union that negotiates fair rates for things like medical/dental/vision/401k and has group purchase power.
- ghaff 10y ago
  >why can't the government have a democratized benefit pool where you'd pay employee prices for the same benefits as a freelancer? For that to work for things like disability insurance, you'd need the same sort of mandate that's so controversial with the US ACA. The system doesn't really work if you buy benefits like disability only if you see a particular need for them. The 20-somethings need to buy them too whether they want to or not--or the system doesn't work. I'm not sure why 401-Ks are so tied to individual employers.
ahallock 10y ago
The social contract of society? Sounds religious to me and also a rationalization for State power. I only believe in real contracts that I actually sign and agree to. Moving benefits to the State just gives them a monopoly on those benefits and that doesn't seem like a good solution, either.
- ldp01 10y ago
  > I only believe in real contracts that I actually sign and agree to. I think this position is a bit idealistic, since some level of State power is unavoidable and taxes will be levied whether or not we agree with them. (Unless you escape to a desert island) So if the tax money is real and the consequences of not paying are real, then I expect something from the government in return! (I do agree that State power needs to be kept in check.)
- dredmorbius 10y ago
  "Social contracts", or regulations, solve coordination and transactional frictions problems: http://www.raikoth.net/libertarian.html#coordination_problems http://www.raikoth.net/libertarian.html#coordination_problem... http://world.std.com/~mhuben/faq.html#contract http://world.std.com/~mhuben/faq.html#contract
- mr_overalls 10y ago
  The phrase "social contract" dates back to a 1762 treatise of the same name by philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The stated aim of the treatise to determine whether a political authority is legitimate, i.e. the monarchies of the time period. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Social_Contract https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Social_Contract
maverick_iceman 10y ago
Article 3, section 4 of my copy of social contract disagrees completely!

by mjevans 10y ago

gremlinsinc 10y ago

I agree immensely as a remote contractor, my wife gets good benefits but if she lost her job it'd be a struggle. I think it'd make more sense, if we can't get a single-payer all paid insurance plan going, why can't the government have a democratized benefit pool where you'd pay employee prices for the same benefits as a freelancer? It would just make more sense to me.. Or at least some sort of freelance union that negotiates fair rates for things like medical/dental/vision/401k and has group purchase power.

ghaff 10y ago
>why can't the government have a democratized benefit pool where you'd pay employee prices for the same benefits as a freelancer? For that to work for things like disability insurance, you'd need the same sort of mandate that's so controversial with the US ACA. The system doesn't really work if you buy benefits like disability only if you see a particular need for them. The 20-somethings need to buy them too whether they want to or not--or the system doesn't work. I'm not sure why 401-Ks are so tied to individual employers.

ahallock 10y ago

The social contract of society? Sounds religious to me and also a rationalization for State power. I only believe in real contracts that I actually sign and agree to. Moving benefits to the State just gives them a monopoly on those benefits and that doesn't seem like a good solution, either.

ldp01 10y ago
> I only believe in real contracts that I actually sign and agree to. I think this position is a bit idealistic, since some level of State power is unavoidable and taxes will be levied whether or not we agree with them. (Unless you escape to a desert island) So if the tax money is real and the consequences of not paying are real, then I expect something from the government in return! (I do agree that State power needs to be kept in check.)
dredmorbius 10y ago
"Social contracts", or regulations, solve coordination and transactional frictions problems: http://www.raikoth.net/libertarian.html#coordination_problems http://www.raikoth.net/libertarian.html#coordination_problem... http://world.std.com/~mhuben/faq.html#contract http://world.std.com/~mhuben/faq.html#contract
mr_overalls 10y ago
The phrase "social contract" dates back to a 1762 treatise of the same name by philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The stated aim of the treatise to determine whether a political authority is legitimate, i.e. the monarchies of the time period. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Social_Contract https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Social_Contract

maverick_iceman 10y ago

Article 3, section 4 of my copy of social contract disagrees completely!