But what about when the only obstacle to gaining essentially free goods is, a capitalist holding them hostage? Are you serious? Capitalist holding them hostage

But what about when the only obstacle to gaining essentially free goods is, a capitalist holding them hostage? Are you serious? Capitalist holding them hostage? A capitalist can only charge what the market will bear. If they charge too much, no one buys what they have and they lose their return on investment and they are forced to lower their prices until those in the market can afford to buy what they are selling. If the capitalist invested too much and can't get the price they originally wanted, they will at least try to minimize their losses. If you believe a "capitalist can hold goods hostage", the only conclusion I can come to is that you don't actually understand capitalism and how it works. UBI is unproven. I could see a negative income tax making some sense, but at absolute best the maximum amount any individual receives needs to be uncomfortable, so there is an imperative to contribute to the productivity that supports a society. Wealth is created. It doesn't just magically appear. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_in_the_United_States