Let me ask you, how does a fractured and misinformed populace vote themselves pay raises? Let's set aside the question of how we'd get something like Basic Inc

Let me ask you, how does a fractured and misinformed populace vote themselves pay raises? Let's set aside the question of how we'd get something like Basic Income in the first place. Let's assume it exists. If something like that exists already, then people could well be united in wanting to increase their income. In that case, the utterly fractured discourse would guarantee that rational voices explaining why this is a bad idea would be completely drowned out, leaving the issue to be decided by people's short sighted self interest. I think people are entirely too manipulated to be smart enough to vote themselves a pay raise I think people are entirely too manipulated to think clearly about voting themselves a pay raise. I too suspect we might crush the economy with a tremendous amount of debt, but I think it will be the special interest groups that will figure out how to bleed us dry before people vote themselves a pay raise. It could also be a mix of both scenarios. It will be a mix of both scenarios, and a fractured public unable to discuss anything rationally will enable the pathological government decision making.