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There seems to be lots of confusion about what constitutes UBI here. This isn't talking about America or developed nations. And government led UBI experiments i

There seems to be lots of confusion about what constitutes UBI here. This isn't talking about America or developed nations. And government led UBI experiments in developed nations were always doing UBI in place of other social welfare benefits. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_income_pilots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_income_pilots The argument isn't about if UBI is good or bad. It's if UBI is better than the current social welfare structure. The question is, "is it cheaper and more efficient to just give people money and get rid of the several programs we have?". And I'm quite sure any UBI done on a large scale will end up taking money away from those who don't need it in the form of higher taxes so it effectively balances out. Yes it is income redistribution. That's not necessarily bad. We already do it in several forms. It helps society more than it hurts it. Most people are ambitious and don't want to live at or below the poverty line for the rest of their lives. Some do, that's unfortunate.

smacktoward 9y ago
But the "U" in "UBI" stands for universal. In other words, UBI means everyone gets a basic income, not just the subset of everyone who currently receives welfare benefits. You get it whether you need it or not. This distinction actually has political significance. One of the explanations that has been offered for why Social Security in the U.S. has proven so impervious to cutbacks or other political meddling is that it is universal in this sense as well; there's no maximum income at which you no longer receive Social Security benefits. This universality has helped Social Security escape the "for poor/minority/lazy people only" stigmas that peoples' prejudices attach to more selective welfare programs. None of which is to say that you can't have a basic income project that isn't universal, of course; just that such a project is not a UBI.

smacktoward 9y ago

But the "U" in "UBI" stands for universal. In other words, UBI means everyone gets a basic income, not just the subset of everyone who currently receives welfare benefits. You get it whether you need it or not. This distinction actually has political significance. One of the explanations that has been offered for why Social Security in the U.S. has proven so impervious to cutbacks or other political meddling is that it is universal in this sense as well; there's no maximum income at which you no longer receive Social Security benefits. This universality has helped Social Security escape the "for poor/minority/lazy people only" stigmas that peoples' prejudices attach to more selective welfare programs. None of which is to say that you can't have a basic income project that isn't universal, of course; just that such a project is not a UBI.