3 ms·

IMHO, the real issue with basic income is centralization. Society as a whole should share in the benefits from the advancements made in automation and productiv

IMHO, the real issue with basic income is centralization. Society as a whole should share in the benefits from the advancements made in automation and productivity. However, operating under the assumption that the government should handle the distribution of this profit sharing is a very brittle and potentially dangerous solution. Imagine mandatory drug tests, ideological compliance checks, etc... in order to receive your pay check. That may be extreme but it also may not. I have no idea. This begs the question of what alternatives could be? Irrespective of whether they’re good or bad, I’m curious what others would have to share.

s73v3r_ 8y ago
"Imagine mandatory drug tests, ideological compliance checks, etc... in order to receive your pay check." Lots of non-tech employees have to deal with that on a regular basis from their job.
taurath 8y ago
I'd start from the other side - its quite clear that private industry cannot handle the distribution without charging larger and larger fees to administer them, and lobbying governments to create more restrictions and let them keep the savings. > Imagine mandatory drug tests, ideological compliance checks, etc... in order to receive your pay check. That may be extreme but it also may not. I have no idea. Have you ever worked at a retail job? They not only drug test you regularly, they also have you take personality tests to determine your likelihood to be a good or bad employee. For me that was 15 years ago. Now places have automated systems checking your social networks for subversive/non-friendly talk, cameras on you 24/7 in the workplace. > This begs the question of what alternatives could be? The solution to "we don't trust the government to do something the private sector can't do" is to improve the government, which is something that we can actually do.
- merpnderp 8y ago
  Without a doubt the private sector is far more responsive to negative attention than the bureaucrats congress and most state governments have abdicated their responsibilities to.
- baby 8y ago
  There is always a limit to which you can trust the government to do something right and how corruptable it becomes over the years.
  - eropple 8y ago
    As opposed to corporate entities, which are...?
    - baby 8y ago
      The blockch... I mean it’s a difficult problem :)
eanzenberg 8y ago
I want mandatory drug tests. I prefer sending taxpayer money to handicapped and medically incapacitated as opposed to self-inflicted drug addicts.

s73v3r_ 8y ago

"Imagine mandatory drug tests, ideological compliance checks, etc... in order to receive your pay check." Lots of non-tech employees have to deal with that on a regular basis from their job.

taurath 8y ago

I'd start from the other side - its quite clear that private industry cannot handle the distribution without charging larger and larger fees to administer them, and lobbying governments to create more restrictions and let them keep the savings. > Imagine mandatory drug tests, ideological compliance checks, etc... in order to receive your pay check. That may be extreme but it also may not. I have no idea. Have you ever worked at a retail job? They not only drug test you regularly, they also have you take personality tests to determine your likelihood to be a good or bad employee. For me that was 15 years ago. Now places have automated systems checking your social networks for subversive/non-friendly talk, cameras on you 24/7 in the workplace. > This begs the question of what alternatives could be? The solution to "we don't trust the government to do something the private sector can't do" is to improve the government, which is something that we can actually do.

merpnderp 8y ago
Without a doubt the private sector is far more responsive to negative attention than the bureaucrats congress and most state governments have abdicated their responsibilities to.
baby 8y ago
There is always a limit to which you can trust the government to do something right and how corruptable it becomes over the years.
- eropple 8y ago
  As opposed to corporate entities, which are...?
  - baby 8y ago
    The blockch... I mean it’s a difficult problem :)

eanzenberg 8y ago

I want mandatory drug tests. I prefer sending taxpayer money to handicapped and medically incapacitated as opposed to self-inflicted drug addicts.