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A big problem about the basic income is that it is perceived as money that you get for nothing and so people don't have to work and therefore they are lazy. Le
by fxj 8y ago
A big problem about the basic income is that it is perceived as money that you get for nothing and so people don't have to work and therefore they are lazy.
Let me give you an analogy:
Imagine that breathing air would cost money and you would have to work in order to breathe. Unless you don't work you would die. Would then a basic income be something that makes you lazy or would it be something that gives you confidence in surviving the next day?
The same is true for the "basic income" that is used by its recipients for food, medical care, clothing and shelter. So how in the world can we deny the basic needs to most of the population in our civilization and call these people lazy?
- raaaaraaaa122 8y agoOf course if there is MAGICALLY enough 'resources' all citizens could enjoy basic income.
- SiempreViernes 8y agoThere are enough resources overall, but they aren't redistributed as a basic income for historical and political reasons.
- fxj 8y agoBut that is what automation is all about. The productivity of a single worker went through the roof in the last century. There is not enough work for all the people who want to.
- b_tterc_p 8y agoWealth created through automation isn’t captured by the enhanced worker.
- carlmr 8y agoThe problem with your analogy is that other people have to work to make the food, provide the medical care, produce the clothing, and give shelter. You don't do anything to produce air (more likely we do the opposite). The question is, can we make the economy work while providing everyone with these basic needs. If too many people stop working, either the people that are working will be reduced to a similar sustenance level, or it won't even be enough to cover the basic needs of all anymore. If the people that are working don't get more they will think "why should I be the one working?", and then the problem exacerbates. In this experiment, the unemployment numbers didn't rise, but the participants knew it was supposed to be a temporary measure. So this doesn't really look at long-term sustainability.
- fxj 8y agoTake into account that soon robotics, machine learning and automation will make even more people jobless.
- b_tterc_p 8y agoYou’re basically saying that because it has ethical value it can’t make people lazy. That’s irrelevant. UBI might make people lazy. In fact, it would be pretty shocking if it didn’t make some % of the population choose to do nothing for their entire lives but stay at home and play video games. People like to point out that techies would feel more comfortable building start ups, and that’s probably true. But for people with low skills and low opportunity costs to doing nothing (of which there are many more people), I don’t see a reason why they would work relatively shitty jobs for low income. Who is going to work minimum wage to be a janitor to get basically no substantial benefit. Maybe you think people deserve better wages then- but then uh oh, it’s even harder to justify not doing things in China wherever possible. UBI benefits society when it’s given to a person with a high ability to to positively impact society (let’s say skilled workers and parents). And that’s before considering any effect on prices or whatever.
- fxj 8y agoThe security that you have medical care, food and housing tomorrow takes away a lot of psychological pressure and your mind can think about other things. But nevertheless I also think about the ethical implications of letting people die because they cannot afford the medical care they need. A society that just thinks only about profitability of a person is in itself unjust and inhumane.
- ams6110 8y agoIf you look at communities where large portions of the population have their basic medical care, food, and housing all provided or paid for by the government, you don't see hotbeds of creative and entrepreneurial activity. You see cesspools of drugs and crime.
- fxj 8y agoLike Switzerland and Sweden? What are you talking about?
- 8y ago