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Another benefit that needs to be mentioned is it provides an unconditional safety blanket for anyone who has a job. People who now feel they are stuck in a job

by pitay 7y ago

Another benefit that needs to be mentioned is it provides an unconditional safety blanket for anyone who has a job. People who now feel they are stuck in a job for fear of being broke wouldn't feel as stuck under a UBI. This is a huge benefit for the majority of people. Many workplaces would improve, especially the worst ones, as people wouldn't feel as stuck in them, this severely limits the degree that employers can treat their employees badly. For the self employed it gives them freedom to leave their occupation and do something else when things get bad for whatever reason. Even people who are financially secure and have their own wealth as a safety net are likely to benefit from workplace improvements, even if the money from a UBI itself is a lot less important to them. In short, the benefits to the already employed should not be left out.

zozbot234 7y ago
This is an underappreciated benefit. That whole, enduring feeling of being "stuck where you wouldn't want to be" is also a huge drain on productivity and a leading cause of a host of workplace issues, as well as stress or burnout in the longer run. The improvement in 'low-wage' employees' way of working might easily be as large as the one in actual workplace conditions.
post_below 7y ago
Absolutely! Building on one of your points, if everyone had more freedom to pursue their passion, as a result of the cushion to take risks, the potential benefits to society and culture at large are huge. Science, art, technology, etc.. It's no doubt overly idealistic but I envision it as a new renaissance. One thing is certain: as technology continues to make providing basic needs cheaper and cheaper, we need to come up with some way to give a significant part of that surplus to the masses. The current system will allocate it to the 1% and we can look to science fiction for what happens after that. What I find frustrating personally, living in the US, is the irrationally vehement opposition to the idea. Like universal healthcare, accessible higher education, affordable child care, sane vacation time, reasonable parental leave and etc.. the US will no doubt be decades behind the rest of the world here too.

by pitay 7y ago

zozbot234 7y ago

This is an underappreciated benefit. That whole, enduring feeling of being "stuck where you wouldn't want to be" is also a huge drain on productivity and a leading cause of a host of workplace issues, as well as stress or burnout in the longer run. The improvement in 'low-wage' employees' way of working might easily be as large as the one in actual workplace conditions.

post_below 7y ago

Absolutely! Building on one of your points, if everyone had more freedom to pursue their passion, as a result of the cushion to take risks, the potential benefits to society and culture at large are huge. Science, art, technology, etc.. It's no doubt overly idealistic but I envision it as a new renaissance. One thing is certain: as technology continues to make providing basic needs cheaper and cheaper, we need to come up with some way to give a significant part of that surplus to the masses. The current system will allocate it to the 1% and we can look to science fiction for what happens after that. What I find frustrating personally, living in the US, is the irrationally vehement opposition to the idea. Like universal healthcare, accessible higher education, affordable child care, sane vacation time, reasonable parental leave and etc.. the US will no doubt be decades behind the rest of the world here too.