4 ms·

"welfare, healthchare, social security, etc" Healthcare: Some people get unlucky with genetic lottery and will require far more cost in care than others. Some

by pcurve 3y ago

"welfare, healthchare, social security, etc" Healthcare: Some people get unlucky with genetic lottery and will require far more cost in care than others. Some type of universal coverage still needs to exist imho. Social security: Unfortunately, not everyone is good with money. Social security is a mechanism for balancing out and restributing wealth, but it's also an investing service for those who don't know how to. I'm not against some type of UBI, but there are some downsides with getting rid of existing programs. imho.

jay_kyburz 3y ago
I _am_ against UBI for exactly the reason you outline. We'll still need all the agencies and bureaucracy to help those who just need more help.
- 6D794163636F756 3y ago
  I think you're right to an extent, but I think ubi could bridge the gap between necessary services and nice to have services. It could let someone who is on food stamps and housing assistance choose to upgrade one of those or for them to buy the technology needed to get their next job. There are pitfalls, but I think ubi could be a good way of allowing people to position themselves to no longer rely so heavily on other assistance programs or live a better life on their own terms if they can't
  - bobthepanda 3y ago
    The general issue I’ve seen is that dismantling programs to pay for UBI just means spreading the butter really thin so that the basic income is a pittance. The US just doesn’t spend so much on social programs to make a UBI meaningful, and if we were going to raise taxes to do so why not just fund more targeted programs?
goodbyesf 3y ago
> Healthcare: Some people get unlucky with genetic lottery and will require far more cost in care than others. Some type of universal coverage still needs to exist imho. You can buy healthcare with 20K. > Social security: Unfortunately, not everyone is good with money. That's why it's 20K per year. Not a one time $2 million payment for the rest of your life. $20k more than the average social security payout.

by pcurve 3y ago

jay_kyburz 3y ago

I _am_ against UBI for exactly the reason you outline. We'll still need all the agencies and bureaucracy to help those who just need more help.

6D794163636F756 3y ago
I think you're right to an extent, but I think ubi could bridge the gap between necessary services and nice to have services. It could let someone who is on food stamps and housing assistance choose to upgrade one of those or for them to buy the technology needed to get their next job. There are pitfalls, but I think ubi could be a good way of allowing people to position themselves to no longer rely so heavily on other assistance programs or live a better life on their own terms if they can't
- bobthepanda 3y ago
  The general issue I’ve seen is that dismantling programs to pay for UBI just means spreading the butter really thin so that the basic income is a pittance. The US just doesn’t spend so much on social programs to make a UBI meaningful, and if we were going to raise taxes to do so why not just fund more targeted programs?

goodbyesf 3y ago

> Healthcare: Some people get unlucky with genetic lottery and will require far more cost in care than others. Some type of universal coverage still needs to exist imho. You can buy healthcare with 20K. > Social security: Unfortunately, not everyone is good with money. That's why it's 20K per year. Not a one time $2 million payment for the rest of your life. $20k more than the average social security payout.