4 ms·

There needs to be a mechanism in capitalism that provides some essential goods for free and incentivizes that behavior. A likely source is to tax it from compan

There needs to be a mechanism in capitalism that provides some essential goods for free and incentivizes that behavior. A likely source is to tax it from companies making luxuries (the economic definition), provided companies actually pay the tax fairly, and lawmakers don't leave gaping loopholes. We need to undo how expensive it is to be poor - this is exploitative capitalism against the poorest. And the essentials should seek to be lowering prices, not go up like luxuries. The deal then changes to: "you don't have to work, and you won't starve or freeze, but you also won't have any luxuries". And yes, all luxuries get more expensive.

js8 2y ago
This already exists, somewhere between universal basic income and social democracy.
- hnthrow90348765 2y ago
  It doesn't - if I have zero dollars in the US, I have no guaranteed food/water/shelter, and people will tell me to go get a job.
  - torlok 2y ago
    There's more than 1 country.
    - rezmason 2y ago
      I think it's very sneaky, how the world manages to conceal so many alternative ways of life by situating them outside the United States /s
yarekt 2y ago
I would go one further: give government powers to simply purchase things that work well out of the free market, and run it in a way that is pro-quality-of-life rather than profit. Is fast internet working well? buy and invest profit to increase coverage and speed. A lab makes good drugs? don’t buy its drugs, buy the lab. The capitalist incentive remain: A gap in the market can yield you wealth for 10-20 years until you’re bought out. and government only buys the highest performing stuff of the bunch. Challenge is having a system that is resistant to gaming
- twobitshifter 2y ago
  you may stifle improvement on technology. If 4G is free for everyone what does that do to the market?
  - yarekt 2y ago
    Isn’t what I said exactly the opposite? In your example, if 4G is slow, and people will pay for development and deployment of 5G, won’t that create a gap in the market for someone to deliver that for which people will pay for extra? It won’t quite be free either, just paid by the government. It’s possible that technology of collecting taxes might also need to improve

js8 2y ago

This already exists, somewhere between universal basic income and social democracy.

hnthrow90348765 2y ago
It doesn't - if I have zero dollars in the US, I have no guaranteed food/water/shelter, and people will tell me to go get a job.
- torlok 2y ago
  There's more than 1 country.
  - rezmason 2y ago
    I think it's very sneaky, how the world manages to conceal so many alternative ways of life by situating them outside the United States /s

yarekt 2y ago

I would go one further: give government powers to simply purchase things that work well out of the free market, and run it in a way that is pro-quality-of-life rather than profit. Is fast internet working well? buy and invest profit to increase coverage and speed. A lab makes good drugs? don’t buy its drugs, buy the lab. The capitalist incentive remain: A gap in the market can yield you wealth for 10-20 years until you’re bought out. and government only buys the highest performing stuff of the bunch. Challenge is having a system that is resistant to gaming

twobitshifter 2y ago
you may stifle improvement on technology. If 4G is free for everyone what does that do to the market?
- yarekt 2y ago
  Isn’t what I said exactly the opposite? In your example, if 4G is slow, and people will pay for development and deployment of 5G, won’t that create a gap in the market for someone to deliver that for which people will pay for extra? It won’t quite be free either, just paid by the government. It’s possible that technology of collecting taxes might also need to improve