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Maybe it's the culture that makes it work in India although a billion people and so many levels of culture it's hard to say if that even true. Doesn't the UK h

by dhughes 13y ago

Maybe it's the culture that makes it work in India although a billion people and so many levels of culture it's hard to say if that even true. Doesn't the UK have a huge problem with generations of families on welfare who never work? I can't see this working in Canada either a lot people on EI (employment insurance) are on it for decades, some all their lives. I know some people who just become accustomed to living on $8,000 per year just enough to get drunk and buy smokes. Although a lot of them have cash under the table jobs too so in a way they do want to or need to work.

analyst74 13y ago
I think Canada is an excellent example in support for BI, as the social net is so great that there is no real poverty. However, in spite of the fact that there are ways to live on social security, only a very small number of people choose to do that. It shows that social security does not stop people from having ambitions.
- raverbashing 13y ago
  Well, in Canada, if you can't support yourself, you'll freeze to death on the coming winter.
JofArnold 13y ago
> Doesn't the UK have a huge problem with generations of families on welfare who never work? It's a very different concept of welfare to the one Professor Standing and others propose here. The UK brand of welfare requires you to give up your dignity by completing endless forms and checks in the hope that - if your particular brand of requirements fit the definitions laid out by the state - you'll be allowed to live an all-to-often hopeless and impoverished quality of life. Day-to-day you're worrying about food and rent; there's no money for recreation, no money to clothe your children in a respectable way and no money to go on holiday like all your workmates and childrens' friends. You're trapped in your house and there's no opportunity to learn and to retrain in order to make a new life for yourself. Those that do get out of the spiral are those that have super-human resilience and determination over a number of years. The difference a basic income could make to the UK could be enormous. It would change this country over night. It doesn't even matter if a few percent of people abuse it - it is far outweighed by opportunities it will give to those who wish to turn their lives around.
gsnedders 13y ago
> Doesn't the UK have a huge problem with generations of families on welfare who never work? No, it doesn't. Though yes — it happens. But it's so rare it's scarcely worth mentioning except if you're trying to push an agenda.

by dhughes 13y ago

analyst74 13y ago

I think Canada is an excellent example in support for BI, as the social net is so great that there is no real poverty. However, in spite of the fact that there are ways to live on social security, only a very small number of people choose to do that. It shows that social security does not stop people from having ambitions.

raverbashing 13y ago
Well, in Canada, if you can't support yourself, you'll freeze to death on the coming winter.

JofArnold 13y ago

> Doesn't the UK have a huge problem with generations of families on welfare who never work? It's a very different concept of welfare to the one Professor Standing and others propose here. The UK brand of welfare requires you to give up your dignity by completing endless forms and checks in the hope that - if your particular brand of requirements fit the definitions laid out by the state - you'll be allowed to live an all-to-often hopeless and impoverished quality of life. Day-to-day you're worrying about food and rent; there's no money for recreation, no money to clothe your children in a respectable way and no money to go on holiday like all your workmates and childrens' friends. You're trapped in your house and there's no opportunity to learn and to retrain in order to make a new life for yourself. Those that do get out of the spiral are those that have super-human resilience and determination over a number of years. The difference a basic income could make to the UK could be enormous. It would change this country over night. It doesn't even matter if a few percent of people abuse it - it is far outweighed by opportunities it will give to those who wish to turn their lives around.

gsnedders 13y ago

> Doesn't the UK have a huge problem with generations of families on welfare who never work? No, it doesn't. Though yes — it happens. But it's so rare it's scarcely worth mentioning except if you're trying to push an agenda.