3 ms·

Why would they? Personally, being taxed close to 37% (in Australia) already, I don't have any issues with my tax money being spent on that cause.

gaius 13y ago
Because http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal%E2%80%93agent_problem http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal%E2%80%93agent_problem The status quo - a large, expensive bureaucracy, employing many civil servants, social workers, etc - suits the interests of too many people. Here in the UK we could sweep away the "welfare system", that spends nearly all of its effort making sure people get the "right" amount and replace it with some sort of basic income, for which we need 2 employees to maintain an automated system that pays everyone the same, a man to feed the dog, and a dog to bite the man if he tries to change anything.
- benmmurphy 13y ago
  Developed countries will probably eventually get some kind of basic income system but it won't be simple :) I'm sure it will be very complicated and there will be still lots of mean tested programs to accompany it to make sure a large bureaucracy is still required.
  - erichocean 13y ago
    Then that system will be, by definition, not "basic". One of the features of basic income is that it removes politics from poverty. If you have a system that is political, you have welfare in another form, with yet another name. Basic income applies to the rich and poor alike, is identical for everyone, and carries no social stigma as a result, and offers no opportunity for political graft. IMO that is why adoption is incredibly unlikely—politicians would need to approve it, and by doing so, they'd be putting themselves (mostly) out of a job. It seems extremely unlikely to me that will happen.
peterjaap 13y ago
Personally, being taxed close to 52% (in Holland), I don't have any issues with that either. Let's keep a close eye on the developments in Switzerland concerning basic income and take our lessons from that.

gaius 13y ago

Because http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal%E2%80%93agent_problem http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal%E2%80%93agent_problem The status quo - a large, expensive bureaucracy, employing many civil servants, social workers, etc - suits the interests of too many people. Here in the UK we could sweep away the "welfare system", that spends nearly all of its effort making sure people get the "right" amount and replace it with some sort of basic income, for which we need 2 employees to maintain an automated system that pays everyone the same, a man to feed the dog, and a dog to bite the man if he tries to change anything.

benmmurphy 13y ago
Developed countries will probably eventually get some kind of basic income system but it won't be simple :) I'm sure it will be very complicated and there will be still lots of mean tested programs to accompany it to make sure a large bureaucracy is still required.
- erichocean 13y ago
  Then that system will be, by definition, not "basic". One of the features of basic income is that it removes politics from poverty. If you have a system that is political, you have welfare in another form, with yet another name. Basic income applies to the rich and poor alike, is identical for everyone, and carries no social stigma as a result, and offers no opportunity for political graft. IMO that is why adoption is incredibly unlikely—politicians would need to approve it, and by doing so, they'd be putting themselves (mostly) out of a job. It seems extremely unlikely to me that will happen.

peterjaap 13y ago

Personally, being taxed close to 52% (in Holland), I don't have any issues with that either. Let's keep a close eye on the developments in Switzerland concerning basic income and take our lessons from that.