Should everyone have a guaranteed income, whether they work or not?
Could universal basic income provide a solution to poverty and other challenges that come from economic inequality?
26-30, F
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SW-User
It was a theory proposed a long time ago, endorsed by Milton Friedman (although under a different name), and is now gaining steam due to the income inequality exposure.
The truth is that in 10-20 years, robots will be replacing several millions of jobs in the US alone. Whole industries will become automated. Lots of people would be out of work in a globalized economy that has no qualms moving remaining labor to countries that are willing to exploit their citizens for economic gain.
The ensuing competition for remaining jobs will have people cutting each other's throats for a handful of peanuts. Pretty much everyone but the rich will be worse off. You're looking at something akin to pre-revolution France. Decades of turmoil and chaos and death followed that.
Without a basic income, you'll be looking at economic collapse. And automation is just one facet of this whole debate. I haven't even addressed how the current debt crisis is going to exacerbate this or how the economy is dependent on constant spending in a near future where that will be almost impossible without some kind of minimum income
The truth is that in 10-20 years, robots will be replacing several millions of jobs in the US alone. Whole industries will become automated. Lots of people would be out of work in a globalized economy that has no qualms moving remaining labor to countries that are willing to exploit their citizens for economic gain.
The ensuing competition for remaining jobs will have people cutting each other's throats for a handful of peanuts. Pretty much everyone but the rich will be worse off. You're looking at something akin to pre-revolution France. Decades of turmoil and chaos and death followed that.
Without a basic income, you'll be looking at economic collapse. And automation is just one facet of this whole debate. I haven't even addressed how the current debt crisis is going to exacerbate this or how the economy is dependent on constant spending in a near future where that will be almost impossible without some kind of minimum income
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tynamite · 31-35, M
@HalfCactus: Cars that can drive down roads unaided by humans which react to the environment well will NEVER happen. Translators will also not be replaced by machines too. Yes the restaurant industry will be automated if the minimum wage increases to $15 an hour like the protesters want.
Jobs are created when an employer decides to pay someone money for doing a task.
Jobs are created when an employer decides to pay someone money for doing a task.
SW-User
@tynamite: You are dangerously uninformed. Self-driving cars already exist and have been tested thousands of times on open roads. Google alone has had their self-driving cars log more than 2 million miles.
Germany has just legalized them, and several US states are in the process of doing so. They exist already. They are statistically far less likely to get in an accident than human drivers, and they don't need to be paid. You are living under a rock if you don't think they'll ever happen
Germany has just legalized them, and several US states are in the process of doing so. They exist already. They are statistically far less likely to get in an accident than human drivers, and they don't need to be paid. You are living under a rock if you don't think they'll ever happen
tynamite · 31-35, M
@HalfCactus: Would you trust a self driving car to drive you on a 10 mile journey unaided by a human? I wouldn't!
Picklebobble2 · 56-60, M
In order to have a Universal Basic Income you'd have to limit pricing on EVERYTHING.
That annoys capitalists who create; invest and drive wealth. And subsequently want to see as large a profit margin as possible.
Capitalism is flawed in that in order to create wealth, you need a level of poverty.
Besides. There are worse things out there than capitalists.
Globalists !!
These are your Google's your Amazon's your Breitbarts etc.
These are globalist demons !
If they have their way you'll read what they print/broadcast as news; You'll buy what they tell you to buy; You'll go where they tell you to go; You'll vote for whoever they select as candidate.
That annoys capitalists who create; invest and drive wealth. And subsequently want to see as large a profit margin as possible.
Capitalism is flawed in that in order to create wealth, you need a level of poverty.
Besides. There are worse things out there than capitalists.
Globalists !!
These are your Google's your Amazon's your Breitbarts etc.
These are globalist demons !
If they have their way you'll read what they print/broadcast as news; You'll buy what they tell you to buy; You'll go where they tell you to go; You'll vote for whoever they select as candidate.
SW-User
You're like the only person here that has any awareness of this. Kudos
BiasForAction · M
SW-User
I've read a lot of the responses here, and I just want to apologize on behalf of everyone's ignorance here. If this is what counts as political discourse, it's fucking pathetic.
I have a degree in economics, so I've actually bothered to invest more than an iota of research into this. So many people speaking on things they know nothing about. It's infuriating. I don't know how you can manage to have any faith in the future knowing these people can vote.
I have a degree in economics, so I've actually bothered to invest more than an iota of research into this. So many people speaking on things they know nothing about. It's infuriating. I don't know how you can manage to have any faith in the future knowing these people can vote.
tallpowerhouseblonde · 36-40, F
Faust76 · 46-50, M
DanielChristensen · 46-50, M
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Ratatouillesque · 26-30, F
@cloudi: Tehnically people would still be working, most would anyway. I believe, in nordic countries, specifically in Finland it's being tested for the moment to see if people would be even more motivated to work since they would no longer feel the burdain of working only to pay bills.
5thApprentice · 31-35, M
ReallyTallDwarf · 36-40, M
Ratatouillesque · 26-30, F
tynamite · 31-35, M
@HalfCactus:
The GDP defines how much money the country generates through labour, people working. Government spending is not part of the GDP. People have to work in the private sector to generate the high GDP that countries like Britain have.
For money to contribute to the economy, it has to be worth something. Money that is not backed by anything is bad for the economy.
Under our fiat currency system our money is backed by labour and debt, especially labour from people working. If the government deposited £100 into everyone's bank account, it wouldn't have a positive effect on the economy, but if everyone worked 10 extra hours a week it would have a positive effect on the economy.
If the government created 100% of its money out of thin air, the economy would collapse. There is a very good reason why the government collects its money from taxes which comes from people's labour, rather than simply magically creating the money itself. Money created from labour is much more valuable to the economy than money given to people from the government.
It's you who has no idea what you're talking about. If you ran a country and tried to implement basic income, you would ruin the country.
The GDP defines how much money the country generates through labour, people working. Government spending is not part of the GDP. People have to work in the private sector to generate the high GDP that countries like Britain have.
For money to contribute to the economy, it has to be worth something. Money that is not backed by anything is bad for the economy.
Under our fiat currency system our money is backed by labour and debt, especially labour from people working. If the government deposited £100 into everyone's bank account, it wouldn't have a positive effect on the economy, but if everyone worked 10 extra hours a week it would have a positive effect on the economy.
If the government created 100% of its money out of thin air, the economy would collapse. There is a very good reason why the government collects its money from taxes which comes from people's labour, rather than simply magically creating the money itself. Money created from labour is much more valuable to the economy than money given to people from the government.
It's you who has no idea what you're talking about. If you ran a country and tried to implement basic income, you would ruin the country.
tynamite · 31-35, M
@HalfCactus: You are ignorant and deluded. Do you think the government can afford to pay everyone a basic income? I think not.
Ratatouillesque · 26-30, F
@AbsolutelySerious: Yeah, I know.