Is the World Ready for a Guaranteed Basic Income?

Post by fzzzy » Thu, Apr 14, 2016, 3:41 PM UTC

lghh wrote: post #35

perfunctory wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You might be right. But it's not just about the income level. The important bit is that it's guaranteed. This theoretically will give the poor more leverage in negotiating the salaries etc., and they'll be able to get higher quality jobs.

> This theoretically will give the poor more leverage in negotiating the salaries etc., and they'll be able to get higher quality jobs. How will it help them to get higher paying jobs?

Post by wskinner » Thu, Apr 14, 2016, 3:42 PM UTC

dota_fanatic wrote: post #29

Disclaimer: I don't know anything about anything. Some parents can put 850k in a account for their child when it's born that gets invested, say in the American economy (grows by say 7% over an average, long time period), which compounds until later in life, and when they grow up, they can access it. With good financial responsibility, this child won't have to work a day in their lives and can live off the returns. Wh…

Post by branchless » Thu, Apr 14, 2016, 3:44 PM UTC

lghh wrote: post #35

perfunctory wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You might be right. But it's not just about the income level. The important bit is that it's guaranteed. This theoretically will give the poor more leverage in negotiating the salaries etc., and they'll be able to get higher quality jobs.

> This theoretically will give the poor more leverage in negotiating the salaries etc., and they'll be able to get higher quality jobs. How will it help them to get higher paying jobs?

Post by prodmerc » Thu, Apr 14, 2016, 3:45 PM UTC

mrfusion wrote: post #26

Overtonwindow wrote: post #2

Negative. Those with money will fight like hell to keep from giving it up. However if by some chance/miracle a guaranteed income is ever instituted, it will become a political football, as politicians and advocacy groups seek to continuously push it higher and higher. Instead of a money handout, I would rather support money in exchange for public works and service. I don't believe handouts without some kind of exchan…

Social security is basic income for those over 65. It is a football like you say but no one has dramatically increased it for decades. Besides the looming shortfall it seems to be run fairly responsibly.

Post by branchless » Thu, Apr 14, 2016, 3:46 PM UTC

tgflynn wrote: post #37

It seems to me that the question of how to finance a UBI is probably the largest stumbling block. Of course it could be done through taxes but a lot of people have legitimate concerns about government taxation. For taxation to work you need a coercive government and many of us are very aware of the downsides of such an entity. Of course taxation isn't the only reason we have a coercive government there's also the war…