Live data from Hacker News

Universal Basic Income is Capitalism 2.0

timjrobinson.com

91–100 of 1001 posts

Re: Universal Basic Income is Capitalism 2.0

#91
post #30

Won’t it just be negated with increased cost of living? If people get 1000 a month free, you better believe that rent starts at 1000. The free money will never do what it’s supposed to do in the long run. It’s better to just give the actual service for free (healthcare, college, transportation).

Is that totally guaranteed though? It’s important to remember that the landlords as well will be getting the 1000$ UBI. So yes, there will be landlords starting their rent at $1000, but there will also be landlords who start lower because they too have become more enriched from the UBI and don’t need to squeeze the margins as much anymore.

>landlords as well will be getting the 1000$ UBI

They get it and then it is instantly removed via taxes so their overall profits from UBI were $0. The only difference between UBI and unemployment/welfare is you don't have to apply for it, its simply calculated and distributed by the tax system.

Re: Universal Basic Income is Capitalism 2.0

#93

Won’t it just be negated with increased cost of living? If people get 1000 a month free, you better believe that rent starts at 1000. The free money will never do what it’s supposed to do in the long run. It’s better to just give the actual service for free (healthcare, college, transportation).

Won’t it just be negated with increased cost of living?

Not unless landlords collude to fix prices. Competition will keep prices down, the same way that gas isn't always $4/gallon even though people will buy almost as much at that price as at $1.

Re: Universal Basic Income is Capitalism 2.0

#94
post #50

UBI isn't free money. It's working for the government. You better do as the government tells you, or you're not getting your UBI payment this month. This can easily be abused.

This is pretty much the only counter argument you need to dismiss the whole concept.

Re: Universal Basic Income is Capitalism 2.0

#95
post #21

> Even the most hardcore anti-capitalists have to give respect to how the combination of capitalism and technology has worked to lift most of the world out poverty and provided us with the security and comfort only kings enjoyed just a few century’s ago. no, we fucking don't.

Having air conditioning and modern medicine as well as clothes not patched together from potato sacks brings you pretty close to king level of comfort.

Re: Universal Basic Income is Capitalism 2.0

#96
post #7

In the event we did go socialist, UBI would be a much more effective way to allocate goods and services than a centrally managed economy. Let people determine what they need most, and use 'credits' to get it -- save the paperwork for less ordinary needs / circumstances. That said, I prefer capitalism.

What tortured definition of 'socialist' includes a privately owned and operated market economy?

Social democracy[0]?

[0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy

Re: Universal Basic Income is Capitalism 2.0

#97

I can’t help but think that UBI would distort job markets. Let’s pick an example of a “sucky job” (and I say this as just an example, I realize these guys work hard and are vital). A garbage man. He get’s paid $42k a year because they have to find people who would be willing to do this sucky job and need to pay higher than minimum wage to do so. At some point of income, people would be willing to accept the suckiness…

Or it would force people to rethink garbage collection.

Re: Universal Basic Income is Capitalism 2.0

#99
post #62

UBI is extremely dangerous as long as governments exist. Take what China is doing with their citizen score and it's not hard to imagine what could go wrong. "...imagine how easy it would be for such a government that was also providing a basic income to its citizens to manipulate their citizens based on that basic income that they depended on. If they can deny citizens access to things like public transportation base…

Do you feel the same way about foodstamps? This isn't an argument against UBI, it's an argument against any kind of government provided assistance at all.

The proper analogy would be universal food stamps, rather than need-based, where everyone would begin to rely on the government for food.

If that's the case, then I would personally feel the same way!

Post reply on HN