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Unconditional Cash Study: first findings available

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Re: Unconditional Cash Study: first findings available

#641

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No that's not what you're saying, you're saying that they live easily and have no incentive to work, which I'm arguing against. You also said this lack of incentive to work is causing inflation, which I'm also arguing against. Now I agree with you that even though their live is still tough, they are still very lucky to live in Germany as opposed to many other places on earth. But that wasn't the topic and you moved t…

> No that's not what you're saying, you're saying that they live easily and have no incentive to work Well you‘re free to quote me on that. I haven‘t been saying this at all. > which I'm arguing against. No, you’re arguing for falsehoods. Posters here are stating that things that are covered aren‘t and that people on Bürgergeld live in abhorrent poverty, which is demonstrably untrue. > You also said this lack of ince…

And here an example of someone starving because Hartz IV being cut: https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article818850/Hartz-IV-Empfa...

Yes, that's not a common case, but it happens.

Here an article about 5.5 million Germans not being able to pay for heating:

https://www.deutschlandfunknova.de/beitrag/armut-5-5-million...

Re: Unconditional Cash Study: first findings available

#642
post #521
post #460

The problem with this kind of test is that the people still live in a society where cheap labor is available to the companies around them that provide them with all the goods and services that they like to purchase with those $1000 (or whatever free amount they've gotten). Germany shifted to a system that is as close to a basic income as you can currently imagine. There are some strings attached, but considerably les…

That's not exactly correct. The bürgergeld was planned to be a kind of basic income, but that part of it was axed. The conditions that apply move it to exactly the same social security money that existed before. There is also statistically no existing move from work to existence supported by bürgergeld. It's just propaganda when that's claimed.

This.

Re: Unconditional Cash Study: first findings available

#643
post #495
post #460

The problem with this kind of test is that the people still live in a society where cheap labor is available to the companies around them that provide them with all the goods and services that they like to purchase with those $1000 (or whatever free amount they've gotten). Germany shifted to a system that is as close to a basic income as you can currently imagine. There are some strings attached, but considerably les…

This is the best critique of UBI I've ever seen (which is a little sad). I don't remember ever reading anything about the second-order effects before.

> I don't remember ever reading anything about the second-order effects before.

That's because it's BS.

Re: Unconditional Cash Study: first findings available

#644

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No that's not what you're saying, you're saying that they live easily and have no incentive to work, which I'm arguing against. You also said this lack of incentive to work is causing inflation, which I'm also arguing against. Now I agree with you that even though their live is still tough, they are still very lucky to live in Germany as opposed to many other places on earth. But that wasn't the topic and you moved t…

> No that's not what you're saying, you're saying that they live easily and have no incentive to work Well you‘re free to quote me on that. I haven‘t been saying this at all. > which I'm arguing against. No, you’re arguing for falsehoods. Posters here are stating that things that are covered aren‘t and that people on Bürgergeld live in abhorrent poverty, which is demonstrably untrue. > You also said this lack of ince…

> Well you‘re free to quote me on that.

You're right I mistook you and nkmnz from whom you defended the original argument.

> and that people on Bürgergeld live in abhorrent poverty, which is demonstrably untrue.

It's only untrue if you define “abhorrent” as worse as everywhere. But that's not a good criteria because then the entirety of the world population today is affluent by even 1800 standards, and most European people in 1800 were themselves in a very good situation compared to Paleolithic humans. So of course people can survive with much less but that doesn't mean these people are suffering. It's as saying to someone with a missing foot that he's OK since others have lost both legs.

People living on social welfare are definitely struggling and only ascetic people would put themselves voluntarily under such a standard of living. And evidently pretty much anyone claiming it's not a harsh life isn't willing to live with so little.

> think people on Bürgergeld starve, are in dire need of heating and live in depressed states for lack of funding.

Skipping meal is routine, and mental health issues are indeed a problem for those people. You are the one lying to yourself.

Re: Unconditional Cash Study: first findings available

#645
post #641

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No that's not what you're saying, you're saying that they live easily and have no incentive to work Well you‘re free to quote me on that. I haven‘t been saying this at all. > which I'm arguing against. No, you’re arguing for falsehoods. Posters here are stating that things that are covered aren‘t and that people on Bürgergeld live in abhorrent poverty, which is demonstrably untrue. > You also said this lack of ince…

And here an example of someone starving because Hartz IV being cut: https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article818850/Hartz-IV-Empfa... Yes, that's not a common case, but it happens. Here an article about 5.5 million Germans not being able to pay for heating: https://www.deutschlandfunknova.de/beitrag/armut-5-5-million...

You‘re really going to make your point with an Article from 2007 of a mentally ill man that didn‘t even answer his letters from the Arbeitsamt? He didn‘t even apply for aid. Also, you never have to go hungry in Germany. Anyone can go to a Suppenküche and get meals for free.

Your other article is from 2022, the middle of the Ukraine war which caused an incredible explosion in heating costs. There is no mention of welfare there. Even then, if you actually read the stats behind it, Germany was still in the top 3 EU wide by a far margin. Also, as per the Statistisches Bundesamt, the people polled gave self assessed answers in these polls. There is no information to be found on the severity or degree of how many funds they were lacking, or even what „enough heating“ is supposed to mean. Bit disappointing to be honest.

These articles do not support your point at all. What even is your point? Are you even German? You‘re discussing from a point of severe misinformation. I really don‘t get your agenda here.

Re: Unconditional Cash Study: first findings available

#646
post #640

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No that's not what you're saying, you're saying that they live easily and have no incentive to work Well you‘re free to quote me on that. I haven‘t been saying this at all. > which I'm arguing against. No, you’re arguing for falsehoods. Posters here are stating that things that are covered aren‘t and that people on Bürgergeld live in abhorrent poverty, which is demonstrably untrue. > You also said this lack of ince…

Given the full thread, you claimed both things here: >> It is free money for everyone. Everyone obviously excluding the people who work full-time and who are paying taxes so that "everyone" can live of Bürgergeld. > Oh wow, the exact thing people have been saying would happen has happened. Turn's out Quasi-UBI is a drain on tax paying citizens after all. Amazing.

The first one is not my statement, but a direct quote from the top poster.

The second comment makes no statement about it being free and easy. Just that UBI money is being largely spent on leisure activities. It also is a drain on taxes.

Nowhere there do I talk about easiness or inflation - at all. On the contrary, you‘ve been alerted of your easily disproven statements multiple times in this thread and not just by me. Let‘s keep being civil about this though.

Re: Unconditional Cash Study: first findings available

#647

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No that's not what you're saying, you're saying that they live easily and have no incentive to work Well you‘re free to quote me on that. I haven‘t been saying this at all. > which I'm arguing against. No, you’re arguing for falsehoods. Posters here are stating that things that are covered aren‘t and that people on Bürgergeld live in abhorrent poverty, which is demonstrably untrue. > You also said this lack of ince…

> Well you‘re free to quote me on that. You're right I mistook you and nkmnz from whom you defended the original argument. > and that people on Bürgergeld live in abhorrent poverty, which is demonstrably untrue. It's only untrue if you define “abhorrent” as worse as everywhere. But that's not a good criteria because then the entirety of the world population today is affluent by even 1800 standards, and most European…

> It's only untrue if you define “abhorrent” as worse as everywhere

> So of course people can survive with much less but that doesn't mean these people are suffering.

I‘d argue that as long as you‘re surviving entirely on someone else‘s money without being forced to work, you can argue for my point. Think about this: Never before in history did you have the chance to rely entirely upon the effort of others for your basic human needs. In almost no other country on earth can you survive with most of your needs met just because you happen to live there, even if you‘re not born there. This is insane privilege.

> And evidently pretty much anyone claiming it's not a harsh life isn't willing to live with so little

Nope, sorry. You‘re saying this from a privileged western perspective.

I‘m not comparing humans of the past, I‘m comparing it with the huge majority of people living on earth, right now. A person living on German welfare is so far removed from the average poor Afghan farmer, people in Favelas living in poverty , Ethiopians living under warlord rule or even the average poor person in the US they might as well be royalty. And again, welfare isn‘t supposed to provide an entirely struggle free life. It‘s supposed to have you meet your basic human needs. We give our people so much more than that. Public schooling, free access to public pools, additional housing money in cities, free internet for people on welfare, and a car. It’s delusional if one thinks that‘s still not enough.

Skipping meals is not routine, that‘s untrue as well. We have soup kitchens here. I’ve been there myself as a poor student.

Re: Unconditional Cash Study: first findings available

#648

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Are these people better than those in Gaza? Sure but their life is still insanely hard. They are better off than 95-99%% of the world's population. Put this into perspective. I've seen incredible poverty in this world. Our people are largely ungrateful and have lost the point entirely. > You said you lived this way for the first 18 years of your life, then ask your parents how much sacrifices they made so you can f…

> They are better off than 95-99%% of the world's population Who themselves are miles ahead the entirely of work population that ever lived on this planet before XXth century, but that doesn't make their life any better, does it? > Our people are largely ungrateful and have lost the point entirely. You aren't entitled any gratitude from people, especially not on the basis that there lives is being made a bit less mis…

> Who themselves are miles ahead the entirely of work population that ever lived on this planet before XXth century, but that doesn't make their life any better, does it?

Eh. I‘d argue the average dirt poor Indian right now isn‘t far off from your 1800‘s Chinese rice farmer.

> You aren't entitled any gratitude from people, especially not on the basis that there lives is being made a bit less miserable because of policies you oppose.

This is untrue and I‘m not sure where you’ve made this observation. I wholly support these policies for German people. I have voted for a lot of them in the past and I‘m not a conservative. I love my country and the people in it and I voted progressive in every election I could.

Which is why I‘m getting angry when people spread straight lies that our people on welfare here in my country regularly go without food or live in awful states of disarray and poverty. We provide so much to people and I‘m proud of it. But I‘m also realistic in the way that we can‘t provide this level of welfare to just any outsider, and that welfare is not supposed to provide a life of leisure activity.

> I'm not arguing the opposite, but you did insist that these people lived comfortably. This is obviously BS and I'm glad to see you're retracting it now.

Nowhere in this thread did I state such a thing. I merely said they and their children their basic needs met, which is true. I‘m sitting in my office right now while my partner - an elementary school teacher - fills out forms for the kids in her class with parents on welfare, for them to be provided with any needed materials and money for overnight school trips. I love this. This is good. I didn’t have the privilege when I was a child. How are these people struggling exactly? They live in Munich, the most expensive city here, in one of the most expensive parts of the city, on welfare.

> , you started this conversation with factual lies (which, on the opposite, isn't OK) about people “easily living” on welfare.

Prove where I said anything about easy living. Quote me. It‘s you who is lying and I‘m getting annoyed by this conversation.

> I give you the benefit of the doubt that you did not make this lie on purpose by yourself, and given that this is a recurrent trope of right wing politicians on TV, it's fair to assume that's where it came from.

Nice resort to ad hominems. Note that I have spared you these baseless attacks. I would have expected you to keep this standard up as well. How disappointing. Maybe consider that differing opinions are not always propaganda you might read in the Bild, but sometimes come from people‘s real experiences.

I came out of this system and fought my way out of it. You‘re denying me not only these anecdotes but you and other posters in this thread also argue against information that can be easily found on our official webpages for welfare, all because you assume I‘m some kind of far right idiot. I‘m a bit sad for you honestly.

Re: Unconditional Cash Study: first findings available

#649

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's just another assumption you're adding into the ring. I see no reason why UBI would replace disability. It wouldn't even make sense to. They solve different problems.

really? How are they different? I thought the point was the same: make sure people have enough income to survive without working. Why does the reason for them not working change how much they need to live?

People are still expected to work with UBI. Disability is for people whose ability to work is impacted. They don't even have the option to work, or must do so to a lower degree than previously able.

That being said, I can see the argument to reduce disability in the event of UBI.

Re: Unconditional Cash Study: first findings available

#650
post #634

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It makes you work shy because unless you have a high paying job, it doesn't make sense to work. $3k with tons of free time all week. Or add working for $3k extra money by giving up all your free time? Not worth it. Unless of course apartments become $5k a month since that's about the money that a person on UBI plus a bad job has..

Why does that logic not apply to those on higher incomes? Have a job with a free-market rate of $100/hr? Why not work for only 30 hrs a week? Also, UBI levels are never proposed at $3k/week ($150k/yr), but rather at about $250/wk ($13k/yr), or only 2-3 hours of work per week for the $100/hr guy.

The 3k was per month... Just using the common phrase of working all week with only weekends off to show the comparison.
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