All of the problems Universal Basic Income can solve that have nothing to do with unemployment

[applegrove]

All of the problems Universal Basic Income can solve that have nothing to do with unemployment

by Olivia Goldhill a Quartz

http://qz.com/667208/all-of-the-problems-universal-basic-income-can-solve-that-have-nothing-to-do-with-unemployment/

"SNIP.............


Others are less convinced that there would be such a sharp drop in working hours, but nevertheless believe that UBI would reduce the working week. Currently, most people can’t afford to leave a job without worrying about being destitute, points out Jason Murphy, assistant professor of philosophy at Elms College in Massachusetts, who serves on the US Basic Income Guarantee Network Committee. “Having UBI means more negotiating power all around,” he says in an interview.

As well as increasing leisure time, working less could be a massive step towards reducing the pace of climate change. Bregman points to studies suggesting that working less would half the amount of CO2 (pdf) emitted this century. After all, countries with shorter working weeks have smaller environmental footprints (pdf).

“It’s pretty obvious why,” says Bregman in an interview. “We’re using most of our wealth and increased productivity in the form of more consumption.” We work more to spend more—on travel, cars, trips to the mall, exotic food, and many other products that harm the environment.

Murphy adds that more employees will have the negotiating power to insist on a job closer to their home. “A lot of carbon generation comes from commuting to work,” he says.


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[Hydra]

1. I'm advocating hard for this idea

And a lot of people are scared of it- they're afraid someone else will have it easier than them, or that the sacredness of work is at stake.

Things are still moving in various places in the world- just like legalization, it's going to take places that implement it and not having the world end when they do.

[roamer65]

2. As long as the middle class doesn't have to bear the tax burden.

It should come from significantly increased taxed on the wealthy.

[Hydra]

3. We already subsidize the 1% for all the money this would cost

It's just a matter of taking their free toys away. They're just using it to buy our gov't anyway.

[erpowers]

4. Do Not Support That Reason

I do not support Universal Basic Income as a way to get more people to work less. In the past I did not support universal Basic Income, but I am moving closer to supporting the idea. However, I only support it as a way to help people get on their feet.

To start, I think the government should give low income people between the ages of 18-24 $1,000 per month for 4 years. They could use the money to do anything they want, but they would be encouraged to use the money to improve their lives. Hopefully, they would use the money to get some form of a college degree, get some type of skill that would allow them to either get a job, or get a better/higher paying job, and/or buy clothes, or other items that would help them, or allow them to get a job.

If the government wants people to have more time to spend with families, or more time to go to the movies they could just reduce the work week to four days. Either leave the work week at 32 hours, or make people work 10 hours a day.

[applegrove]

6. Robots and computers will be putting tons more people out of work. That is why we need

Last edited Tue Apr 26, 2016, 03:09 AM - Edit history (1)

to study basic income. Investment bankers, diagnostic people in medicine, educators and others will soon be replaced by technology. There will be more free time. And need for equality.

[FLPanhandle]

5. You would have to control illegal immigration first.

Otherwise the flood of people coming in to take advantage of it would bankrupt the country.

[applegrove]

7. Illegals don't typically get welfare today so I doubt they would have access

to a basic income plan.