Guaranteed Minimum Income Revisited

[DAMANgoldberg]

Some background from an archived DU conversation about the topic. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3817932

The reason for this post is a story that I normally don't link to or post from my Facebook feed, but it's from a MSM news source. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/cfo-food-stamps-controversial-viral-video/story?id=29533695. A gentleman used his "free speech" rights to criticize the actions of Chick-Fil-A during their Anti-Gay phase (which is still on as far as I know) and has been effectively banished from employment for life, a term that used to be called blackballed. Not excusing what he did, but if our digital lives including posts in this forum where scrutinized, I don't see how very few people would get hired for any position. And don't be 45 or over, that opens a whole another can of worms. Having a guaranteed living income, which can be afforded, but it's not in TPTB's best interest, would allow some measure of security and lifestyle that would allow talented people to serve in different environments without the fear of losing it all.

My personal situation is I am a medical wreck @ 50. How it got to this point is not the subject here and there will be much machinations about personal responsibility and whatnot; that is not a fruitful argument that changes the situation right now. The race of the clock in doing as much medical healing as insurance will allow until I run out of money to pay the premiums or get healthy enough to be employed at my age is one that a smart country should never puts its citizens in that state.

I don't have the answers, but I do know this is possible with the right choices to be made and would be gratified to see it come to light. Our current economic system with selected choices employer's make is not sustainable nor will it end well for anyone. We can and must do better.

[Hugin]

1. Excellent topic for discussion!

I especially recommend reading the DU thread linked in the OP.

Of course, right out of the gate in those replies someone plays the inflation card. Inflation could easily be delt with by implementing price controls on staples. An anathema to the owner class, because it would create a powerful government and reduce the owners main income stream which is based on gouging labor.

[Warpy]

2. What our Puritan culture fails to realize is that some people are unfit for work

and a lot of the time, the disabilities are invisible ones like chronic depression, borderline mental issues, and debilitating autoimmune diseases. Abandoned mothers with small children are already working at full capacity and adding a paid job to that never works well for either.

I've always said they needed to ask why multi generational welfare families existed instead of merely cutting off their income. They never did that. They would have been very surprised by some of the things they found which have been obvious to me over my years in health care.

Of course, we'll need to sell the idea of raising wages, first. With higher wages creating another boom economy, it will be easier to sell taking care of people who are unfit for work with an income floor.

[Hugin]

5. Yep, much of our modern suffering can be traced directly to Cavinist doctrine.

A single mother trying to raise her children to be good citizens is evil and a person who through being in the right place at the right time more than anything else is so obscenely wealthy they will never be able to spend even half of it is "divine"... I mean, really? We aught to be ashamed of ourselves for allowing this system to continue.

[mother earth]

3. Universal basic income would change so much for so many & correct a tremendous amount of ills, it's

an out-of-the-box way of thinking, so, of course, we are not ready for it. We keep repeating all the mistakes over and over like we might get different results.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017248076

[DAMANgoldberg]

4. If the idea of societal growth is desired...

then it would seem to be in the best interest not to leave anyone behind. Of course, that would mean some people with more money than they could ever do anything with discover that it's not enough. So the selfish act by this small collective of TPTB institutions are more important than the rest of the world put together? There is not enough moats, body armor, security forces, or other measures to protect them from all of their subjects and the rest of us as well.