BEFORE2030 - A LIVABLE FUTURE For people, planet, and all life
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME (UBI)
Imagine: Every legal resident over 18 gets say, $1,000.00 a month tax free, whether working or not, in perpetuity. Is this shocking to you? One would hope that this would help secure people’s basic needs, not wants or frivolous buying. Do I hear you saying people won’t work and become lazy, etc., many have their objections to this, but it turns out, some have already experimented with UBI?
The idea has been around since antiquity, and in recent centuries has been considered in many forms including ‘negative income tax’ schemes. Now, there is great urgency with the maturation of full robot automation and the looming potential of AI disrupting even non-physical careers. This brings up the question: Is the bounty of the world only owned by the super-rich? There are deep moral questions to consider, whether the Earth’s resources may be regarded as ‘the commons,’ belonging to all. And going further, does ‘all’ include the non-human world of flora and fauna?
The transition to the new world of sustainability, deemed as essential here, let alone the loss of jobs mentioned above, will mean we’ll need this safety net. If justice and equity prevail in this new society, again, something akin to UBI will be necessary. There have been so many pilot projects around the world since the 1960s, anyone who wants to take a deep dive into the subject will find surprising results. It could lead to an increase in wellbeing, creativity and entrepreneurship, while reducing crime and drug abuse.
How will we pay for this? Look at the tax code. Since the 1980s, corporations and the ultra-rich have been writing their own tax percentages. When these taxes decrease the deficit increases, it may not be the direct result of government spending. What about the need for the public commons? Again, these lower taxes on corporations and the wealthy, hurt the funding of all public services. There is more than enough money to initiate UBI if the tax code becomes equitable. Would you like to live in a fair society? Those who have never lived paycheck to paycheck will probably not get this at all!
Further info:
Ailisa McKay, The Future of Social Security Policy: Women, Work and Citizen’s Basic Income, Routledge, 2005, ISBN 9781134287185
Basic Income Earth Network. https://basicincome.org
Evelyn L. forget, Basic Income for Canadians: From the COVID-19 Emergency to Financial Security for All.
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Imagine: Every legal resident over 18 gets say, $1,000.00 a month tax free, whether working or not, in perpetuity. Is this shocking to you? One would hope that this would help secure people’s basic needs, not wants or frivolous buying. Do I hear you saying people won’t work and become lazy, etc., many have their objections to this, but it turns out, some have already experimented with UBI?
The idea has been around since antiquity, and in recent centuries has been considered in many forms including ‘negative income tax’ schemes. Now, there is great urgency with the maturation of full robot automation and the looming potential of AI disrupting even non-physical careers. This brings up the question: Is the bounty of the world only owned by the super-rich? There are deep moral questions to consider, whether the Earth’s resources may be regarded as ‘the commons,’ belonging to all. And going further, does ‘all’ include the non-human world of flora and fauna?
The transition to the new world of sustainability, deemed as essential here, let alone the loss of jobs mentioned above, will mean we’ll need this safety net. If justice and equity prevail in this new society, again, something akin to UBI will be necessary. There have been so many pilot projects around the world since the 1960s, anyone who wants to take a deep dive into the subject will find surprising results. It could lead to an increase in wellbeing, creativity and entrepreneurship, while reducing crime and drug abuse.
How will we pay for this? Look at the tax code. Since the 1980s, corporations and the ultra-rich have been writing their own tax percentages. When these taxes decrease the deficit increases, it may not be the direct result of government spending. What about the need for the public commons? Again, these lower taxes on corporations and the wealthy, hurt the funding of all public services. There is more than enough money to initiate UBI if the tax code becomes equitable. Would you like to live in a fair society? Those who have never lived paycheck to paycheck will probably not get this at all!
Further info:
Ailisa McKay, The Future of Social Security Policy: Women, Work and Citizen’s Basic Income, Routledge, 2005, ISBN 9781134287185
Basic Income Earth Network. https://basicincome.org
Evelyn L. forget, Basic Income for Canadians: From the COVID-19 Emergency to Financial Security for All.
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