

What If Everybody Didn't Have to Work to Get Paid? - gregcrv
http://www.citylab.com/work/2015/05/what-if-everybody-didnt-have-to-work-to-get-paid/393545/

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11thEarlOfMar
$12,000/year per American adult who is not already on welfare or social
security would cost about $2 Trillion per year.

To put that into perspective, Social Security cost $1.3 Trillion in 2013. The
cost of all social welfare programs was $529 Billion. The GDP came in at
around 17 Trillion.

The US could afford it if we really wanted to. So what I'd like to hear are
the counter-arguments.

\- Is it inflationary? Prima facia, it has to be. But then it would also
increase the flow of money and put more people to work in places that the
$1,000 gets spent.

\- Is it fair? If every American receives it, regardless of their wealth, then
I don't see how it would be unfair.

\- Is it realistic politically? It seems that the US was pretty close to
something along these lines in the 60's[0] and Obama finally got universal
health care through. Perhaps it is realistic enough to at least put a true,
modern pilot program in place and convince ourselves one way or the other. It
really seems better than the alternative: Status quo for the homeless and the
poor.

A real value is that lower financial stress across the entire country would
free parents to focus more on raising their kids. Many, many social problems
subside when families do better.

So my question is, how can we construct a _valid_ experiment to convince
ourselves one way or the other that this will benefit society overall, and
provide enough value to actually do it?

[0] [http://www.remappingdebate.org/article/guaranteed-
income%E2%...](http://www.remappingdebate.org/article/guaranteed-
income%E2%80%99s-moment-sun)

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maxharris
_Is it fair? If every American receives it, regardless of their wealth, then I
don 't see how it would be unfair._

It's unfair to those that would have to pay into such a scheme. I work really
hard to earn the money you want to take from me.

If you want to give away your own money, go right ahead. As for the rest,
leave me alone! I'm neither your brother nor your keeper. I have my own life,
my own hopes and dreams, hobbies and plans, and I don't want any part of your
scam.

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stevoo
Although this idea i believe is great we are far from that. When we can
automate most of the living standard and provide free stuff instead of money
then we might be able to work for a small extra income to live out life the
way we want it.

Meaning that when automation can create food for everyone, then it will be
free. When we can create mass buildings with excellent living condition and be
given to the people that want them.

Then you will be free to do whatever your heart desires.

But i believe that this is a long time into the future and our generation
might never see this.

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MichaelCrawford
I haven't read the article yet but I gather this is about Universal Basic
Income.

Among my concerns is that most people require meaningful work for their lives
to be meaningful. Kurt Vonnegut's novel "Player Piano" depicts a society in
which only engineers and their managers have jobs, everyone else is provided
everything they require except something to do.

