It's been quiet lately under the #basicincome tag, so I thought I might try and stimulate a bit of discussion. Not least because of the potential cryptocurrencies offer to the implementation of a universal basic income (UBI).
I've previously written about the intersection of cryptocurrencies, monetary policy and economic revolution in an earlier UBI article centred on Iceland. @Scottsantens is another author to check out on the subject. He has a heap of information about all aspects of UBI.
So, what are your views on a UBI? Are you for it, against it, or unsure? Let us know your thoughts, and if you've got questions about the subject feel free to ask them.
Personally I'm always intrigued, and more so dismayed, by the opposition to a UBI. In the same way that support for a UBI stretches across the ideological landscape, so too does opposition. I'd estimate that the major opposition to it comes from free market capitalist who see a UBI as socialist redistribution. Yet, you also can see opposition to it from revolutionary socialists who see it as propping up capitalism and prolonging its inevitable death. To be honest, while not being a revolutionary socialist, I suspect their line of reasoning is closer to a truth. A UBI is without a doubt a life raft for capitalism. Without UBI capitalism will fail. Without a cashed up consumer class, there will be no one to buy the products and services that capitalism provides. So I'd say to those that are opposed to UBI for reasons of 'socialist redistribution', what are your alternatives to sustain capitalism in this age of a disappearing middle class? I'd say to you, doing nothing isn't an alternative.
Share your thoughts and questions. Let's get UBI back on the trending pages of steemit!
Very interesting topic! I suspect that ubi isnt enough - there are still problems of unsustainability in the production system and our general relationship with over consumption.
I am all for experimentation though - would be great to get real data from a few different societies.
Yeah, this is my only real fear about a ubi. That it will just enable an unsustainable and destructive system to continue. I don't know what a realistic alternative is, though. I do think, though, that a move away from the primacy of GDP and frankly fairytale notions of what money is and how it works will help us move towards sustainability. I think the cryptocurrency experiment is really important in this, as long as it isn't co-opted into the service of an ultra capitalist agenda.
I personally am very optimistic - there are great solutions being developed and tested all over the world for the myriad of problems that we face as a global society.
Keep developing and testing; stay solution-focused!
I wrote a bit here a while back about some of my thoughts, we are working on sustainable development in the developing world, the path of the developed world might be a bit different.
Great dialogue, will keep an eye on this tag!
Universal Basic Income seems like an interesting idea to me, but one concern I have is whether other costs in the economy would expand to "fill the space" that it creates. For example, if rents and housing prices simply increase to absorb the incomes then people are in a roughly similar economic position but we've created a flow of money to landowners.
Seems quite possible to do with an SMT. I have the domain name "basicincometoken.org"
Yeah, I'm keeping my eye on SMT development. Could be perfect for a ubi token. I'm considering kicking off a novel token on top of the blockchain in the meantime.
I dont know. But to me it seems kinda like snakeoil to me. But im not sure.
You see i live in Denmark and here we have a similar thing. Its called kontanthjælp ( cash help or something like that). The state helps you with the mortage with bills and with good old cash in your pocket. Has been in existance seen 1976 but it has only created a drain in the economy high taxes and a stream of people who are stuck in their lower economic caste.
https://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/coming_to_dk/permanent-residence-permit/public-assistance.htm
da.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kontanthjælp
Im baffled there isnt a english wikipage on this.
Congratulations @revo! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOP