It feels to me like I'm just a stones throw away from being out on the street sometimes. I'm doing okay now but this was not always the case and I feel very thankful that my life turned out the way it did. I have learned how in general to keep myself in a better place but I do not know what the future will bring.
I think a basic income or something of that nature, would go a long way towards solving some of these issues. There are many marginally employable people now. My view of people is not limited to how employable they are or how smart or how good looking... People are people and there are some pretty fundamental things that can help keep them functioning at a level where they can feel good enough about themselves to live in a better way.
the best way to help people is to help them help themselves, imo, giving them a job and not a fixed/rigid income (that is still poverty level) is a much better approach to changing lives. Just look at steemit for example, it's enabling people to help themselves and get rewarded for their efforts. It's innovation and jobs that can reduce poverty, government shuffling funds from one hand to the other doesn't get rid of the problem it just shifts it around.
At some point ones mental faculties can degrade to the point where it becomes unusually difficult to chase away the demons. I'm not saying that a job is not a good thing, however, there are times where society might be better served to at least make some people's lives a bit easier.
Oh, I concur that Steemit is wonderful, I'm just not that sure how well some people that panhandle on the street are going to be able to use it.
and in those cases, voluntary charity is a solution and billions of dollars every year are voluntarily given to a variety of causes. I think with a # of charitable organizations out there though (as is the case with the state), there is a lot of corruption , and that money doesn't get to where it needs to be in an honest way, maybe the executives of those organizations could just fly coach for example and save the extra and give it to even more people in need as is their intended purpose or goal supposedly in the first place. With the state, they maintain power by making sure they have as many victims as they can who they want to convince require their services. I think we could manage a much more civilized approach to helping those in need, I don't think we need to get coercion/theft/violence/force involved in the matter. 👌 but people helping people peacefully and voluntarily? that's just crazy talk.. i know 😆
I think if you welcome people and make them feel safe many problems will disappear. Most of these organizations have good intentions but there is a stigma involved in using them. Plus the problem with funding getting diverted through corruption as you say. A simple minimal payment to everyone could fix this. With more and more jobs disappearing through automation and AI I think something may eventually need to be done.
there are all sorts of jobs that can be done, and just because someone suffers with a mental illness doesn't render them incapable of providing value to the market! absolutely not.
Definitely, some people with mental illness are very productive. There is however, all manner of abilities out there. I personally don't consider it an illness and it isn't really suffering (or it doesn't have to be). Many indigenous cultures treat the so called 'mentally ill' much differently.
Forcing someone to function normally when they are on some odd vision quest and relating to reality differently is doing them a disservice in my mind. It is better to let them have a minimum of support until they can get back to reality enough to do some service back for you (job). At that point they might just solve some usual problems.
However, innovation will make "jobs" obsolete. And that is a good thing. I think the blockchain is going to create more abundance then this planet has ever seen before. Millions of currencies as opposed to the debt based currency which enslaves the entire world. Poverty is a systems problem...
I don't think so 👌. I think also the more life skills one aquires, the more they are going to position themselves to have a variety of options available to them when it comes to finding a job (which is essentially just providing value to another human being in the market).
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/aug/17/technology-created-more-jobs-than-destroyed-140-years-data-census
So I 3d print my car, house, food. Do I still need a job? All my needs are provided. And I'm creating value for myself which makes me self sustainable.
you need to pay for the materials for that 3d printer.. and you need electricity for that 3d printer.. and if that printer breaks and u dont know how to fix it? you need something of value to trade with someone who does know how to fix it for you (a medium of exchange/"money"). What is the car going to run on? Are you going to mine for oil yourself and then turn it into gas? or is the 3d printer going to print you a solar powered car? etc... so yeah, I think you'll still be needing some sort of medium of exchange and way of providing value to others in order to get that. :)
There is a better way. You'll see. I've figured it out already...And I played every scenario in my head on how to make it work. ;)
also depending on where you are living if gov is still around, they'll be wanting to use force to be sure you are hooked up to their "system" and paying all the right dues lol
Not worried about our neighborhood politicians. Their ways are already obsolete..LOL..And thanks for the brainstorming..
poverty is a value problem.
Basic Income = Take from a small pool of productive people, give to everyone whether they want it or not. ZERO voluntary about that.
Tax System - Take disproportionately from the poor and give to the rich. Plutocracy - Rule by the rich. Not very voluntary either.
All those issues point toward the government abusing power. The obvious solution is much much less government power.
BTW the tax system doesn't take from the poor to give to the rich. It takes from the poor and rich to give to the government to give it more power. Must stop feeding the beast.
Sure, but the poor pay a greater share of their earnings through sales tax, real estate tax and employment tax. The rich don't pay as much employment tax because most of their earnings are through capital gains which are taxed at a lower rate. They also don't pay as much sales tax because there is only so much a person can consume. Business income can often be funneled through off shore accounts to avoid higher domestic tax rates. Hired accountants for the rich can often find other tax discounts.
Yes, there is an abuse of power but imho it stems more from a system that awards eight people the equivalent wealth of the lower half of humanity. Power and corruption will always have the upper hand when there are poor and desperate people willing to work for little to nothing.
I'm all for reducing government power. A fully functioning autonomous, informed populace should require little to no governing.
Then we have common ground. Dump the taxes, dump the government, let people be free and associate voluntarily!
Right on! And circulate the money through Steemit, it's become of a form of basic income, lol. :)
If YOU want to spread YOUR wealth around voluntarily to a set of people, I am fully in support!