Universal Basic Income
I tried searching for a thread specifically about universal basic income and didn't find one... Someone feel free to direct me to said thread if it does exist.
I want to know what everyone's thoughts are on UBI. This is one of those things for me, as an American, having grown up poor and Catholic, just sounded absurd to me on my first take
Just give people money? I know and have always known people personally who abuse the welfare we already have.
So I definitely understand anyone who is hesitant or resistant to the idea.
That being said, as I listen to Andrew Yang and a few others lay out the case for UBI, I have to say I am considering it. The most powerful argument for it is the inevitable trend of automation, which is increasingly threatening more and more moderately skilled jobs.
It's estimated that in the next 10/20 years a good portion of truck drivers, one of America's top middle class jobs atm, will be replaced by self driving cars.
Are we going to tell the country's truck drivers what we told West Virginia's coal miners, learn to code? At what point does it seriously hit our economy if of these people suddenly have no or drastically less income?
Technology allows companies to continue to streamline the assembly of their products with the utmost efficiency, but they still need a vast consumer class to consume their products in order to be profitable. So it seems like the model we're currently running is unsustainable long term.
UBI is not supposed to replace income from working... But rather supplement it and allow for more opportunities to create a business, invest, etc. Because most people won't be content with $12,000 a year ( the proposed rate is $1000 per month).
Thoughts?