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Small-scale experiments with giving people money on top of all other benefits and without a fundamental shift in national economic planning are about as meaningful as what a dog's turds might spell on the ground.
This is an age-old argument, for sure.
We all know both kinds of people: The kind that can't work - and the kind that won't work.
For type #1, I'm all for helping, and I can be very generous. For type #2 - you're right - they're not worth bothering about.
Now, if it were a 90/10 split - I doubt you would need to discuss it. But most folks "feel" like it's more the other way - 10/90. Some people who are not bustin their a$$ simply cannot. Physical or Mental limitations beyond attitude. But many - many - more people suffer only from a bad attitude.
I realize that sounds "bad" of me - i really don't know how you find that stat, or if you did, how it would be "believed." I don't know ANYONE in group #2...who doesn't believe they are actually in group #1. So short of a one-on-one intervention, door to door, kinda hard to know who needs help and who's just milking the cash cow.
True, but the idea behind UBI is that, with rising automation, there eventually won't be enough jobs to go around to provide even a subsistence level to many.
Trust me, you'd much rather pay more taxes and have a bunch of happy, well-fed unemployed people than you would pay less but have a bunch of unhappy, hungry unemployed people.
If you are implying that unemployed people with no money will turn to crimes, well that's why we have the police and jails.
However, police and jails are very expensive. If it costs less to feed poor people than it does to hire more police and build more prisons, than I am open to the spirit of UBI.
The trouble with people on welfare is they often have many children so they can keep on collecting. Perhaps recipients of benefits can be encouraged or motivated to participate in some sterilization program. This would be prudent social and fiscal planning.
And despite being an absolutely wonderful boogeyman for the right and those who think Socialism has four letters, the mess that is Venezuela traces to far more common roots than their nominal economic system.
If you are implying that unemployed people with no money will turn to crimes, well that's why we have the police and jails.
However, police and jails are very expensive. If it costs less to feed poor people than it does to hire more police and build more prisons, than I am open to the spirit of UBI.
I'm not implying that unemployed people will "turn to crimes." I'm implying that unemployed people will turn into mobs.
People with nothing to lose tend to act like people with nothing to lose.
Socialists hate UBI... Socialists want the workplace and society to be democratic but a UBI isn't socialism. Claiming Venezuela had a non means tested universal cash payment to every citizen when that is patently false reveals your ignorance about the country and about what UBI is.
Give them $1,000 per month, and soon they will complain for more.
Give them $4,000 per month, and soon they will complain for more. The number of illegals sneaking in to get on the gravy train will surge.
Give them $10,000 per month, and soon they will complain for more. Everyone will quit their jobs to sit at home and play computer games. The tax base will shrink to nothing.
It is a slippery slope and many, no doubt, will be happy to slide down it.
The effect of UBI reminds me of a Rip Van Winkle joke. The joke predates cell phones, so please keep that in mind.
Rip Van Winkle wakes up from a 50 year nap. He makes his way to town and asks a store keeper what year it is. When told that 50 years has passed since he last checked his banking account, he goes to pay phone to call up the bank.
"How much is in my account?", he asks the telephone clerk after giving his details.
"Fiftyfive million dollars," is the answer.
"Wow!" exclaims Rip. Just then the operator comes on the line.
"For another two minutes, please deposit 5 million dollars," the operator replies.
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