Are you for or against Universal Basic Income (UBI)?
@NewWorldOptimist (184)
11 responses
@porwest (78761)
• United States
15 Nov 20
For me, UBI is one of the most ridiculous ideas anyone has ever come up with. I look around me at all of the technology and advancements we have made, and know full well that without the desire of profit, none of these things would exist, and we'd still be living in caves.
4 people like this
@NewWorldOptimist (184)
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15 Nov 20
@porwest Yes, many have come from the desire for profit. But, as I mentioned in my other reply, many more have come from the passion for innovation and solving problems. So, as AI, Quantum Computing, transhumanism, and space mining/colonization automate the vast majority of jobs away, what do you expect people to do? This isn't like the car automating away the carriage-makers and creating new jobs. The only jobs available soon will be cross-disciplinary with high-level skills. In time, even those will come under the rule of AI.
3 people like this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
15 Nov 20
@NewWorldOptimist I don't believe any of that. We do not lose jobs overall. We actually just gain new professions. Someone still has to maintain automation, and advance it, run it...
It's a shift is all. Think about history and the kinds of jobs that no longer exist today. We still have jobs. Just different ones.
@NewWorldOptimist (184)
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15 Nov 20
@porwest I encourage you to look into self-healing materials, robots that fix themselves, and other tech advancements. AI is already writing code for itself. This shift is unlike anything humanity has ever endured. Have you ever seen the robots at Boston Dynamics? They are becoming more agile than most humans. Take a look at their YouTube videos.
@florelway (23107)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
16 Nov 20
Welcome to the site. Just heard of this. What's the core idea of a universal basic income?
1 person likes this
@florelway (23107)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
17 Nov 20
@NewWorldOptimist this will be hard to implement in our country because our government has no sufficient money to fund this program. What should be done is create another form of employment to those displaced workers.
1 person likes this
@NewWorldOptimist (184)
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17 Nov 20
@florelway Or, the people can band together and create Universal Basic Means of Production programs in their neighborhoods:
1 person likes this
@NewWorldOptimist (184)
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16 Nov 20
Thank you! Glad to be here. The basic idea behind it is to alleviate poverty. Different programs around the world have been implemented for different reasons. For this example, I am asking about UBI to help people who lose their jobs to automation.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (37933)
• Philippines
16 Nov 20
For now that may not be feasible yet when government would still depend on taxes to earn and function well. If UBI is implemented even those that do not work will be paid and eventually become a burden for the government supporting them. Population if growing so I think it will bankrupt the coffers to pay everyone their wages.
@rsa101 (37933)
• Philippines
16 Nov 20
@NewWorldOptimist Maybe for First World countries that have enough money to afford it then it’s okay. But for third world countries it will be a struggle to implement.
@NewWorldOptimist (184)
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16 Nov 20
@rsa101 Actually, a few third world countries are considering it to boost their citizens out of poverty or face inevitable demise. The Philippines is considering it, as well. Perhaps you could lend your voice to it!
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2020/05/07/2012297/universal-guaranteed-income
1 person likes this
@NewWorldOptimist (184)
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16 Nov 20
Understandable. However, there are other ways to fund it. A Federal Land Dividend, for example, that is similar to Alaska's PFD. Use it as a stepping stone for Universal Basic Means of Production programs where people can use tech to create many of the things they need, and the burden is significantly reduced.
1 person likes this
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
16 Nov 20
I think too many things have become automatic like cash desks in supermarket and machines in libraries. It means companies can employ less people. Unemployed people need a benefit in order to live. In England the new benefit is called Universal Credit.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73368)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
17 Nov 20
Sorry I have not heard about this I will just read what the others say
1 person likes this
@Bensen32 (27509)
• United States
15 Nov 20
Is that the thing they are saying is money for those who can't or don't want to work they will get a monthly payment from the government? I am against that. The money has to come from somewhere and that means those of us who do work will paying a lot more in taxes. I don't care to give my money to those who are unable or unwilling to work.
@Bensen32 (27509)
• United States
15 Nov 20
@NewWorldOptimist I guess if they find a way to pay lazy people without taking it out of my pocket I would probably be fine with it.
@NewWorldOptimist (184)
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15 Nov 20
@Bensen32 How is someone being lazy if their job is automated away?
1 person likes this
@NewWorldOptimist (184)
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15 Nov 20
@Bensen32 What about switching it up so that the money doesn't come from taxing the people? What about *leasing* the federal lands the government currently sells? A federal land dividend. Similar to Alaska's PFD. Each Alaskan gets a portion of the profits from oil companies drilling for oil. Could do the same for the rest of the US.
1 person likes this
@mythociate (21437)
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
16 Nov 20
Against.
If a machine can do your job better than you, learn how to operate the machine (or how to do your job BETTER than the machine!)
@WorDazza (15833)
• Manchester, England
15 Nov 20
When I first began studying Computer Science back in 1979 we were being told that by the year 2000 computers would be performing most jobs and we would be enjoying a much more leisure based society. Clearly the opposite has become true. Technology has merely made us accessible to employers 24/7.
This is exactly how I see things going with future technological improvements. As new technology becomes commonplace new professions and new job opportunities will emerge and technology, rather than being used to make our lives easier, will be used to ensure we're doing what we should be doing in our working lives.
I'm 55 now. I can't see humans being made redundant in the workplace in my lifetime.
@lookatdesktop (27129)
• Dallas, Texas
17 Nov 20
https://www.thebalance.com/universal-basic-income-4160668
@just4him (305965)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
16 Nov 20
I've only briefly heard of it. I don't know enough about it to form an opinion.
@Fa_Maverick (9458)
• Australia
15 Nov 20
This discussion was suggested to me and at first, I thought "what in the heck is a UBI?" I looked into it. While it would be good if every adult got some income regularly (it would better my situation). To me it looks good on paper but I don't think it would be good in practice... There could be those households where there are several people earning money for doing well nothing really but then there would be other households perhaps with only one adult in them that would earn less so there would still be that imbalance of income among people. So I am not completely against it I feel it would be impractical and hard to successfully implement
