Should There be Some Form of Basic Income?
Posted by: BrendanD19A basic income is a amount of money that every citizen, regardless of income, would be guaranteed every month or every year. This could be in the form of a check in the mail for a certain amount, or in the form of a negative income tax or in the form of a tax allowance. It was first proposed by Thomas Paine in Agrarian Justice (the idea exists in the form of Social Security), and has had supporters on the left like Martin Luther King Jr., and John Kenneth Galbraith, but also on the right, most notably Milto
Yes
No
55%
12 votes
45%
10 votes
That was supposed to say Milton Friedman, just FYI. It cut it off early.
@idoubtit Did you not read the description? And again, Milton Friedman liked this
Anyone else noticing that the people who oppose this don't actually know what it is?
Just curious, but why do you support it?
"Everyone has the right to human dignity which requires a decent standard of living. A Basic income could bring this about."
That is what I said in my vote.
Anything else? It seems more like an emotional argument.
It would end poverty, remove inefficiencies in the current welfare state, reduce household debt, and increase consumer spending if thats what you mean.
@BrendanD19 It would not end poverty, it would simply move the line that we use to indicate what poverty is.
@BrendanD19 Dignity is not a right.
So you as a human being do not have inherent worth, and worth is only determined by what you own?
@Heterodox do you even know what this is? A Basic Income could be a spending allowance, or a negative income tax, or it could be social security.
@BrendanD19, There are two forms of social security that I am aware of SSI and SSDI. SSI is needs based, SSDI is basically like insurance (the more you pay in the more you take out). SSI takes from one group and gives to another, this is redistribution and I do not agree with that. However, there are a lot of bigger issues that I do not agree with that I would consider have a higher priority. Corporate welfare for one.
We are not talking about social security as it exists in the US. We are talking about the CONCEPT of social security.
Https://en.Wikipedia.Org/wiki/Social_security
Fukc Death23
@Heterodox again, it could also be in the form of a spending allowance, or a negative income tax (which was advocated by Milton Friedman)
@themightyindividual so was Milton Friedman a communist? What about the FairTax movement?
@BrendanD19 Nobody has the right to steal from one person and give to another, I know our government (USA) does it all the time, but they are violating the natural laws to do so.
@Heterodox again, what about a negative income tax
@BrendanD19, I don't agree with taxes to begin with. Is theft to begin with.
Exactly how much of my hard-earned money do you have a right to?
Everyone would get it
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There should be a negative income tax, rather than overdosing on welfare.
everyone has the right to human dignity which requires a decent standard of living. A Basic income could bring this about.
Fukc the rich.
Yes, scarcity as well as obsolescence is built into the system to perpetuate profiteering. You would not only free up markets, but it would also bring about more democratic rule. Less crime as well.
Not for criminals.
I think there should be basic income because that way the Mexican illegal immigrants Donald Trump talks about will be motivated to become citizens so they can get money
Sounds like more welfare. Who pays for this? There is no magic money fairy. Every penny that gets given to those who didn't earn it, was first forcibly taken from those who did.
OH HELL NO HE WHO SHALL NOT WORK SHALL NOT EAT
Who pays for those that don't work? What happens when the rich are no longer rich? Why should success be punished and laziness rewarded?
No. I don't have an issue of people donating, to help others, but I do have an issue with the government forcing you at gunpoint or under penalty of imprisonment to give up what is yours.
Sounds like welfare.
That is communism.